Who was Django Reinhardt

A.� Jean Baptiste 'Django' Reinhardt is the name at which you arrive, if you take the influences of any major guitarist in the world, and trace them back to the beginning. The guitar, in all its myriad forms, is descended from Django.

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Q.� That's a pretty tall statement about one musician.

A.� It stands up when you look at the musicians who claim Django as a major inspiration�- rock players such as Eric Clapton, Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore, Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi, blues musicians such as Fleetwood Mac's Peter Green, BB King, country legends like Chet Atkins, and through him George Harrison, and even Les Paul, designer of one of the most famous guitars ever made, the list is literally endless.�

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Q.� So what was so special about Django Reinhardt

A.� Django was able to create such a legendary influence, because he was an original, both historically, and stylistically. Born into a Belgian gypsy family in 1910, Django first became a violinist, before taking up the guitar. In the days before electronic amplification, any guitarist needed to be adept at producing sound of sufficient volume to hold its own in the jazz combos of the day. That meant mastery of the steel stringed acoustic guitars, which needed considerable technical skill to produce music that would satisfy the high standards of jazz audiences. Django was a prodigiously talented musician, and he exhibited a level of fortitude over and above his musical ability, to overcome one single event, which should have ended his career.

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Q.� What happened

A.� When he was 18, Django suffered horrific burns when caught in a caravan fire. His left hand was so badly damaged, that surgeons were preparing to amputate the fourth and fifth fingers. Family and friends smuggled Django out of the hospital, but his damaged fingers never recovered, and he was forced to adapt to a unique fingering style to continue playing.

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Q.� Is that where the reputation comes from

A. It is�- anyone who plays guitar, and listens to the scale runs on recordings like Nuages, would wonder how on earth anyone could play them at that speed, with that clarity, on a steel string guitar. Add to that the fact that only two fingers, instead of four, are being used on the fret board, and guitarists find themselves baffled as to how it was done. Django's virtuosity as a 'lead' guitarist, together with his totally infectious rhythm playing, often accompanying his great friend, violinist Stephane Grappelli, ensured that his sound would influence generations of guitarists and that his name would be the one everyone agreed was the best there has ever been.

Q.� Are there any modern jazz musicians playing in the Django style

A.� Plenty, the most accurate interpreters of Django's style are his son Babik, who initially followed a different musical path, preferring the John Coltrane style of jazz. Another excellent guitarist's work to explore is Bireli Lagrene.

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Q.� Are there any recordings of Django's material �����

A.� Fortunately, although Django died of a stroke in 1953, there are plenty of excellent examples of his work on record. Among the best are his works with the famous Quintet Of The Hot Club of France, which are peerless examples of early jazz and swing music. There is a massive catalogue of Django's music to be explored�- a must for anyone interested in the evolution of the modern guitar sound, or anyone who simply loves good swing music, with the pleasure of the musicians involved shining through the sound.