The Quintet of the Hot Club of France was an unbelievable band. That amazing violin in the background is, of course, Stephane Grappelli. How Rheinhardt could play the way he could with fused fingers is way beyond astonishing. There was a tribute band here in Toronto called The Hot Club of Django, and the guitar player is superb. He said in a concert that with all his fingers working properly, he still finds Django's music incredibly difficult.
My favourite music is the stuff from the 20s and 30s.
You might remember a musician named Jeff Healey (a true loss when he died). He had a weekly radio show here in Toronto (they still replay it on Monday nights from 8:00pm to 10:00pm Toronto time, on Jazz FM - you can pick it up on
www.jazz.fm). Oddly enough, his favourite music was also the jazz from the 20s and 30s and that's all he played on the show - mostly from his own 78s collection. Apparently he'd been collecting the stuff since his early teens. Everybody knows him as one of the great blues guitarists, but his real love was this sort of stuff.
>If you like this style music, you might like some Django Rheinhardt too -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpO5xIltlyU and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoIJ4W7kXiQ There are several on youtube that are good.
>
>
>>From what I read, these guys used to get together to play once a week (this is not new). I do believe that this is one of the best versions of "Deep Henderson" that I've heard. Found this band by accident looking for versions of this tune.
>>
>>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mx9eyBJmBs>>
>>And then go and check this one -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_iz-m66yBw&feature=related
