Django Allstars bring their renowned Gypsy jazz back to Northern California

"In the final months of his life, the transcendent Romani guitarist Django Reinhardt despaired that he'd been forgotten, and that his singular contributions to jazz would go unrecognized. Only 43 when he died of a heart attack in the spring of 1953, Reinhardt had created the Gypsy jazz sound some two decades earlier with his virtuosic partner, French violinist Stephane Grappelli, in the Quintette du Hot Club de France."

"Rather than being overlooked, Reinhardt's legacy is more expansive than ever. The Django Festival Allstars, one of the primary vehicles connecting the French Romani (or Manouche) community to North America, returns to California for a series of performances, including a Nov. 22 Healdsburg Jazz concert at Raven Performing Arts Theater, and a sold-out Nov. 23 date at Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society (the show is availabe for streaming)."

Django Reinhardt despaired late in life that his contributions to jazz would be forgotten. He created the Gypsy jazz sound about two decades before his 1953 death, alongside violinist Stephane Grappelli in the Quintette du Hot Club de France. The Hot Club translated Louis Armstrong's swing into a string-band format and became the first European innovation to influence jazz. The Django Festival Allstars connect the French Romani (Manouche) community to North America through tours, with recent California performances and streaming options. The ensemble remains tied to the Manouche community, featuring Samson Schmitt and rhythm guitarist Francko Locomotive Mehrstein, whose interplay with the bass defines the Hot Club pulse.

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