In 1928 gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt met Stephane Grapelli, a violinst with whom he would have a career long relationship. They were both struggling young musicians attempting to make their way in the jazz scene. In 1933, they finally had the luck to play together in the Quintet of the Hot Club of France (which additionally presented Django’s brother Joseph on rhythm guitar}), an incarnation of the Hotel Claridge Orchestra, The Ultraphone Recording Company offered the band a record deal in 1934, and their initial album sent shock waves through the European jazz scene. This spawned a sequence of band recordings that would elevate the band’s popularity and enable them to play concert halls. It was around this time that the first collection book of Django Reinhardt’s jazz guitar tabs and jazz guitar tablatures was compiled. When World War II started, the band was on tour in London. Django and company retreated to Paris, but Grapelli decided to dwell in London. Because of the German invasion of France, Django grew to become a god in the eyes of the French. He was a national hero who represented a distinctive and totally free spirit that stood tall against the repressive, stiffling character of the German invaders. Django Reinhardt’s star continued to rise. He composed the beautiful tune “Nuages” which would become his signature tune, and eventually replaced Grapelli with clarinetist Hubert Rostaing, encouraged by the pairing of jazz guitar performer Charlie Christian and clarinetist Benny Goodman. This new line-up additionally had drums replacing rhythm guitar, and would sell out shows whenever it played. Django’s popularity spread to include America. In 1946, Django Reinhardt reunited with Stephane Grapelli. They went on to record as a quintet with new members, but Django was in bad health and returned to Paris. Later in 1946 he made his first and only trip to the United States. He was invited to New York’s acclaimed Carnegie Hall to be a featured soloist with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. He was energized to come to America and his tremendous ego gave him extreme delusions of grandeur. He left his Maccaferri guitar at home, anticipating American guitar manufacturers to swarm him with no cost guitars to choose from. This did not happen, and he ended up purchasing a generic American electric guitar that was not very comfortable for him. Django pulled off the initial concert without a hitch and was asked back for six encores. On the 2nd night however, in his natural capricious fashion, he showed up late, arriving just in time to close the show. He blamed his tardiness on the cab driver. This event decreased Django’s marquee value significantly and the tour was considered a major flop. Bebop had become the trendy style of jazz by 1949 and Django’s swing style was passe. His ego was crushed and he stopped performing on guitar for a while. By 1951 however, he was back in action and had assimilated the bebop language. He could bop with the very best and was now performing on an amplified guitar. He recorded with bebop pioneer Dizzy Gillespie in 1953 and had a world tour lined up. In Switzerland, on a small tour, Django developed some health problems. He had extreme headaches, elevated blood pressure and numbness in his fingers. He refused to see a medical doctor and on May 15, 1953, he suffered a deadly stroke while at a cafe with friends. He died at the young age of 43. The legend of Django Reinhardt continues to grow. Notable jazz guitarist Bireli LaGrene devotes himself to carrying the torch Django left behind. Django’s influence is quickly evident in LaGrene’s playing in his use of tremolo picking, speedy chromatic phrases, and slides across the fretboard. In 1999, Woody Allen wrote and directed “Sweet and Lowdown”, a fictional movie in which a person named Emmet Ray claimed to be “the 2nd greatest jazz guitarist in the world” – 2nd only to Django Reinhardt. Ray was threatened and traumatized by Django’s presence and avoided him at all costs. In 2002, a bistro named “Django” inspired by the Manouche guitarist, opened to critical acclaim in New York City’s very competitive bistro scene.