Django Reinhardt Festival

The spirit of Django Reinhardt comes to New York for its eighth year! Excitement over the music of the legendary French gypsy jazz guitarist has grown immeasurably since Producers Pat Philips & Ettore Stratta founded a festival in 2000. Combining the best players from Europe with some of America’s finest jazz artists, a unique atmosphere of virtuosity and fun pervades Birdland for one week only! Reinhardt, a musical genius born to gypsy parents, was a virtuoso on the six-string banjo while still in his teens. In 1931 he heard the music of Louis Armstrong and saw the light that would shape his music. By the time of his death twenty-two years later, Reinhardt had single-handedly redirected the course of jazz guitar. Django’s legacy is held up today by French guitarists Dorado Schmitt and Samson Schmitt, and Accordionist Ludovic Beier. The musical director is bassist Brian Torff.