The sizzling sound of gypsy jazz music at the
2006 Django Fest - Mill Valley
Top International Gypsy Jazz musicians perform six concerts over 4 days with workshops June 8-11
THURSDAY, June 8 - 8PM
FRIDAY, June 9- 8PM, workshop at 2pm
SATURDAY, June 10- 3PM and 8PM; workshops from 10am-12pm and 12pm-2pm
SUNDAY June 11- 3PM and 7PM; workshops from 10am-12pm and 12pm-2pm
142 Throckmorton Theatre in downtown Mill Valley, California
Tickets range from $25-$45 and can be purchased by calling 415-383-9600, or at the 142 Throckmorton Theatre box office. For more information or to purchase online visit www.142throckmortontheatre.com. Pre-seating is available with an additional charge.
DjangoFest Mill Valley (pronounced jan-go) is a four-day festival celebrating the music and spirit of Django Reinhardt, a French gypsy musician who contributed significantly to American jazz's golden age in the first half of the 20th century. From June 8-11th, downtown Mill Valley will become infused with the spirit of this positive and contagious music, cultivating a true festival atmosphere as first-time hosts to the event. Players and enthusiasts from around the world will congregate to hear top, international Gypsy Jazz musicians in concert with exciting opportunities for fans, such as workshops, events at supporting venues such as the Sweetwater and Mount Tam Amphitheatre, “djam" sessions with other aficionados of this distinctive and vibrant genre of acoustic guitar driven music, and much more. See full schedule below. Visit www.142throckmortontheatre.com for more information including artist biographies.
Gypsy Jazz was invented and perfected in the cafes of Paris in the 30's and 40's by the influence of Django Reinhardt. A dramatic mix of American Swing, Parisian Musette, Spanish Flamenco and Eastern European, this unique style of guitar-driven jazz has been preserved and added to by devoted followers.
Born in Belgium in 1910, Reinhardt was one of the first important jazz musicians to be born in Europe, and one of the most important jazz guitarists of all time. He spent most of his youth in Basque Gypsy encampments close to Paris and began performing guitar, violin and banjo professionally at an early age. When he was 18, Reinhardt was injured in a fire which left the third and fourth digits on his left hand severely damaged. Reinhardt focused on the guitar and developed an original style of playing that emphasized his undamaged fingers, the distinct Django-gypsy style. Playing with the infamous “Quintette du Hot Club de France" in 1934, Reinhardt produced a number of recordings at this time and played with American Jazz legends such as Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter, Rex Stewars and Louis Armstrong. After stints of touring the UK and US and playing with greats such as Duke Ellington at Carnegie Hall, Reinhardt returned to Paris and formed new collaborations while returning to his gypsy lifestyle, finding it hard to adjust to modern conveniences. He continued composing and recording until his death in 1953. (source: Wikipedia.org)
For more information contact All About Jazz.
