Gypsy Jazz is a style of music quickly growing in popularity in the USA. It is high energy, quickly paced technical jazz music, usually played on acoustic instruments and by small chamber groups. The pioneer of the style of music was Django Reinhardt, who's most famous piece “Minor Swing” was featured in the feature film “Chocolat” and has been recreated in many different styles all over the world. The music originally emanated from France, and there is a heavy french influence on the genre as we know it today. Without the ability of two of his fingers, Dajngo still changed the face of Jazz music and created a style that many musicians struggle to learn, even with all their fingers.
The centre of the genre is a strong beat created by the rhythm guitar. This is sometimes referred to as an “oom-pah” beat because of the driving nature. The chords used are very jazzy, incorporating suspended notes and added note chords, rich harmonies, and the evasive diminished seven which is often left out of guitar music. The lead guitar lines are very fast and technical, often using chromatic scales and dissonant notes to add bluesy flavours, and the bass lines are just as technical and rhythmic as the rest of the band. It is not music for the feint-hearted, but the result is worth the effort.
Gypsy Jazz is fantastic music to experience. Extremely fun to play, musicians are always seen dancing and smiling as they slide seamlessly through virtuosic scales, and they radiate their good vibes to audiences who are often seen trying their swing moves and to impress everybody on the dance floor with their vintage moves. The music is very rhythmic, very upbeat, and is sure to bring a smile to everybody's face.
This style of music is gaining popularity and recognition in America, and the ever growing DjangoFest, named after the genres creator, is a fantastic place to witness this. It occurs every September at the Whidbey Island Centre for the Arts. This event brings together Gypsy Jazz musicians from all over the world, some well known as well as some emerging artists, to impress audiences with their talent over a four day event.
Alongside the performances, there are a number of workshops and impromptu jams. The village of Langley (temporarily renamed as “Djangley” by the official event website) comes alive with music and culture. The event is on Whidbey Island, just a short ferry trip from Seattle, and is hosted by the Whidbey Island Centre for the Arts, whose mission is to inspire, nourish and enhance the artisitc, social and economic well-being of the community. It is one of the longest established Gypsy Jazz events in North America, and a fantastic place for newcomers to the style and big fans alike to experience the culture and music of the genre.
In conjunction with the first festival, the guitarist Don Price of the famous Gypsy Jazz tune “Jazz Gitan” also initiated the first American Gypsy Jazz Guitar Group. The festival was established in 2000 and has been growing in popularity ever since.