Customer Reviews

Django

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Django Reinhardt, one of the world's greatest jazz guitarists, started under extremely humble auspices that held few forebodings of his future prominence. Born into a Roma family with very little money and no permanent home, Django did not go to school and he worked hard to help his family meet their needs. Music and dancing around the campfire helped to ease the difficulties, and Django grew up to earn a living from playing a banjo. Even though a terrible accident left him with severe burns and partial paralysis in his left hand, Django found the willingness and inspiration to rehabilitate his hand and become an even better musician.

This interesting book shines the spotlight on an important jazz musician who children otherwise may not know much about. Closely woven into the story are some clear lessons in economics related to poverty, jobs, and human resources. The bold illustrations and author notes further contribute to the book's high marks on substantive content.

Django Reinhardt was born in a horse drawn gypsy wagon in Belgium. It was 1910 and times were hard. It was January and snow lightly coated tree branches and the step of the wagon. The laundry flapped in the breeze and animals stuck close to the wagons. It was not an easy life because the family was constantly "moving place to place, country to country." There was no opportunity for Django to go to school, but there was something that he would learn and learn well. That thing, which would later become a passion, was music. The gypsy dancers would twirl faster and faster to the sound of music, "Heartbeats drumming, breathless singing,/ Float on music to the stars."

When he was a boy, his father left, never to return and Django had to grow up quickly. When he was still a boy, he dazzled Parisians when he played his "banjo-guitar." Soon they were calling him the "Gypsy Genius" and "Prodigy Boy." By 1928 he was being asked to join bands and "make the big time." His gypsy wagon beckoned to him and he left to go back to it. It was during the night that a fire started in the wagon. "A scream, a screech, then footsteps running" . . . Django was burning up. His recuperation would be long and arduous. No one thought he would ever dazzle the crowds again, but Django Reinhardt was determined to make his useless hand make music again.

This rhythmically related tale was beautifully executed and the bold, vibrant artwork complimented it very nicely. The story seemed to swirl and somehow had an ethereal quality about it. The storyline captured my imagination and I went to listen to clips of Django's amazing guitar work in Amazon's music section. If you are a jazz afficionado, you will probably enjoy this light, but beautiful biography about his life!