Sunday String Swing

Continuing the thread from the last post, as the following caricature of Django Reinhardt from The Triplets Of Belleville illustrates, we're talking guitarists.



As titled, today's post is devoted to "string swing" - and Django's batting leadoff with some Swing 39.



After Swing 39, it's time for some Swing 42!



Guitar virtuoso Hank Marvin made history, going back to the 1950's days of skiffle, backing British pop star Cliff Richard and personifying classic rock n' roll with his band The Shadows and subsequent groups. The versatile guitarist, 77 and still performing, also plays killer gypsy jazz. He has blazed trails on the guitar in the 20th and 21st centuries.




A guitarist much influenced by Hank Marvin & The Shadows, Tommy Emmanuel, made an appearance in last Sunday's post on jazz-classical guitar genius Lenny Breau, so here he is, with fellow string-meisters Richard Smith and Jim Nichols at the Chet Atkins convention in The Land Of Chet Atkins, Nashville.



Are here's Tommy with frequent collaborator - they made a terrific album together titled The Colonel & The Governor - Martin Taylor. Been known to binge-watch music clips involving this dynamic duo.





Martin Taylor is yet another virtuoso on the short list of astonishingly good guitarists.



First became of Martin when he was, in the 1980's, the guitarist with none other than Stéphane Grappelli, jazz violinist supreme and co-founder with Django Reinhardt of The Hot Club of France.



Another guitarist who plays duos with and teaches workshops with Martin is Robin Nolan.



As well as Julian Lage.





Prominent in gypsy jazz since the early 1980's: guitarist and bassist Biréli Lagrène.





And, without fail, must mention two guitarists Mr. Emmanuel has worked with as a trio, Frank Vignola and Vinny Ragiolo.



Tommy, Frank and Vinny outdo themselves in the following performance.



Frank's duo with Martin Taylor on "Cherokee" is equally wonderful.



Bringing a post devoted to "swingin' on a six string" full circle, seems fitting to send this out with some more Django - and also recommend checking out some cool Django Reinhardt playlists on YouTube, organized by year.



It would appear that the poster, Mr. Becker, who we think might be a friend of the Reinhardt family, has access to numerous lesser known concerts, airchecks and radio broadcasts the guitar ace did after World War II.



Django always sounds great to the gang at Way Too Damn Lazy To Write A Blog.