mikebeckmotu wrote:I never get tired of listening to Django Reinhardt.
Ok, you said the magic words
To me, the dichotomy frequently is that the rock and rollers (the Claptons, Becks, Gilmores etc.,) do indeed play with a ton of gut wrenching soul but lets face it, the technique isnt exactly mindblowing. (Heck, I can play the solo from "Crossroads" - I didnt say I could improvise it, just play it
)
And then we've got the Tal Farlows, Jim Halls and Barney Kessels of the world, whose technique is undeniable, whose intellectual skill is deep indeed, but somehow they dont always, well, move you. You marvel at what they can do, but you dont quite thrill to it.
And then we've got the incomparable Django Reinhardt, a perfect combination of both, to me anyway. Mind blowing technique coupled with astonishing melodic invention and soulfulness. It's pretty, it's happy, it makes you laugh, it makes you cry, and it's damn difficult to do with just two fingers! (Actually I can kind of do some of the melodic/diatonic stuff with just the two fingers, it's interesting to mess around with - not quite up to speed of course - but I dont understand how the arpeggios are possible.)
Anyway, it wouldnt matter if he had no fingers, or a hundred fingers, if the playing wasnt what it was. I'm oversimplifying of course, in that Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, they all can tug the heart strings mightily from time to time, just as Clapton can rip off a blinding run, but Django, to my ears just never put a foot (or a finger) wrong.
It's just my opinion so keep the mud slinging to a minimum, ok?...
Gavin
