num_pages: 223
description: Gypsy jazz is generally associated with the genius of guitarist Django Reinhardt, but gypsy jazz is about much more than Reinhardt and, indeed, not all of Reinhardt’s music is gypsy jazz; but he does remain the root and the centre of the genre. This book explores the elements which make up gypsy jazz and looks at the major musicians, from the start in the 1930s until today. This book initially describes the three key elements in gypsy jazz. There is first of all French popular dance music of the 1930s. Then there is the influence of gypsy music, in terms of playing style, the instruments of the band and the rhythms played. Finally there is the American jazz influence, in particular the swing of the 1930s and 40s, the time when Django Reinhardt was most active. The book starts start with a brief discussion of gypsies, their culture and their music, followed by a broad description of jazz and its key musical elements. That leads nicely into a short introduction to French popular music of the 1930s, and a definition of gypsy jazz and its development over time. The book unashamedly focuses on Django Reinhardt but also looks at many other gypsy jazz players from his contemporaries to musicians of later generations, right up to today. In particular it introduces the gypsy clans who, for generations, have kept this music genre alive and popular. A book about music is only really understood by listening to musical examples. Therefore, the text includes many hyperlinks to relevant videos and web pages to illustrate gypsy jazz and how it is interpreted by the many players of the past and today. The book is a contribution to the relatively new genre of e-music-books, combining the written text with the aural illustrations of the music, mainly taken from YouTube videos, to make the story come alive and make it relevant.
title: Gypsy Jazz: A European Jazz Phenomenon