Django Festival Allstars
“Sensational… Standout performance… Hardest swinging band at the Newport Jazz Festival” – Downbeat Magazine
Samson Schmitt [lead guitar]
Pierre Blanchard [violin]
Ludovic Beier [accordion and accordina]
Antonio Licusati [bass]
Francko Mehrstein [rhythm guitar]
Django Reinhardt’s unmistakable cool and jumping joie de vivre have made him an icon for a list of luminaries, including guitar greats Carlos Santana and Eric Clapton. Jimi Hendrix named his Band of Gypsys in tribute to Reinhardt, and Willie Nelson adopted his influence in playing country swing.
The star musicians of the Django Festival Allstars have grown into a brilliantly cohesive group that has performed at top concert halls and festivals to standing ovations. The group’s music transports listeners to Paris in the 1920s and ’30s, when gitane music filled the air and Django was king. The Django Festival Allstars bring Reinhardt’s music into the 21st century, honoring traditions and standards while adding their own interpretations, arrangements, and original compositions.
