Few musicians can be said to have truly altered the course of musical history, but one of them was called Django.

As observers have long realised, it is hard to tell at the time when history is really being made, and it is often in the margins where the stuff with the greatest impact occurs. The Velvet Underground were a group who made very little commercial mark during their brief original lifespan as a unit, but their music has turned out to be a touchstone for a thousand influential outfits that followed in their wake.
And I imagine few people who were living it up in Paris in the early ‘30s realised that they were witnessing the birth of a new form of music, but in 1934 when guitarist Django Reinhardt and Parisian violinist Stephane Grappelli formed the Quintette du Hot Club du Paris, that's exactly what was happening.
Django Reinhardt was born into a family of Romani gypsies and, after a childhood injury left two of his left hand fingers partially paralysed, learned to solo on the guitar using only two fingers. And he invented a whole new style of jazz guitar (sometimes called ‘hot' jazz guitar) that has since become a living musical tradition, with the songs he wrote making up the cornerstones of a new repertoire.
There are now ‘Hot Club' bands all over the world. We have our own in New Zealand, the ever-wonderful Hot Club Sandwich, but pretty much every country now boasts at least one.
And Robbie Laven, who has his own gypsy jazz duo, Bonjour Swing, along with singer/guitarist Marion Arts, is aiming to spread the word and the music amongst fellow musicians in Tauranga.
In 2009, Robbie, Marion, and son Oscar (the occasional third player in Bonjour Swing, adding many blown instruments) were over in France at the annual Django Reinhardt Festival in Samois Sur Seine and observed as continual jam sessions took place.
He says: 'At the camping ground where we stayed there were countless groups of players of floating make-up and of mind-blowing ability, jamming 24 hours a day. At one session, there were about 30 players, including bass, accordion, melodica, and Oscar. Tunes lasted a long time.”
So the plan is for the first session to take place on Monday evening, March 14, in the lounge bar at the Bureta Park Motor Inn (where Dr Jazz and re-incarnations played). It'll be purely acoustic and anyone interested in participating is welcome. Basically, everyone will sit around in a big circle and take it in turns to solo over a selection of tunes. Or just play rhythm if they prefer.
Realising that many people will be beginners at this style, Robbie will be there half an hour earlier to run through stuff with anyone who wants. That's 7pm. The actual jam (or Djam as they call it elsewhere) begins at 7.30pm.
It's a great idea! I can't help thinking how cool it would be in the future if, when you go to a party in Tauranga and there are guys jamming, in amongst the blues and standards there was a sudden burst of gypsy jazz – a whole new tradition for the Bay!
But before Monday there are things that may be of interest.
On Sunday 13 there will be a concert aimed at raising money for the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal. It's happening in Waihi at the Gilmour Lake from midday and features Shona Laing, Upfront, Phantom Five, Shotgun Front, The Little Red Hens, a Neil Young tribute band and more. Entry is free but a bucket collection will do the rounds to raise money the appeal.
Also on Sunday 13 is the monthly Jazz Club gathering at the RSA in Greerton (formerly Fahey's). These nights are getting ever more popular and feature some fantastic jazz. This Sunday Jazz DeVice are coming over from Hamilton to play, followed by Torch Songs singer Carol Storey with her own special band for the occasion. It begins at 6pm and is all over by 9pm for those who have work the next day. Jazz Society members and non-members are equally welcome.
Till next time...