Born in Liberchies, Pont-à-Celles, Belgium into a family of Manouche Gypsies, Jean Reinhardt learned to play several instruments such as the banjo, violin and guitar from an early age; he spent most of his youth in Gypsy encampments close to Paris. His family made a living from crafting furniture, but included several amateur musicians who inspired Reinhardt. Eventually, Reinhardt was given a banjo-guitar, at which point he stopped playing the violin. During this period, he was inspired by two older Gypsy musicians, Gusti Mahla and Jean Castro. Able to make a living from his music from his teen years onwards playing in bal-musette halls in Paris, Reinhardt received little formal education until his adult life; he was taught the rudiments of literacy by fellow band member Stéphane Grappelli.
At the age of eighteen, Reinhardt was injured in a fire that ravaged the caravan he shared with Florine "Bella" Mayer, his first wife. They were very poor, and to supplement their income Bella made imitation flowers out of celluloid and paper; consequently, their home was full of this highly inflammable material. Returning from a performance late one night, Django apparently knocked over a candle on his way to bed. While his family and neighbors were quick to pull him to safety, he received first- and second-degree burns over half his body. His right leg was paralyzed and the third and fourth fingers of his left hand were badly burnt. Doctors believed that he would never play guitar again and intended to amputate one of his legs. Reinhardt refused to have the surgery and left the hospital after a short time; he was able to walk within a year with the aid of a cane.
His brother Joseph Reinhardt, an accomplished guitarist himself, bought Django a new guitar. With painful rehabilitation and practice, Reinhardt relearned his craft in a completely new way, even as his third and fourth fingers remained partially paralyzed. Hence, he played all of his guitar solos with only two fingers, and managed to use the two injured digits only for chord work. After regaining his ability to play, Reinhardt resumed his career playing Parisian cafes. According to one story, during his period of recovery, Reinhardt was introduced to the aesthetics of American jazz when he purchased a 78rpm disc of "Dallas Blues" by Louis Armstrong at an Orléans flea market.
In 1934, Reinhardt and Parisian violinist Stéphane Grappelli were approached by hot club chief Pierre Nourry with the idea of forming a forming a new hot club group. Thus, the Quintette du Hot Club de France was formed, with Reinhardt's brother Joseph and Roger Chaput on guitar, and Louis Vola on double bass. Occasionally, Chaput was replaced by Reinhardt's best friend and fellow Gypsy Pierre "Baro" Ferret. As the group had no true percussion section, percussion was instead provided by the group's guitarists; the Quintette du Hot Club de France thus became one of the few well-known jazz ensembles composed only of string instruments.
Jean Sablon was the first singer to record with the Quintette, resulting in more than thirty collaborations from 1933 onwards. Vocalist Freddy Taylor participated on a few songs, such as "Georgia on My Mind" and "Nagasaki". A long line of recordings for Decca, HMV and Ultraphone ensured long-lasting international success for the Quintette.
As a composer, Reinhardt wrote several influential, highly original tunes recorded by the Quintette, ranging from the dulcet ballads "Daphne", "Nuages", and "Manoir de mes rêves", to mad swingers such as "Minor Swing" and the ode to his record label of the 1930s, "Stomping at Decca". With the passing of time, many of his songs became jazz standards in their own right.
Reinhardt also experimented with recordings outside the "comfort zone" of the Quintette; in March 1933 Reinhardt recorded two takes each of "Parce que je vous aime" and "Si, j'aime Suzy", vocal numbers with lots of guitar fills and great guitar support, using three guitarists along with an accordion lead, violin, and bass. In August of the following year, recordings were also made with more than one guitar (Joseph Reinhardt, Roger Chaput, and Django), including the first recording by the Quintette. In both years, it should be noted, the great majority of recordings featured a wide variety of horns, often in multiples, piano, etc.
Throughout his career, Reinhardt played and recorded with many American jazz legends such as Benny Carter, Coleman Hawkins, Rex Stewart (who later stayed in Paris), and a led a jam-session and radio performance with Louis Armstrong. Later in his career, he performed with Dizzy Gillespie in France.
The outbreak of war in 1939 broke up the Quintette, with Grappelli remaining in London where the group was playing and Reinhardt returning to France. During the war years he led a big band, another quintet with clarinettist Hubert Rostaing in place of Grappelli, and after the liberation of Paris, recorded with such visiting American jazz artists as Mel Powell, Peanuts Hucko, and Ray McKinley. In 1946, Reinhardt took up the electric guitar and toured America as a soloist with the Duke Ellington Band, but his appearances were poorly received.
Some of his recordings on electric guitar late in his life are bop escapades where his playing sounds frantic and jagged, a world apart from the jubilant swing of old. However, starting in January 1946, Reinhardt and Grappelli held several sporadic reunions where the bop influences were more subtly integrated into the old swing format of the glory days of the Quintette. In the 1950s, Reinhardt became more reclusive, remaining in Europe, playing and recording sporadically until his death from a stroke on 16 May 1953 in Fontainebleau, France.
All The Things You Are
Django Reinhardt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That makes the lonely winter seem long
You are the breathless hush of evening
That trembles on the brink of a lovely song
You are the angel glow that lights a star
The dearest things I know are what you are
And some day I'll know that moment divine
When all the things you are, are mine
You are the angel glow that lights a star
The dearest things I know are what you are
Some day my happy arms will hold you
And some day I'll know that moment divine
When all the things you are, are mine
The lyrics of Django Reinhardt's song "All The Things You Are" is a love poem dedicated to a special someone who is only described through their qualities and attributes. The singer likens their beloved to the "promised kiss of springtime", representing renewal and new beginnings that drive away the loneliness of winter. The person is also depicted as the "breathless hush of evening", which creates a momentary pause in time before a beautiful song starts. Through these descriptions, the person becomes a source of life and beauty in the singer's world, lifting their spirits and bringing joy to their life.
The second stanza continues the poetic portrayal of the singer's beloved, describing them as the "angel glow that lights a star". The person's aura and positive energy seem to be so powerful that they influence the entire universe. The song expresses how the singer deeply admires their beloved, finding them the "dearest things" in their life. The final stanza is about the hope of holding the person and experiencing a moment of divine bliss. The singer's desire is to possess all of the qualities and attributes the person has, to fully experience the essence of their beloved.
In summary, "All The Things You Are" is an ode to a loved one, who is perceived as a source of inspiration, beauty and positive energy that can light up someone's world. Through its carefully crafted poetic descriptions, the song reveals the deep desire of the singer to possess and cherish the special person, who makes their life feel complete.
Line by Line Meaning
You are the promised kiss of springtime
You are the symbol of new beginnings and fresh starts.
That makes the lonely winter seem long
You bring joy and happiness to even the darkest of times.
You are the breathless hush of evening
You are the peaceful calm that comes at the end of a busy day.
That trembles on the brink of a lovely song
You inspire beauty and creativity in those around you.
You are the angel glow that lights a star
You bring a special light into the world that illuminates everything around you.
The dearest things I know are what you are
You are the most important and beloved person or thing in my life.
Some day my happy arms will hold you
One day I will have the pleasure of embracing you and holding you close.
And some day I'll know that moment divine
Someday I will experience a beautiful and holy moment with you.
When all the things you are, are mine
When I have every part of you, my life will be complete and fulfilled.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JEROME KERN, OSCAR II HAMMERSTEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aaron Loewen
One of the best Django solos. Brilliant.
Autumn Leaves
Django and Stephane at their best. One of the greatest jazz collaborations. A joy to hear.
Guitareal
From 2:00 to 2:07...man, I could cry listening to that phrase. It's just perfect.
Noel Newell Smith Katz
This must be Stephane Grapelli, too, on the violin -- I love this!
Let's ShareJazz
Is there a bigger gift to us from God than Django ? Seriously our life would be different if he would not exist. Django est un enchantement dès qu'il joue une note.
EcheiTwoubadouw
Très belle phrase, très vraie !
OLD JD
Bud Powel?
Mauricio Durón
Surely Django and Louis Armstrong got to meet at some point.
Traveling man
louis Armstrong's playing made him cry once after hearing him!
life
this is so beautiful... thank you