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.
Moonglow
Django Reinhardt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It must have been moonglow that led me straight to you
I still hear you sayin', "Dear one, hold me fast"
And I keep on prayin', "Oh Lord, please let this last"
We seemed to float right through the air
Heavenly songs seemed to come from everywhere
I'll always remember, that moonglow gave me you
It must have been moonglow, way up in the blue
It must have been moonglow that led me straight to you
I still hear you sayin', "Sweet child, hold me fast"
And I keep on prayin', "Oh Lord, please let this last"
We seemed to float right through the air
Heavenly songs seemed to come from everywhere
And now when there's moonglow, way up in the blue
I'll always remember, that moonglow gave me you
Django Reinhardt's song "Moonglow" is a romantic and dreamy tune that tells the story of how the moon played a pivotal role in bringing two people together in love. The opening lines suggest that it was the moonglow in the sky that led the singer straight to the object of his affections, and throughout the song, he speaks of how the magical atmosphere created by the moon made him feel like he and his lover were floating on air. The singer reminisces about the feeling of being held close to his lover, and how he prayed that their beautiful moment would never end.
The song's lyrics are packed with vivid imagery evoking an almost other-worldly state of mind. The heavenly songs "coming from everywhere" create a beautiful sensory experience for the listener, as the sounds and sights of the night sky merge together in a perfect union. The beauty and power of the moonlight is a central theme of the song, and the singer notes that every time he sees moonglow in the sky, he will always remember the magical moment when it brought him into the arms of his lover.
Overall, "Moonglow" is a testament to the power of nature and its ability to bring people together in love. Whether it's the moon or some other force of nature, the song suggests that there are some things that are simply too powerful to be ignored, and that sometimes, it's best to just surrender to the beauty of the universe and let it work its magic.
Line by Line Meaning
It must have been moonglow, way up in the blue
The singer believes that it was the shining presence of the moon in the sky that brought about their fateful encounter with the person they are addressing.
It must have been moonglow that led me straight to you
The singer is convinced that the light of the moon provided the guiding force that allowed them to find and connect with the person they are speaking to.
I still hear you sayin', "Dear one, hold me fast"
The singer fondly remembers the way their loved one asked to be embraced and held tightly in their arms.
And I keep on prayin', "Oh Lord, please let this last"
The artist expresses their desire for their joyous and harmonious time with the person to continue for as long as possible.
We seemed to float right through the air
The artist remembers feeling weightless and full of delight as they moved through the world with their beloved, caught up in the magic of the moment.
Heavenly songs seemed to come from everywhere
The singer recalls feeling surrounded by a chorus of beautiful, uplifting music that added to the powerful emotions of the scene.
And now when there's moonglow, way up in the blue
The singer reflects that whenever they happen to witness the same kind of moonlit glow that was present during their special moment, they are reminded of the person and the memories they share.
I'll always remember, that moonglow gave me you
The artist believes that the light of the moon somehow conspired to bring them together with the person they are addressing, and that their love is forever linked with the romantic, mystical energy of that night.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Eddie Delange, Irving Mills, Will Hudson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Vincenzo
this is beautiful. this definitely woke me up from all the craze on current 'gypsy jazz'. django is a guitarist, and a damn fine one at that, but more importantly he is a real musician. aw, this is just great.
Lawrence Lewis
What craze? I've loved this music all my life andI'm 67.
DatuKaruma
6 years ago? What craze?
MrJohannes1947
YES!!!
SELMER B.Action
The greatest guitarist genius who ever lived
bodegastheband
With the rain there’s not a worry in the world. Only the sound of love. Thank you django
AlvisTD21
Romantic, joyful, immediate, virtuosic, melodic all in under 3 minutes!
Nico Vlahavas
once in a while ...a musician shines his light on us all....
George Alderson
We can always cope with a bit more of DR's light Nico
Joe Nania
It happened ONCE - DJANGO REINHARDT and STEPHANE GRAPPELLI - were here - here on this earth - and brought to us the most wonderful music this world has ever known - !