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.
On The Sunny Side Of The Street
Django Reinhardt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I had nothing but shadows
Then one morning you passed
And I brightened at last
Now I greet the day and complete the day
With the sun in my heart
All my worry blew away
When you taught me how to say
Grab your coat and get your hat
Leave your worry on the doorstep
Just direct your feet
To the sunny side of the street
Can't you hear a pitter-pat?
And that happy tune is your step
Life can be so sweet
On the sunny side of the street
I used to walk in the shade
With those blues on parade
But I'm not afraid
This Rover crossed over
If I never have a cent
I'd be rich as Rockefeller
Gold dust at my feet
On the sunny side of the street
Grab your street
In Django Reinhardt's song On The Sunny Side Of The Street, the lyrics talk about the transformation of the singer's life when an individual, presumably a love interest, came into their life. Before this individual came into their life, the singer walked alone, without interaction or companionship, and felt a sense of emptiness with endless worries. But, the day this individual arrived, the singer suddenly felt a change in their heart as they greeted the day with newfound happiness and optimism. With this person's guidance, the singer learned how to let go of their worries and embrace the brighter side of life. The singer's old self, who had once walked in the shade with a parade of blues, was no longer afraid and was now on the sunny side of the street.
The overall message of the song is one of hope and transformation. The singer's experience shows how love and guidance from a significant other can bring a new perspective and a sense of optimism in life. This song can be seen as an inspirational message to others who may be struggling with their worries and hardships, reminding them that a change in perspective and the introduction of love and support can bring a new light into their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Walked with no one and talked with no one
I used to live alone in isolation.
And I had nothing but shadows
My existence was full of darkness and despair.
Then one morning you passed
But one day you appeared in my life.
And I brightened at last
You brought a light of hope into my life and I began to feel alive.
Now I greet the day and complete the day
Now I start and end each day with enthusiasm and gratitude.
With the sun in my heart
Because you taught me how to enjoy life, my heart is now filled with joy and warmth.
All my worry blew away
You helped me to let go of all my worries and fears.
When you taught me how to say
You showed me how to live with positivity and optimism.
Grab your coat and get your hat
Let's go out and enjoy the world and all its wonders.
Leave your worry on the doorstep
Let's not carry any negativity with us as we step outside.
Just direct your feet
Let's go toward the direction where happiness awaits us.
To the sunny side of the street
Let's move toward the brighter, happier side of life.
Can't you hear a pitter-pat?
Can't you hear the sound of your happy heart beating?
And that happy tune is your step
Your steps are now light and joyful, just like the music in your heart.
Life can be so sweet
You taught me that life can be full of happiness and joy.
On the sunny side of the street
As long as we have a positive outlook and focus on the good things in life, we can always find happiness.
I used to walk in the shade
I used to live in darkness and gloom.
With those blues on parade
I used to be consumed by sadness and negativity.
But I'm not afraid
Now that you have shown me how beautiful life can be, I'm not afraid of anything.
This Rover crossed over
I have now moved from the gloomy side of life to the sunny side.
If I never have a cent
Even if I don't have much money or material possessions,
I'd be rich as Rockefeller
I still consider myself rich because of the joy that you have brought into my life.
Gold dust at my feet
I feel like I'm walking on gold every step of the way.
On the sunny side of the street
As long as we focus on the bright side of life, every step we take will lead us closer to happiness and contentment.
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Stephen White
Wonderful, thanks for posting
CatMicalef
+Stephen White thank you :)
Jacob A. Moritz
1:43 yesss django
Christian Fournier
Superb interpretation. Can someone tell who is the horn player ?
michelle hartnett
Hubert Rostaing