Caevan O’Shite Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 ...wherever you are. http://www.gva.be/dossiers/-e/eeuw/img/1953/Django.jpg Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revolead Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 Hey, cool its my birthday too. Shut up and play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funk Jazz Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 have i mentioned lately how much capricorns rule? ( my b-day was the 14th ) i watched the great documentary "meeting grapelli" last night. stephane was such a treasure at age 85 when it was filmed. i can't imagine how the world would be if django had lived past 1954. those two epitomized "class." i'll tip a glass of whiskey for the lads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted January 23, 2004 Author Share Posted January 23, 2004 Happy belated-birthday, funkjazz! Happy birthday, revolead! funkjazz- being born on the 23rd excludes Django (and others) from ruling as Capricorns, as that would make them Aquarians... http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/icons/icon12.gif revolead- Hey, really? No kiddin'! It's my birthday, too! But, just as importantly, if not more so- it's Django's! Damn, I loaned out my one and only Django CD, and never got it back; it's probably safe to assume that I need to buy another at this point... Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Thorne Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 Originally posted by funkjazz: i can't imagine how the world would be if django had lived past 1954...Django had actually retired from playing before his death, was spending most of his time fishing, by all accounts. So he may not have contributed much more had he lived. And BTW, Django died in 1953, not 1954 - May 16, as a matter of fact. How do I know? I was born that day. Coincidence? Je ne pense pas que non... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted January 23, 2004 Author Share Posted January 23, 2004 "...those two epitomized "class"."I heartily agree; but Django also epitomized "eccentricity", to say the least! The red socks, the unreliability (being late, or not even showing, for gigs and sessions when he went fishing or playing poker instead), insisting on his wife's carrying his guitar sometimes, etc. etc. etc. I think that someone would be hard pressed to make-up a fictional guitar-playing character with as rich a background or personality! I do think that the excellent "rhythm" guitars in that music has been overlooked in Django's shadow; wasn't his brother on some of those recordings? God bless your soul, Django, wherever you might be! http://www.guitar-masters.com/Players/GP-Django.JPG Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Strat Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 Never heard him play. PS. K, you got mail dude. BlueStrat a.k.a. "El Guapo" ...Better fuzz through science... http://geocities.com/teleman28056/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revolead Posted January 24, 2004 Share Posted January 24, 2004 Originally posted by Caevan O'Shite: revolead- Hey, really? No kiddin'! It's my birthday, too! But, just as importantly, if not more so- it's Django's!Well mines the 22nd, but I saw you put it up last night, so I figured you meant yesterday. But cool anyway. Happy Birthday to you to Kev! Shut up and play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted January 24, 2004 Author Share Posted January 24, 2004 Originally posted by bluestrat: "Never heard him play." I think his playing would grow on ya, blue'! A really cool, different take on jazz: a decidedly European, and genuinely Gypsy music that has plenty of swing, but is kinda light on the bluesy, American sound. Get around to listening to some of his stuff soon, I think you'll like it! Almost all done on acoustic flat-top guitars, too; with technique that was ahead of its time! On top of all that, he had suffered a debilitating burn-injury to his left hand that left his "ring"- and "little"-fingers pretty much unusable, formed in a fused hook of scar-tissue; and it never really healed, either. But the best part is simply the music; usually very joyful and vibrant! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Thorne Posted January 24, 2004 Share Posted January 24, 2004 Django was the shiznit, a true "brother from another planet". And the granddaddy of us all. His "eccentricities" were actually SOP in his Gypsy world. I believe he didn't even read words, let alone music, so his musical ability was all intuitive. And it was also customary in his world for the women to earn money while the men loafed in insouciant fashion; hence, LOTS of time to practice. He was still a genius, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauldil Posted January 24, 2004 Share Posted January 24, 2004 Originally posted by chad: And it was also customary in his world for the women to earn money while the men loafed in insouciant fashion; hence, LOTS of time to practice.Awww, man! I wish I was a Gypsy!!! Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funk Jazz Posted January 24, 2004 Share Posted January 24, 2004 Originally posted by chad: Django had actually retired from playing before his death, was spending most of his time fishing, by all accounts. So he may not have contributed much more had he lived. And BTW, Django died in 1953, not 1954 - May 16, as a matter of fact. How do I know? I was born that day. Coincidence? Je ne pense pas que non...my bad. not so good with dates i'm afraid, or astrology for that matter. guess this capricorn doesn't rule much in those dept's i have to argue the retirement bit though, i have recordings of him from '53, playing electric and sounding pretty bop-ish on his last date. though he did trail off in popularity and played much less in the later years. anyone seen that "django legacy" documentary? it's fantastic. i think part of having class is living life completely, being extravagant, betting hoards of money on yourself in pool games, smoking cigars, then showing up to a gig in a sweet suit, looking like honey and playing like butter. living the life, y'know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted January 24, 2004 Author Share Posted January 24, 2004 Originally posted by funkjazz: "i think part of having class is living life completely, being extravagant, betting hoards of money on yourself in pool games, smoking cigars, then showing up to a gig in a sweet suit, looking like honey and playing like butter. living the life, y'know?" Yeah; if you're gonna be a bear, be a grizzly, whether you're a Django or a Gandhi! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funk Jazz Posted January 24, 2004 Share Posted January 24, 2004 Originally posted by chad: Django was the shiznit, a true "brother from another planet". And the granddaddy of us all. His "eccentricities" were actually SOP in his Gypsy world. I believe he didn't even read words, let alone music, so his musical ability was all intuitive. And it was also customary in his world for the women to earn money while the men loafed in insouciant fashion; hence, LOTS of time to practice. He was still a genius, though.he didn't learn to sign his own name until ellington brought him over to play carnegie hall. apparently he had to sign the passenger manifest. ironically he took immense pride in being able to sign his name, and could do it with incredible facility (his signature is gorgeous) but he was illiterate. i don't think there is any truth to that generalization about gypsy women. you should watch that documentary "latcho drom." i think you'd see gypsies in a different light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Thorne Posted January 24, 2004 Share Posted January 24, 2004 Originally posted by funkjazz: ...I don't think there is any truth to that generalization about gypsy women. you should watch that documentary "latcho drom." i think you'd see gypsies in a different light...I didn't mean to cast aspersions; if the generalization is not accurate I'm happy to lose it. (FWIW, I never use the expression "to gyp" because it refers to Gypsies and the notion that they are, as a group, crooked.) Whatever may be true of Gypsy men in general I think it's well documented that Django (nee Jean Baptiste) didn't spend much time on day gigs. As a result, and not withstanding his terrifying talent, he had the opportunity to play a lot . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funk Jazz Posted January 24, 2004 Share Posted January 24, 2004 all good, all good. yup, a loafer by any other name is still a loafer. apparently django spent mucho time fishing and playing pool. don't think he was the pinnacle of fatherhood or husband-hood for that matter but most geniuses seem to struggle with responsibility. woody guthrie, bird, miles, django, van gogh, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylen Posted May 26, 2004 Share Posted May 26, 2004 Well - I just stumbled on this Django footage & website...make sure your floor is clean before you watch it 'cause your jaw is gonna drop about 7 feet when you see this guy burn down a guitar with 2 fingers, hehe...Go Django ! http://www.about-django.com/news/videos/videos.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Thorne Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 Originally posted by funkjazz: ...apparently Django spent mucho time fishing and playing pool. don't think he was the pinnacle of fatherhood or husband-hood for that matter......although it should be noted that he sustained his famous hand injury rescuing his wife and baby son from a terrible fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted May 27, 2004 Author Share Posted May 27, 2004 kylen- Thanks for the vid-links; if I can get to see them- I'm on dial-up, and it's going v e r y s l o o o w l y . . . chad- a very good point well-made, and well-taken! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarzan Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 happy birthday Django! and happy birthday fellow forumites. http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=193274 rock it, i will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted May 27, 2004 Author Share Posted May 27, 2004 Just so everyone knows, I originally started this thread back on posted 01-22-2004 at 11:19 PM, and Django's birthday is the 23rd of January. It was just recently bumped-up by kylen's and chad's posts. Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funk Jazz Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 Originally posted by chad: Originally posted by funkjazz: ...apparently Django spent mucho time fishing and playing pool. don't think he was the pinnacle of fatherhood or husband-hood for that matter......although it should be noted that he sustained his famous hand injury rescuing his wife and baby son from a terrible fire.that's a nice thought. the facts don't support it however: after checking the many bio's i have on Django, i can assure you he had no son at the time of the fire in 1928 (Babik was born in 1944). his wife may have been pregnant (a single source cites this as a possibility), but by all accounts they escaped the fire together. in fact, Django was an infamous coward. there are tons of accounts of his overwhelming cowardice during WWII. but rest assured, i don't want to paint the picture of django as anything less than brilliant, but heroism simply can't be added to his list of achievements. an excellent quick bio of Django can be found here: http://www.djangomontreal.com/doc/DjangoStory.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted May 27, 2004 Author Share Posted May 27, 2004 I guess that winding-up in the history books can be a double-edged sword... ! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylen Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 Originally posted by FunkJazz: [an excellent quick bio of Django can be found here: http://www.djangomontreal.com/doc/DjangoStory.htm Thanks for the interesting article funkjazz - the biography I have mentions he and his first wife escaped the fire seperately. I haven't run across the cowardess stuff yet so I don't know what that's about. Having seen and read about the nazis idiots in action you wouldn't want to cross their paths with anything less than a tank...we'll see if the book I'm reading (Django - Charles Delaunay) goes in to that, I'm mainly interested in his musical side anyway of course. The book is a bit of a tricky read - I guess it was translated and editing has chopped up the flow somewhat too. It's pretty wild reading about the authors' impressions of the gypsy culture... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted May 28, 2004 Author Share Posted May 28, 2004 I don't think that these things mean the Django was a crappy human being, just that he was a human being. Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funk Jazz Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 Originally posted by Caevan O'Shite: I don't think that these things mean the Django was a crappy human being, just that he was a human being.amen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funk Jazz Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 Kylen: yeah, i have read several versions of the story that has his wife escaping seperately as well. the main point i wanted to hit on was saving his son that wasn't born yet. i have this fear of the mythology behind django overshadowing the reality, as Caevan so aptly put, of his humanity. that book sounds like an interesting read Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylen Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 Originally posted by FunkJazz: i have this fear of the mythology behind django overshadowing the reality, as Caevan so aptly put, of his humanity. Ain't that the truth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Thorne Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 Originally posted by kylen: Originally posted by FunkJazz: [an excellent quick bio of Django can be found here: http://www.djangomontreal.com/doc/DjangoStory.htm I haven't run across the cowardess stuff yet so I don't know what that's about. Having seen and read about the nazis idiots in action you wouldn't want to cross their paths with anything less than a tank...we'll see if the book I'm reading (Django - Charles Delaunay) goes in to that...Yeah, the Nazis persecuted Gypsies in the same way they did Jews, homosexuals, etc., so what some term "cowardice" might have just been prudence... Kylen, if you would please let us know what Delaunay says about the fire. I could swear that's where I read the story I repeated above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylen Posted May 29, 2004 Share Posted May 29, 2004 Originally posted by chad: Kylen, if you would please let us know what Delaunay says about the fire. I could swear that's where I read the story I repeated above.Ok, I've read further in the book and there don't seem to be further details of the tragic night of November 2, 1928. The book says that Django returned to his caravan about 1:00 in the morning to find it totally filled with artificial flowers to be used for his wife's 'business' the next day. His wife, expecting a child, was already in bed. Django was getting undressed but heard a noise, picked up a short candle, leaned over to see if there was a mouse or something in the caravan, the buring wick fell on the flowers and poof...instant fire & smoke. The account goes on to say that Django had grabbed a blanket with his left hand to try and protect himself but apparantly that thing just went up in flames too...Django finally escaped and the account is somewhat ambiguous but indicates to me that his wife had gotten out herself somehow. That's what I get out of the Delaunay book... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.