It’s Friday. Which means I’m feeling lazy (and hopefully you are too). So instead of bombarding you with words… you get some sweet sweet music.
If you’ve never heard of Django Reinhardt, I (and just about any guitar player) highly recommend checking him out. You’ve probably heard his music (in movies like Something’s Gotta Give or Sweet and Lowdown) – or the similar Gypsy Jazz style. And even if you don’t dig the sound, you can at least appreciate the skill.
This is a guy who lost the use of all but two fingers in his left hand. TWO FINGERS. Yet still, he could produce some of the most amazing sounds out of his guitar. Check out the video for the full effect (Particularly around the 19 second mark – it is unreal. Watch his left hand and listen to the sound it produces).
So I’m sharing this for two reasons:
1. I love the music.
2. Whenever I feel stuck (or a student feels stuck) – it’s an incredible motivator to see Django play and persist. And not only that – but play at a high (if not the highest) level.
If you want more, you can check out the excellent film: Life After Django Reinhardt (Streaming on Netflix).
That’s it. Enjoy.