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Rifftides

Doug Ramsey on Jazz and other matters...

John Lewis, “Django” and Django

John Lewis Head ShotThis is the birthday of John Lewis (1920-2001), the pianist and music director of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Many of his compositions are staples of the jazz repertoire. None is better known than “Django,” named for the Belgian Gypsy guitarist who was the first European musician to become a major jazz figure. Lewis discussed the piece and his reason for writing it in a television appearance with Billy Taylor. The clip is a reminder of the pleasantness of John’s personality and the understated strength of his playing. After we see and hear him play “Django,” we’ll listen to Django Reinhardt and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France from 1940. This was Reinhardt’s first recording of his own most famous composition, “Nuages.” You may be able to detect a harmonic source of Lewis’s inspiration.

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Doug Ramsey

Doug is a recipient of the lifetime achievement award of the Jazz Journalists Association. He lives in the Pacific Northwest, where he settled following a career in print and broadcast journalism in cities including New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, San Antonio, … [MORE]

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