orig. Jean-Baptiste Reinhardt
born Jan. 23, 1910, Liberchies, Belg.
died May 16, 1953, Fontainebleau, France
Belgian-French guitarist.
Of Roma (Gypsy) parentage, Reinhardt learned guitar at an early age, adapting his technique to accommodate the loss of the use of two fingers burned in a caravan fire in 1928. With jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli (1908–97), he formed the Quintette du Hot Club de France in 1934. He toured the U.S. with swing and the Roma musical tradition as well as his unconventional technique made him a unique and legendary figure.
Django Reinhardt, 1947
By courtesy of down beat magazine