What is this Ultrafaux you ask? This is original gypsy jazz home grown here in Baltimore. What is gypsy jazz you may wonder? Its a specific approach to playing guitar that draws upon many folk influences from Europe, the Balkans, Romany, Sinti, India, Slovak, Spain etc and combines those with a very spirited type of American Jazz called hot jazz which stresses improvisation and a swing feel. This Jazz was played in Paris nightclubs by touring groups and free lance musicians from the States in the early 30s and noticed by guitarist Django Reinhardt who combined these elements into a distinctive genre or style. Much of his work practicing at this time was done while stuck in a hospital bed for close to a year after the left side of his body was burned in a fire. Django had to relearn how to play using mainly his index and middle finger of his left hand with limited use of his mangled ring finger for chording. Miraculously it gave him the insight he needed to take his music to another level. Hearing Django play for the first time has changed many guitarists and many listeners forever. youtu.be/PQhTpgicdx4
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 13:33:40 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015