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Django Festival All-Stars

WHEN:
WHERE:
December 9, 2016 @ 7:30 pm
Mizner Park Cultural Center
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Django

“THE BEST JAZZ SHOW IN TOWN” is back by popular demand at the Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center! 

The Django Festival All-Stars carry on the legacy of the great great ‘gypsy’ guitarist DJANGO REINHARDT – HOT JAZZ at its best! 

Its star, DORADO SCHMITT, from the Lorraine region of France, is a gypsy legend in the true style of DJANGO. Joining DORADO is LUDOVIC BEIER from France – who was written about by Downbeat, after his appearance at The Newport Jazz Festival, “BEIER played as great a solo on his accordina as Toots Thielemans at his zenith.” PIERRE BLANCHARD on Violin is a sensation. On rhythm, gypsy great FRANCKO MEHRSTEIN, and XAVIER NIKI – all from France. And, joining the band on this major tour is DORADO’S young son, AMATI SCHMITT, now 20, a virtuoso and rising star!

The band grew out of the very successful DJANGO REINHARDT FESTIVAL, going into its 16th successful year in America, with its home at Birdland and major tours across the country – and has been hailed by LEONARDO DICAPRIO as being made up of some of the greatest musicians in the world!

HOT JAZZ harkens back to the ’30s and ’40s in Europe, where DJANGO teamed with top Jazz Violinist, STEPHANE GRAPPELLI, to create The HOT CLUB QUINTETTE of France…the greatest musical partnership in European history Jazz history.  The ALL-STARS follow in their footsteps, taking the music beyond with original compositions, hip improvisations, and some of Django’s lasting greats.  

This ‘hot-swing’ form of jazz has its roots in American popular music and in the reverence for Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and other top American jazz figures. They swing like crazy and will break your heart with a ballad.  Each of them are composers and while this music can harken back to the great music of the past, their interpretations, arrangements, virtuosity, and original compositions bring a newness to Django’s style and take it beyond. The Producers call it HIP HOT!

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

“EXPECT BOUYANT RHYTHYM, BLINDING TECHNIQUE, SOLID ENTERTAINMENT.” -THE NEW YORK TIMES

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“IMAGINE A STAGE FILLED WITH CONTEMPORARY DJANGO REINHARDT DESCENDANTS AND YOU’LL GET A SENSE THAT THE COLLECTIVE TALENT POOL ON THE BANDSTAND IS LARGER THAN THE ARC DE TRIOMPHE!” -THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

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“DORADO SCHMITT’S VIRTUOSITY WAS ON FULL DISPLAY VIA LIGHTNING-FAST FINGER WORK, POWERFUL STRUMMING, WILD SWEEPS ACROSS THE FINGERBOARD AND ASTONISHINGLY FAST TEMPOS. SCHMITT DISPLAYED COMPLETE MASTERY OF GYPSY JAZZ GUITAR TECHNIQUE WHILE FREQUENTLY ALLUDING TO THE TRADEMARK ELEMENTS OF REINHARDT’S STYLE: DARTING ARPEGGIOS, FRETBOARD-SWEEPING SLIDES, HALF- AND WHOLE-NOTE BENDS, SPARKLING HARMONICS, VOCAL-LIKE PHRASING.” -LA TIMES

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“SENSATIONAL!” -DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE