For those of you out there with an upcoming CD or DVD release, let us help you! Djangology.net is one of the globe’s most visited jazz manouche websites, and we’re here to help spread the word about what you’re doing. More and more it seems that Django’s music can be found in even the smallest of towns, and I’m sure there are quite a few bands that could use a little push. If you’d like to submit your latest recording for review, click on my signature below to email me for a mailing address. I look forward to hearing you!
Best,
Jack.

For those of you interested in the doings of semi-pro bands, I thought I’d share a bit about my own trio, Swing Caravan. I’ve been playing with lead guitarist Matthew Shippee for close to three years now. For the first two years we gigged around Western Massachusetts as a duo, hoping to find a bassist who shared our musical outlook…it took quite a while, but we finally found Dan Pac to round out the trio. Or rather, Dan found us; after coming to four or five gigs in a row, he finally let us know that he was teaching himself bass and was an avid jazz fan. Although a pianist by trade, Dan fit right in, and has played with us ever since.
Since then we’ve been playing a regular Friday night gig together, where we try to mix the classic Hot Club tunes with some more modern jazz standards. Should you find yourself in Western Mass, it’s almost certain we’ll be playing somewhere nearby-feel free to drop me a line if you’re in the area! To hear some lo-fi live recordings from gigs of ours, just click HERE.
Best,
Jack.

While I’m pretty confident that most Djangology readers are familiar with the phenomenon that is YouTube, I’m not sure if everyone knows this: Some enterprising soul has taken it upon himself to collate all the gypsy jazz videos he can find in one place. To date, the total is up to 243 videos, running the gamut from amateur video of amateurs practicing to video lessons from Joscho Stephan and Bireli Lagrene to live performances from the biggest names in the genre. Have a look!
YouTube Gypsy Jazz Videos

As part of my moderator duties at the Djangobooks Forum, I’ve been offering a basic analysis of a different jazz tune every month. Any Djangology readers that are also musicians are invited to have a look and add to the various tips, hints, and suggestions offered every month. To date, we’ve begun to cover:
Minor Swing
Lulu Swing
Swing Gitan
Swing à Bellevue
Bric à Brac
Anniversary Song
All of Me
Cherokee
Si Tu Savais
Djangology
What Is This Thing Called Love?
I’d love to have more voices in the mix-if you have anything to add-soloing tips, reharmonizations, new chord voicings, etc., please feel free to share! And if you don’t know about Djangobooks, you should stop in soon. You’ll find one-stop shopping for not only Michael Horowitz’s own wonderful series of tuition books, but also for a HUGE selection of gypsy jazz CDs and DVDs, strings, picks, guitars, amps and pickups. You’ll also find free downloadable lessons and a great video archive of many rare performances. I don’t know how he does it all, but I’m glad he does.
I hope to hear from some of you!
Best,
Jack.