For Gypsy Jazz enthusiasts, summer in New England means Django in June. The annual event, a mix of workshops and concerts, draws hundreds of students and music lovers to the Smith College campus in Northampton, Massachusetts. Now in its sixth year, director Andrew Lawrence has brought some of Europe’s brightest lights to American shores, including German virtuoso Wawau Adler and the stunningly musical Parisians Ensemble Zaïti (see an excerpt from last year’s event below).

Ensemble Zaïti: Four on Six; Django in June 2008
But despite its impressive concert schedule, what really sets Django in June apart from the plethora of Djangofests out there is its week-long study program, dubbed Django Camp. Rather than attend a single, hastily taught weekend workshop, Django Camp students live together with their teachers for a full week on the Smith College campus, not only attending several small-group workshops a day (most average eight to ten students) but eating together, unwinding together, and inevitably, jamming together late into the night. Indeed, it’s not unusual to see the headlining musicians still sharing tips and tricks over a 4 a.m. nightcap, creating an intimate, easy-going atmosphere that promotes an incredible musical camaraderie.
This year’s event takes place from June 9th to 14th, and while some of the schedule is still in the works, the lineup will include Reinier Voet, Jan Brouwer and Gert Wantenaar of Pigalle44, Gonzalo Bergara, Kruno Spisic, The Denis Chang Quartet, Jamie Masefield (of the Jazz Mandolin Project), and violinist Tim Kliphuis. (For more details and audio/video links, visit the Django in June Artists Page.)
Registration information for Django Camp can be found here. The package includes housing from Tuesday through Saturday, all workshops and concerts, and meals. For a more in-depth description of the experience, be sure to see the Django Camp overview on the festival website. For stateside lovers of Gypsy Jazz, it’s the closest you can get to Samois without crossing the ocean.