Smart bets: Django Reinhardt’s Birthday Party

Following a home fire that immobilized two of his fingers, Django Reinhardt invented his own method of navigating the guitar’s fret board — a style later popularized as “hot jazz.” Although the legendary musician died in 1953, Asheville’s Gypsy-jazz enthusiasts come together each year to celebrate Reinhardt’s life and music on his birthday. For the seventh annual party, The Grey Eagle will host Gypsy Swingers in the bar room along with stage performances by One Leg Up, The Page Brothers, Hot Point Trio and headlining act Howard Alden. Now praised as a virtuoso in his own right, Alden’s online bio credits Reinhardt as one of the artists who inspired him to pick up a guitar at age 10. The birthday bash takes place Saturday, Jan. 23, at 6:30 p.m. $17/$20. thegreyeagle.com. Image courtesy of the organizers

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Kat McReynolds
Kat studied entrepreneurship and music business at the University of Miami and earned her MBA at Appalachian State University. Follow me @katmAVL

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “Smart bets: Django Reinhardt’s Birthday Party

  1. Jon Corbin

    Django Fest has been postponed two weeks til February 6 due to weather

Leave a Reply to Jon Corbin ×

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.