The Frank Vignola Trio tribute to Django Reinhardt
Where: Loews Madison Hotel, 15th and M streets NW
When: 7 p.m. Sept. 24
Info: 410-269-0777
Additional performances at An Die Musik in Baltimore Sept. 25 (410-385-2638) and Annapolis Sept. 26 (410-269-0777)
When the recently late, great Les Paul named fellow guitarist Frank Vignola to his “Five Most Admired Guitarists” lists for the Wall Street Journal, he gave this statement: “It’s not jazz as we know jazz here in America.”
The 44-year old Vignola, who not only performed with his idol Paul, but such other luminaries as Paul McCartney, Keith Richards and Madonna, to name a few, now in turn pays tribute to the life of another great guitarist, Django Reinhardt, in a world tour of concerts to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the gypsy musician’s birth. The Frank Vignola Trio, which also includes guitarist Vinny Raniolo and bassist Gary Mazzaoppi, will open their tour next weekend in Washington and Baltimore.
“We’re just a trio of Italians paying tribute to a gypsy,” Vignola said with a laugh, but added on fast reflection, “We’re all gypsies at heart.”
To appreciate Vignola’s approach to his art and his style that so moved Paul as well as the logic behind his homage to Reinhardt, it helps to understand the latter’s body of work and the term, gypsy jazz which sprung from both pain and passion.
Reinhardt was born into poverty (and the gypsy lifestyle) near Paris in 1910. It has been written that he did not wear a suit or sleep in a real house until he was 20 years old.
At the age of 12, Django was given his first instrument — a banjo/guitar. The young man never looked back; and the guitar became his life.
“When he heard jazz coming from the airwaves, that’s when he decided he wanted to play,” Vignola said. “His French musical background along with playing the jazz tunes he heard gave the music its unique sound, the name we give it now, gypsy jazz [which] was his ethnic music.”
The passion in his playing arose from the constant pain he endured as a result of serious burns he sustained at 18 years old and remained unhealed throughout his lifetime.
A prolific composer, as well as an adapter of the popular music of his day, Reinhardt is commemorated on this tour through the music he loved to play.
“You’re going to hear everything from Mozart to Gershwin [and] the standards he performed on record,” Vignola said.
