M.Ted, delighted that you are interested in studying Django style of
playing. It's very rewarding to hear accoustic guitar playing good
jazz. You have the background to bring to it some good stuff.

I think that Diz Disley is a good player. I bet Pat Donahue and Howard Alden could play Django style. Birelli LeGrene and other
young players are pushing the envelope a bit. Stochelo and Jimmy
are great technically. I worry that Gypsy becomes a little too copycat. I think it's important to listen to Oscar Aleman, the only musician Django would allow into his caravan home. They had a
friendly rivalry which prompted Aleman to poke at Django's "Gypsy tricks". I happen to love Django's Gypsy tricks though. Aleman was an amazing player and an accomplished instrumentalist on something
like twelve instruments. He has a recording put out by David Grissman's label. Aleman played a National style accoustic guitar
as well as a big Maccaferri with a D hole.

There is still only one Django as there was Bird or Louis. But the melding of the Gypsy style with jazz is a possibility if the genre
doesn't get too incestuous.

Django actually didn't care for the accompanying guitarists that he carried as well as he like the drums. He liked vocalists on his
recordings, as well. He wanted to reach out beyond the Gypsy confines
and play with great American jazz players. His stuff with Coleman
Hawkins is great. He was a drum all by himself. He saw himself
as a jazz guitarist who happened to be a Gypsy. This is probably why he alligned himself with Grapelli (not a Gypsy player at all.)
Django also played with Eddie South (a predigious non-Gypsy jazz violinist).

When you think of the counter-culture sociological aspects, jazz is at the forefront in my view of Progressive politics. There are a few Conservative types who play jazz such as Barney Kessel, Clint Eastwood and Stan Kenton. But most of the leaders were pretty
anti-establishment types and sympathetic to left causes.

Thanks for the great thread, M.Ted.

Frank