Al - according to this transcript of Django talking about his mass (an organ mass at that) Django's Mass (transcript about 2/3 down), he dictated (presumably played on the guitar or sang) and Gerard Leveque (his clarinettist) took it down. So Django had neither to read nor write to do it (a technique used by Sir Paul McCartney more recently if I recall).

Whether he should have devoted the time to the project is a different matter. He obviously thought it was a good idea (perhaps, as suggested on that thread, without appreciating what was involved). But he wasn't the first musician to want to expand his musical horizons. George Gershwin (rather more schooled I admit) went from song writing and musicals to opera and orchestral works. John McLaughlin wrote a guitar concerto. Yehudi Menuin jammed with Steph. Sting played the lute (as I was reminded on another thread). Musicians often want to do more than they are expected (as in known for) to do. (And if Django's mass was a failure - it was unfinished, perhaps another of Django's whimsies -, we can see the other side of the coin with Menhuin and Grappelly: "Which one's Grappelly - the one who swings" I seem to recall an announcer saying before playing a track).

A brilliant musician won't stop making brilliant music just because he learns to read music (in the 1740s - exact year escapes me now - Bach and the lutenist Silvius Weiss, then living not so far apart, met and competed in an improvisation contest!). But being a brilliant musician won't necessarily stop you doing things you shouldn't (any more than it does for any of us!). It hasn't been enough to keep many brilliant musicians from going to an early grave.


Mick