I heard a fascinating programme on BBCRadio4 yesterday concerning Django Reinhardts war-time years, spent in occupied France.
As a gypsy, and therefore one of those at great risk from the Nazis, the show takes a look at how Djangos new style of jazz transcended even the prejudices of the occupying army.
You can hear the programme and there is also an amazing photograph of Django and four fellow musicians smiling for the camera alongside a uniformed German officer. Most suprising is that three of the other musicians are black and the fourth, Jewish.
The programme documents the early days of "Hot Club" and there are some nice audio clips of Reinhardt and Grappelli.