Django's Tango
Gypsy Jazz Influence
I first became aware of Django Reinhardt while digging through some of the albums which had been collected over the years by Minneapolis music man Doug Lee Jydstrup. Doug let me borrow some of the LPs from his massive collection, in the hope that I might be inspired by some of his favorites. He was right….and Django really amazed me with his virtuosity and the sound of his group The Hot Club Of France. They created their own distinctive sound with three guitars, acoustic bass, Django’s guitar improvisations, and the fiddle flights by Stephan Grapelli.
On December 20, 2023 this song arrived while I was fooling around on my trusty Martin acoustic. I made a couple of rough recordings on my phone, tweaked the lyrics a bit and started a multi-track recording on December 21 using ProTools in my home studio….Mellow Yellow Sound in Gulfport, Florida. First I played through a rough track of guitar and voice, then replaced that track with individual tracks of guitar and voice. After that I layered on shaker, bass, and another guitar track….trying to simulate Django and the band. I mixed and fixed a few things on December 22….just in time for Christmas. I decided to release the song as a single via DistroKid, and now you can find it on all the streaming platforms. Enjoy!
Verse 1 :
There…is a gypsy guitar man
Who…has a swingin’ five piece band
Vio…lin is on the top
Bass…and three guitars that never stop
Lines…so crystal clear
Follow…the melody you hear
Django….let the notes take flight
Tango…dance away the night…
Verse 2:
When…you are looking for some love
Find…yourself a lucky star above
Wish…upon that star and you will see
All…of your dreams lead back to me
I…will be your guide
Our hearts…will coincide
When…you are in my arms again
We’ll dance….a tango till the end…
Copyright 2023 Shadric Smith All Rights Reserved
Supposed To Be Music BMI
This is my 99th Substack post since starting on January 21, 2024 with a song called When It’s Time. Thanks to all of you who have subscribed to my Substack, and especially those who have chosen to become paid subscribers. Your financial support DOES HELP me stay motivated to provide these stories and songs. I have chosen to remove all paywalls, so the content remains free….and I hope to be able to continue sharing these stories. It has given me a chance to tell the stories behind the songs and hopefully keep a few of them alive in your hearts and minds. Have a great day! Check out some Django Reinhardt!
