Jazz88’s Peter Solomon speaks with guitarist Ryan Picone about how he finds inspiration in the music of gypsy guitar legend Django Reinhardt. Picone shares some insider’s knowledge about Django’s life and music and stories about his mentors, Howard Alden and Stephane Wrembel. Picone spoke from his apartment in Uptown Minneapolis, where he performed a couple of Django’s compositions, including “Nuages” and “Rhythm Future.”Ryan Picone’s quartet plays the Jazz88 Jazzclectic Stage Sunday, July 6th at The Taste of Minnesota. You can view the full line-up for the Taste of Minnesota here. Picone is putting together Django Fest, featuring several different Twin-Cities based jazz manouche ensembles on July 25th. Details can be found here.
TRANSCRIPT:
RYAN PICONE: So my name is Ryan Picone. I specialize in the music that was developed by a legendary guitarist by the name of Django Reinhardt. He was prevalent in the 1930s and, you know, left a legacy of music that you know still inspires me today and several other musicians all around the world.
Django is just like somebody that just like, not like anyone else, like everybody plays this style, but Django does something that nobody else you know has been able to do, You know since his time, and it’s Just unbelievable.
PETER SOLOMON: Can you talk a little bit about Django’s background? Because he had an interesting story about having sustained an injury and burning his hand, and the fact that he was able to play like he did in the first place, seems like a miracle. But then, given with the physical limitations he contended with, it seems even more amazing.
PICONE: You know, Django, was already a very prominent player in Paris, France, and unfortunately, in 1928, returning home late from a gig one night, he accidentally knocked over a candle in his caravan, and was pretty much burning, burning alive. And he was able to, finally, some of the people in the community got him out, but his left hand was permanently disfigured, and it’s kind of unfortunate, because the doctors at that time said he would never walk again. They said he’d never play the guitar again. And during that time period of his recovery, he heard this music coming out of New Orleans, and it was Louis Armstrong.
And the story goes is that he just thought it was the most incredible thing he ever heard, and he even sobbed. And what’s kind of cool is that through Django’s love of American jazz, it kind of aided in his recovery.
SOLOMON: Can we talk about the sound that he became famous for? I know the it was about six years later that he started recording under the auspices of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France with Charles Delaunay and Stephane Grappelli. And can you talk about what went into that sound? I know that there’s a lot of guitar in the rhythm for that music that also kind of distinguishes it.
PICONE: Yeah, what’s very, actually incredibly interesting about that Hot Club sound is that, you know, there’s definitely that jazz influence and imitating the sound of the snare. But what’s also very interesting is that in the waltz (valse) styles like the tune that his teacher, you know, taught him is a waltz called Danse Des Niglos, which is like a hedgehog, and it’s a delicacy in the community in the Romany and Sinti. If you listen to these recordings, the actual eighth notes are swung just like they’re swung in jazz. So a lot of the sound and the way to improvise too in this kind of music that Django is doing is also deeply, deeply, deeply rooted in musette music, actually, and the in the very particular that music of the Roma community.
SOLOMON: So Django continued playing until his death in 1954 I know that he came into contact with some beboppers in the late 40s. So he kind of evolved, but it seems that his music has not only lived on in the sense that his compositions are still played, but also people have built upon that foundation. And so can you talk about what has grown out of the foundation that Django laid? And ultimately, he died in 54 but here we are what 70 years later,
PICONE: Django’s first exposure to bebop was in a very strange time period, actually, because of the isolation that happened in the Second World War. There was a huge disconnect, you know, from the people living in Paris, France, from what was happening in the States at that time period. But as you said earlier, Charles Delaunay actually was able to get a record, you know, into Paris, France, and it was Salt Peanuts, and that first, like exposure, just really blew Django away. Suddenly that whole sound started changing. Some of the things that Django was doing. It’s just very interesting when you look at early Django, late Django, it’s just like his harmonic ideas were just going in places that no one was going to at that time period. And there is an actual like, whole like catalog of bebop Django original tunes that, you know, nobody really knows about. But I think my quartet at a show, we pretty much played a show where we’re like, hey, well, here’s all these, you know, bebop tunes that Django did, which everybody was like, Oh, he just does Swing. And I’m like, yeah, No, yeah, absolutely no.
Another, real unfortunate thing is that, because Django passed away so early, there was actually talks that him and Charlie Parker were going to record an album together. And, oh my god, it gives me chills thinking about what that sound would be like. Because especially when you even listen to some early Charlie Parker, like “Cherokee,” like the first early recordings of “Cherokee,” you listen to the guitar work on it, it’s kind of that kind of Hot Club sound.
SOLOMON: I know that you’ve mentioned Stephane Wrembel, and I also read that you studied for time with Howard Alden. Were there certain things that you learned from that experience of working closely with them?
PICONE: I went to a Django festival. You know, it’s not happening anymore, but it was in Laguna, California, and Stephane Wrembel was playing there. And anyway, I was mesmerized that day at that show, the famous African guitarist, Ali Farka Toure passed away, and then Stephane actually, like, played a tune for him at the show. And I was like, “God, this guy is unbelievable.” Like, the day of the show, he just learned a tune and played it at the show. I was like, “Oh, you’re so you’re so incredible. I was wondering, could I get a lesson, with you?. And anyway, he gives me his cell phone. He’s like, “Yeah, brother, yeah, come to the hotel.” And I go to his hotel, and he opens the door, and he goes, “All right, bro, the first thing I will tell you about music is that music is not a bunch of theory crap, man.” I’m adjusting the language a bit. But, and he said, “Music comes from your heart.” And he pointed to your heart. And I was somebody that was just starting, like, you know, my education background in college, and now I have a doctorate, whatever. But imagine going back to college and telling all your professors “Music isn’t a bunch of theory crap, man. Music comes from your heart.” So it’s like, kind of a very interesting set of advice that actually kept with me. And I’ve always been fortunate to be around like, really great people and great musicians, and that’s something. It’s been really wonderful.
I was in Arizona, living in Arizona at that time period, and I had a performance after another musician. And anyways, I’m watching this musician, and I’m like, this guy is probably one of the best musicians I’ve ever heard. Anyways, I go up to him, I’m like,” Hey, man, I really love your playing. Could I get some lessons from you? Because I just love your playing.’ He’s like, “Oh yeah, yeah.” And I’m like, “Oh, I played the Django kind of music.” He’s like, “Oh yeah, I do that too. A lot. I did the music for this movie. You might know of it – Sweet and Low Down with Sean Penn.” And I’m like, “What?” and he’s like, “Yeah, I’m Howard Alden.” and I just like, kind of died, actually. And anyways, we became really good friends, and I studied with him for quite some time. And before I left Arizona, he actually sold me that DuPont (instrument) from that movie Sweet and Lowdown, so it’s quite a gift from him. And then I guess Stephane Wrembel has been my teacher for my most of my career, too. We pretty much work on everything from ground zero. It’s just really inspiring.
SOLOMON: You’re playing at the Taste of Minnesota with the Ryan Picone Quartet. Can you tell me about that ensemble and the music that you’re going to be playing there?
PICONE: That ensemble is pretty much based on, you know, all the original compositions I’ve written probably 18 (or) 19 years ago now. And we draw influence, of course, from like the Django repertoire, but also I’ve been really like inspired by a lot of you know, Latin music styles, especially Cuban son montuno and some choro, flamenco, like the rumba flamenco. We even have some tango influences too, but the tango nuevo, like Astor Piazolla, and things like that. It’s kind of like a fusion group, but it’s its soul or genius is rooted in that, that Django legacy, absolutely.
SOLOMON: Who are the musicians you’re going to be performing with on that Sunday?
PICONE: My really good friend Tessa Nichols Mead will be doing violin. My also good friend Ian Stanland, you know, is playing rhythm guitar. And then also another dear friend, Matt Blake, on stand-up bass.
SOLOMON: Now on your website, there was an album there, and forgive me, I don’t remember the name of it. Is that your most recent project? And can you tell me about that project and the music that’s contained on that album?
PICONE: The Ryan Picone quartet, that debut album is pretty much, you know, compositions I wrote over the past like 18 years. It’s interesting that the title track “I Awake” was actually improvised in the studio. The first thing we did in the studio, actually, so we didn’t have a title track for the album, so, so I decided before we did anything, we just improvised three tunes in the studio. And we just improvised three tunes, and one of those tunes, we actually was like, Oh, well, that actually sounds composed. And I was like, Oh, well, why not let’s call it I awake the Romani meaning for Django’s name, and have the album actually dedicated to Django. And I thought that was a good kind of debut of our music to kind of show that these are original compositions, but it’s also for like this musician and what he was able to do in his lifetime,
PICONE: We’ll also be going back to Wild Sound Studio and recording our next album, which hopefully it will be a 14 track album and will be titled “Fortuna,” like this idea of the Roman goddess of fortune, so should be. It should be a real, real wonderful album. You
SOLOMON: Can you tell me about the Django festival happening on July 25th?
PICONE: Something I’m really excited for, and really just putting a lot of work in, is this Django festival that’s going to be happening at the Hook and Ladder July 25. I will be bringing together like all the great musicians of the twin cities that have played this music for the past 20 years, the Twin Cities Hot Club, the Mill City Hot Club, Paris Sota Hot Club, Mississippi Hot Club, my two bands, the Red Hot Django Peppers, and the Ryan Picone Quartet, the Gentleman’s Anti-Temperance League. And my hope is that after this Django festival, that each year this will continue to happen and grow the community, and also better serve the community here in the Twin Cities, but also be able to eventually, you know, have national and international acts in the future.