Hot Club Swing musicians from around Puget Sound are coming together to celebrate Django Reinhardt’s 117th birthday! Two of the top Django bands from the Northwest will each play a set, and we’ll close out the night by combining both bands for an epic grand finale.

Django was an itinerant Romani guitarist who earned international acclaim in the 1930’s. He was one of the most inventive and technically stunning guitarists of all time, and many of his compositions became jazz standards. Duke Ellington called Django “the most creative jazz musician to originate anywhere outside the United States.” Decades later, Jerry Garcia said, “Nobody has really come to the state that he was playing at…nobody plays with the whole fullness of expression that Django had.”

Ranger and the ‘Re-Arrangers’ evoke the spirit of a Paris cafe and the raucous energy of a Romani campsite. Their repertoire includes swing standards, traditional European melodies, and of course, many of Django’s compositions. Says violinist Ranger Sciacca: “Our goal is to make this a fun variety show, featuring as many great musicians and different instruments as we can!” Stay tuned for the announcement of the second band...