David Reinhardt Trio - David Reinhardt Trio (2006)

David Reinhardt has a lot to live up to. Perhaps, too much. The grandson of none other than Django Reinhardt and the son of Babik Reinhardt, David descends from not only the world's most renowned clan of Romany guitarists but the founder of a whole genre of music, Gypsy jazz. Big shoes, indeed.

David first performed on stage at just six years of age, playing alongside his father at the 1993 Django d'Or concert, Europe's jazz version of the Grammys. By 2004, he was sharing the stage with fellow Romany jazzman Biréli Lagrène's Gipsy Project concerts series in Vienna in 2004. Young, shy, and obviously nervous, David played a tentative version of the chorus of his grandfather's "Nuages," visibly relieved when Lagrène took over with a solo. It was perhaps the poorest song selection possible, as the Gypsy jazz world seems to measure players on their improvisations of the over-played anthem. And to bring the stress almost to the level of duress, David was sharing the bill with an all-star lineup including Dorado Schmitt, Stochelo Rosenberg, Tchavolo Schmitt, Angelo Debarre, Serge Krief--the list goes on. But in the seven years since, David has become a fine guitarist, capable and confident--and with his own voice. He released his first solo album in 2004, David Reinhardt Trio, on his father's old label, RDC Records. David sounded much more sure in this intimate setting, trading solos with his cousin Noé Reinhardt (who was the more exciting player at the time) and Samy Daussat. ~Amazon