FOR 40 YEARS AGO took three musicians, two guitarists and a bassist, for the first time with their instruments out on the street and sat down to play. They provoked quickly a stir with his virtuoso game and got money in the hat. They had practiced long to play sigøynermusikk in the tradition of the belgian-French maestroen Django Reinhardt (1910-1953). The year after that they came out on Oslo’s paths, started the Django-festival, in the 70 years of the day of reinhardt’s birth. The trio became a quartet, known as Hot Club de Norvège. Today starts the 40. the festival in the lineup, expanded from two to three days on the occasion of the Hot Clubs 40 year anniversary.
MUSICAL the answer to the three musketeers (it was well known that the four of them also) did not know that the Django festival would become an international phenomenon. It is an exemplary example of the Norwegian kultureksport. Today held festivals on the pattern of the Norwegian in 50 countries, from Paris to Stockholm, from Birdland in New York to Akureyri in Iceland. Cosmopolite in Oslo comes for the next three days to swing as the Soria Moria-built will swing and swayed. Artists are popping up faster than Jon Larsen can play well: Ola Kvernberg, Raphaël Faÿs, The Norwegian Blåseensemblet,Nitcho Reinhardt Trio, Florin Niculescu Quartet, Gildas Le Pape, Svein Aarbostad, Adrien Moignard, Diego Imbert, Brady Winterstein Trio, Martin Weiss & Wawau Adler, Eva Scholten and The Norwegian wind ensemble.
TANTA TO BEATE: Hot Club de Norvège in the studio together with Lillebjørn Nilsen. Photo: NTB Scanpix Show more
THE FRENCH-IRISH the musician Fiona Monbet has been a student of Didier Lockwood, the French fiolinvirtuosen that brought on the inspiration from Stéphane Grappelli and Jean-Luc Ponty. Lockwood died in the last year, 62 years old, and Monbet will participate in a tribute to him during the festival. In the evening’s program devoted to the Hot Club de Norvège. They have a professional group been on the road continuously for 40 years, an unofficial Norwegian record. They have impressed audiences across the globe with his sparkling play. In the year touring the wilder than ever, from Hammerfest to Gibraltar. A billedrik anniversary book is being published, with the title “Between all chairs – Hot Club de Norvège 40 years”.
JON LARSEN HAS also with the record label Hot Club Records has been a kulturspreder. He has released total works of Robert Normann, the best guitarist of all time. Even have Hot Club de Norvège published or contributed on more than 30 discs. Most known is their participation in the Lillebjørn Nilsen song “Tanta to Beate”. He heard them on the street. He let a musikkassett in the hat and a letter, where he asked them to come to the studio. The rest is history. The whole of Norway has heard these lines:
And when the bag is emptied and the pigeons have escaped so she goes home again. And finds out his old gramophone. The sveiver she up and turns his body to the tones. And think that: “Jazz went down the drain after Django Reinhardt!”
8. FEBRUAR1939 was Django Reinhardt in Norway. He played at the masonic lodge. In the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet wrote Pauline Hall: “ Gitarsolisten Django Reinhardt revealed himself as an outstanding artist on the itt instrument. ” incidentally, met Robert Normann Django backstage at the masonic lodge on the same occasion. He played for Reinhardt, amazed, exclaimed, ” What have I here to do? You have the Robert Normann. ”
