Lousson Reinhardt
Lousson Reinhardt | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Henri Lousson Reinhardt |
| Born | 1929 |
| Died | 1992 |
| Genres | Romani music, gypsy jazz |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Guitar |
| Years active | 1940s–1980s |
Henri "Lousson" Reinhardt (1929–1992), also known as Henri Baumgartner, was a French gypsy jazz guitarist and the son of Django Reinhardt by his first wife, Florine "Bella" Mayer.
Biography
Reinhardt was raised in the family of his mother's second husband whose surname was Baumgartner.[1] He was known by his French nickname "Lousson," which meant "bear cub". The two families appear to have remained in contact since he reportedly learned to play guitar from Django and played accompaniment for his father on a tour of Belgium in 1948, of which recordings exist. Lousson was frequently on the road in the 1950s and 1960s and never recorded commercially except for an unreleased 1960s studio recording from Paris with violinist Vivian Villerstein.[2] Private recordings exist from a 1966 performance in Paris and he also appears in a 1978 documentary made for Danish television. His musical style was more "American" than Django and in his later years he is pictured using a Gibson ES-175 hollowbody jazz guitar.[3] Lousson had five sons, one of whom (Paul "Navire" Baumgartner) is the father of Dallas Baumgartner, great-grandson of Django, who is one of today's younger generation of gypsy jazz guitarists.
References
- ^ Dregni, Michael (2008). Gypsy Jazz: In Search of Django Reinhardt and the Soul of Gypsy Swing. Oxford University Press. pp. 215–219. ISBN 978-0-19-531192-1.
- ^ Dregni, Michael (2008). Gypsy Jazz: In Search of Django Reinhardt and the Soul of Gypsy Swing. Oxford University Press. p. 218. ISBN 978-0-19-531192-1.
- ^ Cruikshank, Ian (1994). Django's Gypsies: The Mystique of Django Reinhardt and his People. Ashley Mark Publishing Company. p. 35.
Discography
- 1948 (re-released various times) on Django Reinhardt: "Concert de Bruxelles"
- 196? unreleased private recordings (some now on YouTube, see "external links" below)
- 2002 on Various Artists: Gipsy Jazz School - Django's Legacy (2xCD, compilation, 1 track only) Iris Music 3001 845 album details
- 2005 on Django Reinhardt (et al.): Django Reinhardt - Intégrale vol. 20 (2xCD, compilation, 1 track only) Frémeaux & Associés FA320 album details
External links
- Lousson Reinhardt page at Patrus53.com
- Lousson Reinhardt on YouTube, including this documentary by L.M. Oliver
- Available Lousson Reinhardt material discussed at www.djangobooks.com forum