Five Guitar Greats Talk About Django Reinhardt

The impact of gypsy jazz pioneer Django Reinhardt reaches beyond the jazz world, influencing legions of guitarists from all areas of music. Here are five legendary guitar players and their thoughts on Django. 

“By far the most astonishing guitar player ever” — Jeff Beck

“...nobody has really come to the state that he was playing at. As good as players are, they haven’t gotten to where he is. There’s a lot of guys that play fast and a lot of guys that play clean, and the guitar has come a long way as far as speed and clarity go, but nobody plays with the whole fullness of expression that Django has.” — Jerry Garcia

“The passion that he put into each note was unbelievable. He was ferocious.” — Peter Frampton

“He was the greatest guitarist in my mind. I'd do anything to play as great as he did.” — Les Paul

“Charlie Christian had no more impact on my playing than Django Reinhardt or Lonnie Johnson. I wanted to play like all of them. All of these people were important to me. I couldn't play like any of them, though.” — B.B. King

Renowned guitarist and violinist Dorado Schmitt pays tribute to Django's legacy 11/5-11/8. Tap here for more information. 

Greg Leisz reflects on touring with Joni Mitchell

"I think what she really teaches other people is that you should just find your own artist in you. She is to me the definition of an artist..." Greg Leisz reflects on touring with Joni Mitchell.

Leisz performs at the SFJAZZ Gala 2015 All-Star Concert tomorrow, Friday, May 8th, where Joni will be honored with a SFJAZZ Lifetime Achievement Award (to be accepted by Wayne Shorter).

What would you say to Joni? ‪#‎ThankYouJoni‬

sfjazz.org/thankyoujoni

TRIBUTE: Spanish flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía

Paco de Lucia

We're deeply saddened by the loss of Spanish flamenco giant Paco de Lucía, who suddenly passed at 66 yesterday in Mexico. We last heard de Lucía at his sold out Paramount Theatre (Oakland) performance as part of the 2012 SFJAZZ Spring Season. A true legend, he will be missed dearly.

De Lucía was largely unknown in the U.S. until the recording Friday Night In San Francisco, a sensational 1981 acoustic showdown with jazz stars John McLaughlin and Al Di Meola, that cemented his status as a guitar hero. He made acclaimed appearances on records by Chick Corea and others in the ‘80s, and a thrilling reunion of The Guitar Trio led to a Verve album and world tour in 1996. But the Andalusian master maintained a steadfast commitment to flamenco as his primary art form. Landmark recordings including Siroco, Zyryab, Luzia and 2004’s masterful Cositas Buenas further reinforced de Lucía’s reputation as a peerless virtuoso who single-handedly reinvented the flamenco vocabulary.

SFJAZZ Director of Education Rebeca Mauleón puts it well: "He was the beacon of modern flamenco. As we mark the tango 'before and after Piazzolla,' we must do the same for flamenco." Watch Paco de Lucía perform in 2010 at the 31st Leverkusener Jazztage in Germany...

At The Center ~ Bill Frisell Clinic & Solo Guitar

Bill Frisell recently conducted a clinic with the award-winning SFJAZZ High School All-Stars, amid his final residency week as an 2013-14 SFJAZZ Resident Artistic Director. Watch as he performs an impromptu solo guitar rendition of Thelonious Monk's "Crepuscule with Nellie," and speak to his experience working with the All-Stars, as well as the value of just one song.

For more information on SFJAZZ Resident Artistic Directors, visit sfjazz.org. Follow the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars. For more videos, subscribe today to the SFJAZZ YouTube Channel!

SPOTLIGHT - Kevin Eubanks

Kevin Eubanks performing with Dave Holland's Prism at the 56th annual Monterey Jazz Festival (Photo by KUSP)

Many know guitarist Kevin Eubanks best from show biz. Eubanks joined The Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno in 1992, replacing saxophonist Branford Marsalis as leader just 3 years later. After 18 years of television, Eubanks decided to refocus on his own music, retiring from The Tonight Show in 2010.

Eubanks has since kept busy. His latest album on Mack Avenue Records, The Messenger, demonstrates both his renowned chops on guitar, as well as his fresh composing. The video below of "Sister Veil" evokes this duality well, while also speaking to his keen sense of visual presentation, that 18 years in television might help inform.

Born to a musical family, "Sister Veil" features Eubanks' younger brother, Duane Eubanks, on trumpet. And SFJAZZ Collective fans are already familiar with Kevin's older brother, acclaimed trombonist and Collective member Robin Eubanks, who has played in many of Dave Holland's projects. Kevin also has a long-standing musical relationship with Holland, playing on Holland's Extensions (1988), and collaborating together on World Trio (1995) with French multi-instrumentalist Mino Cinelu.

Today, Eubanks plays in Holland's brand-new fusion quartet, Prism, a super group with multifaceted keyboardist Craig Taborn and drummer Eric Harland (another SFJAZZ Collective family member). Prism partly springs from Holland's younger days with Miles Davis' fusion bands (In A Silent Way, Bitches Brew), though from an older, wiser, more-refined perspective. With no horn player, Kevin Eubanks is central in Prism, adding sharp melodies, ample electric firepower, and even a few original compositions.

Kevin Eubanks performs with Dave Holland's Prism at the SFJAZZ Center on Sunday, Oct. 6th! For more info, visit sfjazz.org

Also, in February, Kevin Eubanks was invited back on the The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, in anticipation of his album The Messenger. Watch it here!

**The SPOTLIGHT Series probes into the careers and unique, lesser-known aspects of the artists featured at the SFJAZZ Center.