Django Reinhardt’s 100th Birthday Invitation

It’s Django Reinhardt’s birthday tomorrow (Saturday) as he was born 100 years ago to the day and we are going to celebrate in style up in Assens Denmark, where they have a Django festival to commemorate the occasion.

I’ll be playing there with my trio and the good news is that my brother Kevin is in town so it’s going to be a rock solid gig. Gustav Lundgren is representing Sweden and this guy can really play!

I’ve been playing in Denmark a fair bit over the past years and they have a really great Gypsy Jazz scene with a really great bunch of guys who just love to jam and have fun.

That’s what this festival is all about. But the really cool thing is that you don’t have to be anywhere near Denmark or even Europe to join in – We are going to stream the concert live out on the internet so you can have a taste of the action from wherever you may be.

The last time we did this was for my 40th birthday party in Amsterdam and there really were a lot of people all over the world tuning in and digging the music and fun that night.

We’re scheduled to go on about 10:00PM Denmark time (4:00PM New York time).

So to catch the show live and be able to chat with everyone online, you’ll want to set up your free account on
 www.Ustream.tv ahead of time.

Set that up right now. And then tomorrow I’ll email you the link you’ll need to see the show.

See you at the gig!

Let’s Make 2010 One-Louder!

Hi Fellow Musicians, Guitarists, and Django Lovers

I would like to convey in this New Years message firstly my thanks to all of you out there who have made this global community of ours such a wonderful one in sharing our love and appreciation of Gypsy Jazz and our hero Django Reinhardt.

The love of Gypsy Jazz has come a long way over the past few years and I especially feel a part of this now I have my own Blog where I can share my experience with others and I feel closer to the community than ever before.  I appreciate all the comments and words of encouragement which literally drive me to create new material which is always a challenge but ultimately rewarding.

To know that musicians are benefiting from my efforts helping them to get out there and live the dream of playing music is deeply motivating.

2009 was a big year for me in many ways but most importantly for me because of the birth of my son Salvador. Also the creation of this blog which I feel is growing into something very special.

I want to encourage us all to really go for it in 2010 and improve ourselves as musicians share the love and realize our dreams.  I know from experience that it takes a lot of effort but if you can play a little every day and master new tricks, licks, songs, rhythms etc. then we will all make the world a better place through our music.

As we all know 2010 is the 100th birthday of the man himself, Django Reinhardt, and I for one am really relishing the opportunity to get out there to the festivals meet new players and kick some ass!!! We owe it to Django!!

I have several new and exciting projects in the pipeline and I look forward to getting them out to the world and moving on with sharing the knowledge and experience I have amassed over the years.  My motto is to always be honest and give what I can give without pretending or hiding behind complicated technical jargon – I want to give it up straight from the heart.  It´s the only way for me.

I wish you all a fantastic 2010 – Happy New Year!!!!!

Cheers, Robin