Who are the greatest gypsy jazz guitarists?

Here is a musical style where the guitar is king. Influenced by jazz and gypsy music as well as musette, gypsy jazz with its solos and rhythmic style highlights guitarists with a truly fabulous guitar artistry.

Discover in this article, the great names of the history of this musical style and who made the guitar a unique instrument with its own specificities.

Django Reinhardt

He is undoubtedly the king of gypsy jazz. Born in Belgium, this musician from the gypsy community quickly made the guitar his favorite instrument. Injured in a fire in his caravan in 1928, he lost the use of two fingers and his left hand was almost paralyzed. He then stopped playing the violin and the banjo to continue playing the guitar. It is his obstinance which will push him to develop his own technique and make him the greatest gypsy jazz guitarist of all time.Influenced by jazz, he mixed his own musical influences from the tradition of his community with this music coming straight from the States. This is how gypsy jazz was born.

Angelo Debarre

It is in France, more precisely in Saint-Denis, that Angela Debarre, from a gypsy family, starts playing the guitar at a very young age and naturally turns to this musical style of which he faithfully follows the tradition. He quickly became a reference and his virtuosity was recognized and acclaimed by the greatest guitarists, not only in gypsy jazz. He has collaborated with musicians such as Sanseverino and Thomas Dutronc. He is also a very good composer and his music is well known in the folklore of nomadic populations.

Bireli Lagrene

It is with gypsy jazz that this musician from Alsace, who also comes from this community, was noticed from a very young age because of his dazzling dexterity on the guitar. A virtuoso musician, he was interested in many other musical styles such as jazz among others. Considered as a musical genius, he collaborated like Django with great jazz artists such as Stéphane Grappelli.

Tchavolo Schmitt

Another gypsy musician from Alsace, he started playing guitar at a very young age and quickly became a reference in gypsy jazz. For many, he is considered the heir of Django Reinhardt. His international fame and his typical gypsy sound from eastern France attracted interest from the director Tony Gatlif. From this encounter the film Swing was born, dedicated to gypsy jazz and its fascinating and misunderstood people.

Roman

The only gadji of this selection, that is to say not a gypsy, who has also become a reference in gypsy jazz. A French guitarist with a recognizable style, he excels as much in the standards of gypsy jazz as in his own compositions.

Stochelo Rosenberg

A gypsy guitarist originally from Holland, he is now one of the undisputed icons of this musical style. Even though he performs at many festivals, he still plays with gypsies all over Europe. Stochelo Rosenberg has also left his mark on a musical style that is the stuff of dreams for many guitarists.