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Django Reinhardt: Virtuosic Musical Game-Changer (or) How One Man, One Fire, and Two Fingers Defied the Odds

Reinhardt recorded at least 13 versions of his composition “Nuages.” The literal translation is “Clouds” but once lyrics were added, it was called “the bluest kind of blues.” (Taking the metaphor of clouds in that direction warrants its own post. Lovely.)

In this electric version of “Nuages” Reinhardt displays an introspection that is astounding. Recorded shortly before his death in 1953, I find the gentler tempo, the sparse opening, and the phrase shaping so terribly evocative and wistful.