LANGLEY — Whidbey Island Center for the Arts is rolling out the red carpet again for the 15th annual DjangoFest Northwest, the event that celebrates the lively (though often minor-keyed) blend of French swing and “hot” club jazz.
Guitarist Jean “Django” Reinhardt and violinist Stéphane Grappelli (a mentor to Mountlake Terrace-raised fiddler Mark O’Connor) made this style of bohemian music popular during the 1930s through ’50s in Paris.
Now often called gypsy jazz (Reinhardt was Romani), the music has a big Northwest following and the festival goes from Sept. 23 through 27 at the center, 565 Camano Ave.
Single tickets range in price from $25 to $80 and are available online at www.WICAonline.org or by calling 800-638-7631.
Performers from around the world are converging in Langley for the festival.
Among the musicians are the famous guitarist Biréli Lagrène, Les Doigts de l’Homme, the Sebastien Giniaux Trio, Hot Club of Detroit, the Gonzalo Bergara Quartet and the Northwest’s own Pearl Django.
Following the success of previous years, festival organizers have expanded the workshops and presentations, not only to guitarists and violinists, but to the general public as well.
Lagrène’s master class “The Master’s Approach to Gypsy Jazz” and Les Doigts’ “Gypsy Jazz Modern and Unique Approaches” are sure to be among the most popular workshops.
Evening performances at 8 p.m. Sept. 23 through 26 and 7 p.m. Sept. 27. Matinee performances are 3 p.m. Sept. 25 through 27.
More about the event is at www.djangofestnw.com.
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