USA/FRANCE: The Django Reinhardt NY Festival August 2-7 with Special Guests @ Birdland

AIR FRANCE Presents 
The Django Reinhardt NY Festival
Celebrates 17 years at it’s home, Birdland                           
 The Django Festival Allstars      
August 2-7 with Special Guests
Anat Cohen, Peter Beets, Jorge Continentino,
Itaiguara Brandao, Jazzmeia Horn
“Hot Jazz With Flair and Dare and a touch of Brazil”!
Plus Major Cross Country Tour including
Newport  Jazz Festival        
Produced by Pat Philips – Stratta

The Django Festival Allstars return from France and head into a cross-country ‘HOT JAZZ’ tour including The Newport Jazz Festival on July 31 and wind up at their home  BIRDLAND , AUG. 2-7 for the bi-annual Django Reinardt NY Festival.                         George Wein says “They really get the crowd going and are great” ! Samson Schmitt, son of legendary gypsy guitarist Dorado Schmitt, is a full-fledged leader in his own right, one hot player.  The Schmitt family comes from Forbach, France near Germany, living in a gypsy community  where music reigns supreme….the soul of  the Manouche  tribe as they pass music from one generation to another..the real thing! The Django Festival Allstars bring the Django style  up to date with original songs and old favorites, a band that  swings like crazy and will bring you to tears with a love song, virtuosity and creativity at it’s best.  The Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio says, “They are some of the greatest musicians in the world”! Of Ludovic Beier, soloist on accordion and the accordina,  Downbeat’s Allen Morrison said “at Newport” he played a solo as great as Toots Thielemans at his zenith”.  Add  soloist Pierre Blanchard on Violin, a virtuosic prodigy of Stephane Grappelli and  swinging DouDou Cuillerier on rhythm guitar and  scat singing . Antonio Licusati is on bass.. you have it, “the French have invaded !!! “ The festival has guests who broaden and inspire the music . August 2nd, ANAT COHEN / Clarinetist (originally from Israel)              3 & 4  , PETER BEETS  /Jazz Pianist (from Holland) Something new! :  5 & 6, Brazilians                                                  JORGE CONTINENTINO /  flute                                                  ITAIGUARA BRANDAO /electric bass                                  “Hot Jazz Meets Brazilian rhythms” August 7, JAZZMEIA HORN, Vocalist, Winner of the Monk Institute Competition TOUR:  July 20 & 21:  JAZZ ASPEN SNOWMASS                      22:  MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM, PHOENIX, ARIZONA                      23:  OLD TOWN GAZEBO , ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO                      24:  VIBRATO, LA, CALIF.   Special guest:  Roger Kellaway, Pianist                      26:  PRIVATE PARTY                      28:  SUNSET JAZZ/LYNDHURST CONCERT SERIES, TARRYTOWN                      29:  SCULLERS, BOSTON, MASS.                      31:  NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL           AUG.   2-7:  BIRDLAND The Django Reinhardt NY Festival harkens back to the 30’s and 40’s in France when the virtuoso Jazz Violinist Stephane Grappelli joined musically with Gypsy guitar great Django Reinhardt to form one of the hottest musical partnerships in Europe.  The rest is history and ‘HOT JAZZ’  was born and became the rage withh followers all over the world to this day.  The Django Festival Allstars bring the style current and beyond.   Many thanks to our Sponsors: AIR FRANCE          R D WRIGHT, INC, JOHN PEARSE STRINGS          JOHN & JOAN D’ADDARIO Foundation. BIRDLAND:  August 2-7      315  W. 44th Street,  NYC Reservations:  212-581-3080 www.Birdlandjazz.com Shows 8: 30 and 11 pm (Sun late show at 9pm)