All Rise...

Appellate Judge James A. Stewart is looking for a verdine.

The Charge

"There are the men and women who still lead the Django life, a life without borders, without a safety net, and often without words."

The Case

Django Reinhardt was a gypsy, spending much of his life traveling in a horse-drawn verdine and finally settling down in Samois-sur-Seine. His guitar made him a French jazz great. Unfortunately, Django had a short life, 1910 to 1953, so he wasn't around in 2010 for his hundredth birthday. However, a hundred musicians who followed in his tradition, including grandson David Reinhardt, gathered for a performance to honor Django.

Life after Django Reinhardt takes a look at the musicians, almost all guitarists, who came to Samois-sur-Seine. At least one musician admitted worshipfulness as he talked about "the day I 'got' Django"; others talk about encounters with Django. Viewers also get glimpses of Django's Gipsy life, a bar that became a music school, and jazz specialty guitars before the performance of "Minor Swing" at the end of the documentary.

I'd have liked to have seen more of the performances within as extras (the full version of "Minor Swing" is included); what I've seen is excellent. I'd have also liked to have heard some of Django's own music, although his followers are very much in his guitar style. Otherwise, it's a good, if brief, look at Reinhardt and his musical legacy.

Picture and sound quality are decent, if unspectacular.

The Verdict

Not guilty.

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