Django Reinhardt Trio

Django Reinhardt Trio was a pioneering jazz ensemble led by the legendary Belgian-born Romani guitarist Django Reinhardt. Emerging in the 1930s in Paris, they were central to the development of jazz manouche (Gypsy jazz), a style that blended swing jazz with Romani musical traditions. Reinhardt, despite having lost the use of two fingers on his left hand due to a fire injury, developed an incredibly innovative guitar technique that profoundly influenced jazz guitar playing worldwide.

The group, which typically featured Reinhardt alongside violinist Stéphane Grappelli, was known as the Quintette du Hot Club de France and was groundbreaking in creating a jazz ensemble without standard rhythm section instruments like drums. Their music combined virtuosic improvisation, sophisticated harmonies, and a unique blend of European and American jazz styles. Reinhardt's innovative guitar playing and the group's dynamic performances made them internationally renowned and influential in the jazz world during the pre-World War II era.