There is an undeniably infectious quality to the formidable, freewheeling spirit of gypsy jazz, that ebulliently swinging music introduced to Stateside fans during the 1930s by the immortal gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt with The Quintet of the Hot [+]There is an undeniably infectious quality to the formidable, freewheeling spirit of gypsy jazz, that ebulliently swinging music introduced to Stateside fans during the 1930s by the immortal gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt with The Quintet of the Hot Club of France. A peerless virtuoso whose flawless technique was marked by pyrotechnic excursions up and down the neck of his Selmer-Maccaferri guitar, executed with uncannily fluent phrasing, Reinhardt influenced generations of players throughout Europe and the States. Indeed, his influence continues to hold a powerful sway over legions of gypsy jazz practitioners appearing at Django Reinhardt festivals all over the world.
Such renowned guitar players as Bireli Lagrene, Frank Vignola, Jimmy and Stochelo Rosenberg, and Dorado Schmitt continue to fly the flag for Reinhardt. Add the name of Harri Stojka to that elite list of Djangophiles carrying on the spirit of gypsy jazz today. On A Tribute To Gypsy Swing, the Austrian-born guitarist burns up the fretboard with astounding technique that combines strength, speed, finesse and soul into one scintillating package.
Born in Vienna in 1957 as a Roma gypsy, Stojka began playing guitar at age six. “My Daddy, who was a singer, forced me really to play and to get into gypsy music,” Harri recalls. “As a Roma gypsy, I grew up with Hungarian and Viennese gypsy music. And from that it’s just one step to Django Reinhardt, who was a Sinti gypsy.”
Harri’s professional career began in 1970 and by 1973, at age 16, he formed his first band, the Harri Stojka Express. “I played many different kinds of music growing up,” he explains. “I played fusion, jazz, even heavy metal, rock and blues.”
He says his interest in Django’s music was sparked by hearing the great gypsy guitarist on a radio broadcast in 1974. “I was instantly fascinated by his incredible technique, his feeling and his sound,” Harri recalls. “Django, of course, has been a huge influence on my playing throughout my career, but my influences also come from George Benson, Pat Martino and Joe Pass as well as other great guitarists like Jimmy Raney, Hank Garland and Tal Farlow. So there are many influences in my playing but it’s always in the spirit of Django.”
Through the ‘70s and ‘80s, Stojka kept busy playing in
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