A French gypsy (manouche) born near Liverchies in Belgium, Django Reinhardt (Jean-Baptiste Reinhardt, 1910-53) came from a family of performers. Constantly on the move, the family settled for a period in the "zone," a shanty town on the outskirts of Paris, where Reinhardt could wander into the city and absorb music in the bars and clubs. He started playing banjo and violin when he was 12, moving over to guitar in his teens. In 1928, an accident turned his trailer into an inferno and he was badly injured; with the ring and little finger on his left hand immobilized, he was forced to rebuild his guitar technique. After a year, and with prodigious willpower, he emerged with a dexterity that enabled him to coordinate both his left-hand fingers and his right-hand pick so he could glide up and down strings, hitting notes accurately.

Reinhardt learned tunes from jazz records imported from the United States. He started working in a swing setting, with a style that incorporates elements of gypsy and classical music. In 1934, he began a fruitful partnership with violinist Stephane Grappelli (1905—97), and by the end of the year they were playing their first engagements and recording with a lineup known as Le Quintette Du Hot Club De France, a string quintet, with a variable lineup that included his brother Joseph on rhythm guitar.

During 1935, the group developed a wide range of material, such as "St. Louis Blues," in which Reinhardt plays a lovely impressionistic intro with lines and chords, and takes an enchanting solo. One of his early compositions, "Djangology," features opening arpeggios, strummed chords and a lively melody built around simple short phrases packed with decorative fills; he plays a solo full of slow-turning trills and octaves with ascending arpeggios and hits certain emphasized notes.

A highlight of that year's recordings is "Swanee River." With its propulsive rhythm playing, it surges with exuberance and includes a snappy solo full of brilliant turns. "Sunshine of Your Smile" reveals his style of using pronounced backing bass notes with chords. In "I've Had My Moments," Reinhardt breaks into a fizzing solo with fast, strummed discordant elements, and in "Limehouse Blues," he is incredibly inventive, using catchy discords, and fast bursts of buzzing strummed chords to add lift.

By 1937 Reinhardt's playing had developed a deeper dimension and mood. The adventurous "You're Driving Me Crazy" reveals powerful rhythm playing and a solo with atonal motifs and melodic double-stopping.

His individuality can be heard on "In a Sentimental Mood," where his solo is perversely abrasive and flippant. Two early unaccompanied solo pieces provide a fascinating insight into Reinhardt's playing. "Improvisation" starts with open strings and has beautiful classical-style harmonies, whole-tone chords, and elegant lines. Astoundingly fast scalar flourishes act as linking runs to romantic guitaristic harmonies with an instinctive balance and form. In contrast, "Parfum" displays a looser, her more romantic flavor and sounds ad libbed. The group also took classical pieces as vehicles for improvisation. Liszt's piano work "Liebestraum No.3," for instance, is turned into a showcase for Reinhardt's ideas. During the 1930s, Reinhardt also recorded with Coleman Hawkins' All Star Jam Band, adding a tasteful solo to "Honeysuckle Rose" (1937).

World War II split the group, with Grappelli staying in London. Back in Paris, in December 1940, Reinhardt recorded his composition "Nuages." This was played in a sextet incuding second guitar, two clarinets, and a rhythm section. It opens with a dramatic clarinet part and has a lush romantic melody and a solo with artificial harmonies and sumptuous phrases. His composition "Djangology" (1942), with an orchestra of strings and brass, the latter opens with a captivating introduction of lines and chords, before moving into a theme and improvisation that blends well and sails over the background.

In 1946, Reinhardt visited the United States and toured with Duke Ellington. When he returned to France, he resumed playing with Grappelli. He began to create an electric sound with a fitted pickup, playing a plainer style with less flowery ornamentation and a mature assurance, and relying less on octave passages in solos. Reinhardt's playing at this time evolves with lines that start to show he was assimilating some of the harmonic advances of contemporary American jazz. In 1946, tremendous solos highlight his compositions "Nuages," "Melodic Au Crepuscule," and "Belleville." "Del Salle," recorded in 1947, builds to an explosive change of gear, with astonishing fast turns from semiquavers to triplets. His harmonic invention is also outstanding on "Anniversary Song."

Recordings from 1949—53 show Reinhardt in stunning form on numbers such as "The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise," "Stormy Weather," and "It Might As Well Be Spring." His electric tone has a sharp edge on "Place De Broukere" and the virtuosic "Boogie Woogie."