Gypsy guitarist plays with great style

Playing the music of Django Reinhardt, one of the greatest guitarists of all time, is a brave move. But his great nephew, Gypsy guitarist Lulo Reinhardt accomplished it with great style at the arts centre.

Lulo played his favourite Django’s Castle and demonstrated how Django played the guitar (he was left with the use of just two fingers on his left hand after an accident in 1928).

But Lulo’s German-based band is far from just about Django. They played an eclectic mix of music from Brazil, Spain, India, the Middle East, Australia and Scotland. The pace varied from superfast Samba music to slow Tango, but it was always a great sound.

And they save the best to last. Their encore number Asia (strangely written for an audience in Africa) lasted 25 minutes and included the most amazing percussion work by drummer Uli Kramer. He tapped on plastic, clay pot, gongs, shakers and even a speaker and used water and tubes to create wildlife noises. Added to some great playing from the rest of the band, Danny (violin), Harald (bass) and Winifried (keyboards), it made a wonderful finale which prompted a standing ovation from the audience.

Peter Gawthorpe