Django in Spain

29th Jan – 2nd Feb 1936

Quintetto del Hot Club de Francia

The Hot Club of Barcelona was founded in 1935, Madrid. and also many other small Spanish towns (specially in Cataluña), such as Manresa, Vilafranca del Penedés formed associations.

After 2 minor Festivals in the summer and the autumn of 1935, the Hot Club of Barcelona went to town signing Benny Carter and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France including Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli for the 3rd Festival de Jazz (January 1936). Quintet of the Hot Club of France band members were playing in a variety of ensembles and regrouped for the Spanish Tour; telegrams were sent to Stéphane in Monte Carlo, and he flew to Barcelona to join the ensemble.

The 2 Barcelona concerts took place on January 29 and 31, 1936, at the Cine Coliseum and the Palau de la Música Catalana, respectively. On both concerts, Benny Carter played accompanied by the Hot Club of Barcelona Orchestra, conducted by pianist Antonio Matas and made up of outstanding jazzmen from the best orchestras in town, such as Sebastián Albalat (tenor sax), Magín Munill (trumpet) and José Bellés (drums) from the Napoleon’s Band, Francisco Gabarró (trombone) from the Miuras de Sobré, José Domínguez (alto sax) and Fernando Carriedo (trombone) from the Matas Band, José Ribalta (trumpet) and Steve Ericsson (guitar) from the Demon’s Jazz, Antonio Russell (bass) from the Casanovas Orchestra and José Masó (trumpet) from the 16 Artistas Unidos.