Charles Delaunay

Some friends of his parents  Robert and Sonia that supported him since childhood were for example: Appolonaire, Wasily Kandinsky, Igor Stravinsky, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Henri Rosseau, Jean Cocteau and many more.

Grown up from this cultural surroundings was Charles a man with great talent for art, writing and music, which he kept until his death. He was to become honoured and approved with many prices in France as worldwide.

One of these honourings that Delaunay received in 1976 was his invitation to the USA on the occasion of the 200-year-anniversary of the “Smithsonian of institution” in Washington D. C./USA, with which he has engaged as a foreign language assistant in the in the section “Jazz”.

In 2. worldwar Charles Delaunay was becoming a member of the french Resistance working in the underground, later on he was to become a soldier in air-defence inside the french army.

English-speaking Charles Delaunay learnt his English mostly from American jazz musicians that had staed in Paris after the 1st worldwar. His typical french humor created senteces like: “… You see, it came to pass that most of these colored cats were solid gates and played like Pops and Bechet!” That was typical for him.

Charles Delaunay together with Pierre Nourry from french Jazz-association “Hot Club de France” heard Django Reinhardt play for the first time in a back room of the Hotel Claridge in Paris at one of the jam-sessions during the breaks of the gigs of his band, that was later called “Quintette du Hot Club de France“, and he was fascinated immediately by him (see also Django – the Guitar-Maestro and Quintette du Hot Club de France). And Delaunay was to become his biggest fan, mentor and even later on his manager for some years.

The band called “Quintette du Hot Club de France” was yet the one to make up the later used term of “String-Jazz”, cause all musicians used to play on “stringed-instruments”, which was absolutely unsual for a Jazzband at that time. Their style is known in France also as JazzManouche, because many Gitans (Gypsies) were involved in the development of this musicstyle – and still are today.

The very first setup of the Quintette du Hot Club de France was made up by Django Reinhardt, his younger brother Joseph Reinhardt and at first Roger Chaput (later on additionally by Eugene Vees, Baro Ferré or Marcel Bianci) on Rhtyhmguitars, Stephane Grappelli on violin (or Piano sometimes) and Louis Vola at the bass.

Later on, during the war-years Django exchanged places of the two guitarrists Roger Chaput and Eugene Vees from 1946 until around 1949 by clarinette-players Gerard Levecque or Hubert Rostaing (see also Django – the Guitar-Maestro and Quintette du Hot Club de France).

Additional to all his activities in France in conjuction with his “Hot Discography”-series of which he published 5 issues in England, France and the USA, Delaunay wrote one of the most detailed biographies about Django Reinhardt in the 1950ies with the title “Django Reinhardt”.

Also he published “Hot Incography”, a picturebook about Jazz-musicians, as well as “De la vie et du Jazz”, “Jazz 47 ” in close work together with Robert Goffin and last but not least releaesed the book “Django mon frere” (“Django my brother”, only in french).

Charles Delaunay was a wonderful cultivated man who spent his life beeing a helping hand for others. This all will always be reminding about him as long as there will be Django´s-Music, JazzManouche, la France, the poetry, art and “Le Jazz Hot” in general.
(partly Source: maro-drom.com)