Dorado Schmitt – Acoustic Tone On Electric

“Dorado Schmitt plays “Dark Eyes” at the annual Django Reinhardt Jazz festival at Samois-sur-Seine in 1994. Backed by Hono Winterstein on Rhtyhm Guitar, & the late Gino Reinhardt on Double Bass. 
Dedicated to Gino Reinhardt. A lovely, friendly guy, who was happy to come and jam with us gadjos, both on guitar & bass, even though we were nowhere near his standard of playing.”

I was about to pass up on this video due to the fact that I am really trying hard to stay away from anything electric. I mean, if it’s an electric guitar it’s gonna sound like one, right?

Well, not sure how Dorado Schmitt is able to pull this one off… cause if I closed my eyes and just listened, I’d swear he was playing a Selmer Maccaferri Guitar (perhaps with a pickup).

I could be wrong but this looks like a Yamaha hollow body electric (hey, if you know for sure what kind of guitar this is let me know below).

This is proof that the tone is all in the hands. I suppose if Jeff Beck picked up Dorado’s guitar well, it would sound like Jeff Beck (I know, I should get an award for that statement)

Here’s some bio material on this outrageously talented French Guitarist including info on his musical family and a new record release (at the time of this publication):

“Gypsy jazz guitarist Dorado Schmitt reigns as one of the elder statesmen of the genre. He’s a regular on the Paris jazz scene, as well as touring far and wide – including a recent American tour in honor of Django’s centenary.

This new disc may just be his masterpiece… so far. He has released a number of winners stretching back several decades, highlighting his guitar work, singing, and violin playing.

But Family is special because Schmitt is joined by his children on guitar, including Amati, Bronson, and Samson (who has also released several albums of his own). In addition, his brother-in-law and master rhythm guitarist, Hono Winterstein, lends licks along with his son, Brady. That’s six guitarists, all in the family.

Amazingly, this family is in time with each other across generations, especially when it comes to music. Dorado’s leads are inventive and dashing, as always, played on a Selmer-style acoustic recorded warm and large in sound. The wall of rhythm behind him is spot-on, never overpowering, often creative – and always perfectly mixed.

Playing counterpoint to the guitars is accordionist Marcel Loeffler, himself a master of styles from Gypsy jazz to musette to nuevo tango. He may be at his best on slow tunes such as Dorado’s own “For Grappelli,” where he plays long, languorous lines. But on the quick-tempo swing tunes, his virtuous swing is infectious and stunning.” read more here

Here’s a Dorado family vid that I think you will enjoy… Oh by the way, doesn’t Dorado look like Django in this vid?