Long live Django Reinhardt and gypsy jazz

Belgian gypsy-jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt was 18 and poised for international stardom in 1928 when a fire ripped through his caravan on the outskirts of Paris. His left hand was badly burned in the blaze.

Left with only three working fingers, Django re-learned the guitar. The disability forced him to explore new harmonies and find different ways to finger-pick. It helped that he was a musical genius and, perhaps, the greatest jazz guitarist who ever came out of Europe. He died of a brain hemorrhage in 1953 when he was only 43. The world was robbed.

The spirit of Django lives on, however, in the hands of the five-fingered Finnish guitarist Olli Soikkeli, who is in his mid-20s. Soikkeli is a member of the American band Rhythm Future Quartet. The ensemble also features Berklee College of Music professor Jason Anick filling the part of the great Stéphane Grappelli on violin.

The drummer-less Rhythm Future Quartet, which takes it name from a Django tune, performed a mind-blowing set at Joe’s Pub in Manhattan last week during a CD-release party for its new album called “Travels.” The all-acoustic ensemble mixed up its live show by playing gypsy-jazz Django standards, bebop blues tunes, originals and even a slinky cover of The Beatles’ “Come Together.” This is a gypsy jazz band that is not trapped in the past.

It also has the virtuoso Soikkeli, who is so fluid and fast that it takes an extra second or two for your mind to keep up with his whiplash-inducing runs of 8th and 16th notes. If this guy were in a heavy metal band, he’d be heralded as one of the top guitar-shredders on the planet. Take that, Tom Morello. The Finnish Boy Wonder is nipping at your frets.

Now that we know that gypsy jazz is alive and well up North, let’s take a look around this Southern city to see what sort of musical options are in the offing over the next few days:

LIGHTS, CAMERA, GILLIS: Speaking of talented six-string players, Tallahassee’s guitar-slinging The Heather Gillis Band takes center stage at 9 p.m. Friday at the Bradfordville Blues Club, 7152 Moses Lane. Tickets are $15 advance and $20 on the day of the show. Visit www.bradfordvilleblues.com.

Gillis, who tours as a member with Butch Trucks & The Freight Train Band when she’s not with her own group, is planning to film her live BBC show. Director Destyn Patera and a small film crew will be behind the cameras. If you’re in the audience, you may want to get spiffed up a bit before your close-up.

SINGING FOR THE ANIMALS: Singer-songwriters Pierce Pettis, Mimi Hearn and Mike Palecki are lending their voices to raise much-needed money for St. Francis Wildlife during the In Concert for Wildlife show at 7 p.m. Friday at The Warehouse, 706 W. Gaines St. Tickets are $25 at the door.

St. Francis Wildlife Association, which rescues and rehabilitates all sorts of wild critters in North Florida, is having a rough month thanks to Leon County Commissioners who want reduce or eliminate its funding. On top of that, St. Francis Wildlife lost one of its most famous faces when Cedar The Barred Owl died at the end of May.

An obituary for Cedar ran in the Tallahassee Democrat earlier this week. It read: “In 1986, according to Sandy Beck, Education Director at St. Francis Wildlife Association, St. Francis rescued Cedar after she was hit by a car; sadly, one wing was permanently damaged. In 1989, Cedar became one of the first members of St. Francis Wildlife's Wild Classroom outreach education program.

“For 27 years, Cedar visited hundreds of classrooms and taught thousands in our community – children and adults – how to appreciate, respect, and live in harmony with our wild neighbors. She will be greatly missed by her St. Francis Wildlife family and the many who came to love her.”

RIP, Cedar The Barred Owl.

GETTING IN HARMONY: The Capital Chordsmen hit the high notes during its 50th anniversary concerts at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday at Fred W. Turner Auditorium, 444 Appleyard Drive on the TCC campus. Tickets are $17.50 general public, $15 seniors and $7.50 students. Visit www.capitalchordsmen.org.

HERE’S YOUR SLIM CHANCE: After making the big drive down from Spokane, Wash., Too Slim and the Taildraggers will break out the boogie during a show at 10 p.m. Saturday at the Bradfordville Blues Club, 7152 Moses Lane. Tickets are $20 advance and $25 on the day of the show. Visit www.bradfordvilleblues.com.

KEEP IT LIGHT: Hear some Americana, blues and country music when the Travelin’ Light Trio hits the stage at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Fifth and Thomas, 1122 Thomasville Road. There’s no cover charge.

JAZZ IT UP: The Jason Kaplan Trio breaks out the saxophone, bass and drums for an evening of live jazz music starting at 8 p.m. Saturday at Black Dog on the Square, 567 Industrial Drive in Railroad Square Art Park. It’s $5 at the door.

RAP IT UP: Tallahassee’s DJ Demp will play host during a big night of music that includes the 8Ball & MJG duo, Juvenile (“800 Degreez”) and JT Money at 10 p.m. Saturday at The Moon, 1105 Lafayette St. Tickets are $30 general admission and $50 for express admission. Visit www.tallahassee.moonevents.com.

Hailing from Memphis, Tenn., 8Ball & MJG (“Pimp Tight”) has been in the rap game since the early ‘90s. The duo helped define The Dirty South sound.

JT Money is a South Florida rapper who was a founding member of Poison Clan. In 1999, he released his debut solo album, "Pimpin on Wax," which chronicled a series of "Ho Problems." According to Money, pimpin' really ain't easy if you're a "playa."

The record was part feminist nightmare, part macho posturing, part indictment of the legal system and part party record (give a listen to the hilarious, spoken-word "Pimp Matrimony" wedding vows). Rudy Ray Moore (aka Dolemite), king of the raunchy party records in the '70s, would dig Mr. Money's world view.

GET READY FOR HESTER: Singer-songwriter Larry Hester, who hails from Mississippi, has been bashing out rock tunes such as “Burning” (from the skateboarding cult flick “Thrashin’”) since the late ‘80s. He’s back with his guitar-centric band Hester at 8 p.m. Saturday at The Junction @ Monroe, 2011 S. Monroe St. Singer-keyboardist Rebecca Epstein is the opening act. It’s $12 at the door.

AND IN OTHER MUSICAL NOTES ...: The Low Flying Planes band comes in for a landing on the patio with a heavy load of classic rock and dance tunes in tow starting at 6 p.m. Friday at Hurricane Grill & Wings, 6800 Thomasville Road. It’s free and family-friendly. ... Grab your designated loved one and head out for an evening of dancing with Crooked Shooz at 8 p.m. Friday at The American Legion Hall on the shores of Lake Ella. The cover is $8 per person or $15 per couple at the door. ... There will be a slight twang to the blues when The Red Hills Rhythm and Blues group brings along special guest Dominic Milner at 8 p.m. Friday at The Junction @ Monroe, 2011 S. Monroe St. It’s $10 at the door. ... Add some va-va-voom to your weekend when the Shaken Not Stirred Burlesque troupe struts its jazzy stuff at 10 p.m. Saturday at Bird’s Aphrodisiac Oyster Shack, 325 N. Bronough St. It’s $7 at the door. ... Talk about a Dutch treat. The four-piece Chicago blues band called The Lucky Dutch bring the Chi-Town sound down South at 8 p.m. Wednesday at The Junction @ Monroe, 2011 S. Monroe St. It’s $8 at the door and The States is the opening act.