Gismo Graf Quintet, Pearl Django & More Set for DjangoFest Northwest

n less than two weeks, the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA) will once again bring the toe-tapping rhythms of the iconic Django Reinhardt-style of jazz to North America's largest and most celebrated Django festival.

Now in its 26th year, DjangoFest Northwest features legendary artists from around the globe in six extraordinary days of world-class gypsy jazz, manouche swing, and beyond. Headlined by the internationally acclaimed Gismo Graf Quintet and with performances by beloved returning musicians like Pearl Django and Eric Vanderbilt-Mathews All-Stars, the festival has something for everyone.

The lineup for the six festival days is as follows:

• September 15: 3 Parts Bourbon & Café Impromptu
• September 16: Hot Club of Troy & Pearl Django
• September 17: Eric Vanderbilt-Mathews All-Stars & Leah and I
• September 18: A matinee performance with John Jorgenson Trio and an evening performance with Gonzalo Bergara Quintet
• September 19: Matinee performances with Pino Noir & Grappelli's Django and an evening performance with Gismo Graf Quintet
• September 20: A matinee performance with Stella Heath followed by The Nick Lehr Memorial Performer Djam

“We're so excited to welcome returning and new Django artists to WICA,” says WICA Executive Artistic Director Deana Duncan. “For more than two decades, DjangoFest Northwest has brought the magic of Django to our Pacific Northwest shores and we're thrilled to be able to share it, once again, with this wonderful community of artists and supporters. It's been 26 years of musical memories and this year won't disappoint.”

The WICA Second Stage will be open throughout the festival, featuring free Django performances with well-known groups like Ranger and the Re-Arrangers and The Lone Fir Hot Club. The festival lounge will also be open daily, with must-have merchandise, a specialty cocktail, and Django vibes. Tickets are still available for most of the performances, but they're selling fast.