Celtic Django Project
Vibrant Hot Club jazz laced with Celtic spirit from the treasure trove of Scotland’s musical heritage. We are a group of musicians bringing together this exciting new project experimenting with various gypsy jazz and Scottish /Irish folk influences.
Duke Ellington once said there are only two types of music that swing: jazz and Scottish music. The music is an an exciting combination of old Scottish/ Irish tunes fused with hot club gypsy jazz. The band will be playing 3 nights at the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival on 1,2 &3 August 2025 at the Jazz Bar.
We play a selection of gypsy jazz/ Django Reinhardt standards and also mixing in some Scottish/ Celtic tunes which are played in a more swingy jazz style. We do a couple of traditional old Scottish folk songs as well and these again are done in a gypsy jazz swing style.
John Carnie adds: “Not all the material is fast and up tempo. Django wrote some beautiful slow ballads in a variety of styles and these are also reflected in a couple of slower traditional Scottish tunes as well as waltzes which formed an early foundation for Django Reinhardt's unique guitar style and which made him ones of the world’s most revered guitarists.”
Paul Paterson adds: “The beauty of some of the old Celtic tunes is that they lend themselves to jazz improvisation. Some of the melodies are not a million miles away from some of the old tunes that Django used to play”.
Jim Mackay adds: “There has always been a strong cross over between traditional folk music and jazz over the years and particularly in Scotland. Stéphane Grappelli, a founder of the Quintette du Hot Club de France with Django Reinhardt in 1934 even played with Aberdeen Strathspey and Reel Society on stage at the Music Hall in 1990!”
Band members
The band comprises some of the leading Django Reinhardt style/ gypsy jazz and folk musicians in Scotland and was formed in 2025.
Paul Paterson is recognised as one of UK’s leading gypsy jazz guitarists, having played with many top names including David Reinhardt and recently played at the Django Reinhardt Festival in France. He leads the Hot Club of Edinburgh sessions. Leading European gypsy jazz guitarist Duved Dunayevsky described Paul as “a fantastic guitar player and a specialist of the music of Django Reinhardt".
John Carnie is a noted musician playing both styles and is author of The Scottish Guitar Book and has been described by The Living Tradition Magazine as a "Master Guitarist". He has been heavily involved in traditional music for many years. The Scotsman described John’s album of Scottish traditional music as “An exposition of fleet-fingered flatpicking that swings like a cat".
Jim Mackay is an outstanding guitarist in both the gypsy jazz and Celtic styles and leads the Hot Club of Glasgow sessions. Jim has led a ceilidh band and folk band for many years and touring around the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. He is is much in demand as a folk guitarist and also a gypsy jazz player with a wide range of influences. A superb guitarist. .
Charlotte Paterson is an in demand gypsy jazz double bassist based in Edinburgh and just back from playing at the Django Festival in Samois in France. Charlotte recently played on stage with Martin Taylor with the Hot Club of Edinburgh.
The haunting melodies of Scottish traditional music blend with seamlessly with the exotic chords of European gypsy jazz. John Carnie says: "It can bring a certain energy to the music and it is always important to experiment with music and art. A cross over of traditional Scottish- Irish music blended with gypsy jazz improvisations sounds just about right!"
Celtic Django Project
Paul Paterson received critical acclaim playing the part of his hero, Django Reinhardt, in the stage production
"Playing Django" at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2018.
John Carnie's solo album of Scottish guitar music was called "An exposition of fleet-fingered flatpicking that swings like a cat " by Scotland on Sunday.
Paul is a fantastic guitar player and a specialist of the music of Django Reinhardt." - Duved Dunayevsky
Image Gallery
Blending gypsy jazz and Celtic folk traditions. Some photos of band members playing in various sessions. Celtic Django Project.
