Pearl Django (Within/Earshot Jazz Festival)

A BIMA PRISM PROGRAM
PART OF THE 2026 WITHIN/EARSHOT JAZZ FESTIVAL

While some music makes you sit and listen, Hot Club jazz makes you want to move!

The style was born in 1930s Paris when guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stéphane Grappelli lit a fire under American swing. Hot Club jazz is all about runs, playful call-and-response, and irresistible rhythm, and Pearl Django is taking the Frank Buxton stage to show us all how it’s done.

For 30 years, this Seattle quintet, Pearl Django, has been the region’s Hot Club jazz standard-bearer, earning an Earshot Jazz Golden Ear Award and a spot on NPR’s “All Things Considered” along the way. But awards aside, what you’ll actually feel in the room is joy. You will leave this concert wanting more!
ABOUT PEARL DJANGO

With a performance history spanning more than 32 years and having released 16 CDs, Pearl Django endures as one of the most highly regarded Hot Club style groups working today. Although the band’s roots are firmly in the music made famous by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, its extensive repertoire includes traditional jazz classics and original compositions.

Pearl Django has performed at festivals, dances, and nightspots throughout the U.S. and abroad. They have played at the prestigious Festival Django Reinhardt in Samois sur Seine and have been featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered.”

The band’s signature style is marked by pristine and dexterous string work, colors of Bal Musette, the steady pulse of rhythm guitar, and an unmistakable swing that delights audiences of all musical sensibilities. Throughout the years, Pearl Django has cultivated a devoted and enthusiastic following and they continue to play to packed houses wherever they perform.

Follow Pearl Django: Website

BIMA’s PRISM programming is where art comes alive, off the walls and onto the stage. From films and concerts to artist talks and community celebrations, PRISM expands what it means to be an art museum through regular, engaging live events on BIMA’s stage, in its galleries, and outside the museum.