Pre-Covid19

Jon and Jon met at work after discovering that they had a mutual interest in Django Reinhardt and both played guitar. Jon Thor Austen had been in a number of bands in and around Portland, playing Swing and Gypsy Jazz with the Djangophiles and others.

Jon Prettyman had been studying Gypsy Jazz with Tracy Kim and others in Portland and had started to jam occasionally with Jon Austen. Along the way, Jon P. met Tyson Bittrich and Jesse Richter at the weekly Portland Gypsy Jazz jams at Velo-Cult and Ruse Brewing.

Right before lockdown - the regular jam sessions that Jon P. had started to host ended up getting a few gigs scheduled - and since all Jon A, Jesse and others could talk about was Django and guitars, etc - the name Django’s Book Club came to be.

Covid Lockdowns

Fast-forward to the Covid era, once lockdowns had opened up, Jon P started hosting Jon A, Jesse, Jun Suzuki, and Mark Lindell to weekly jam sessions on the porch, in the yard, masked in the living room, etc.

This went on for almost two years - each of us sharpening our chops, but alas no more DBC gigs for quite some time.

Along the way, Jesse and Tyson started the Lone Fir Hot Club and started playing quite a bit. The Jons and Jun were asked to sit in occasionally. A few gigs started to come by Django’s Book Club as well.