Jimmy Rosenberg: The Father, the Son & the Talent

This documentary presents a fascinating portrait of an outstanding contemporary manouche guitarist, Jimmy Rosenberg and his family. Jimmy starts out as a child prodigy, touring national and international stages at age 8 or 9 with his brothers, playing his guitar with amazing finger technique and a wild passion. He is not only a great player but one of the few who can improvise in this style.

However, life takes a bad turn as he gets addicted to drugs, are in and out of rehab, eventually prison. He is successful, famous, has lots of money then blows it in a few months. Perhaps it is due to his father's imprisonment (who killed his son-in-law in self-defence during a confrontation over the son-in-law who abused his wife and children) and missing his firm guiding hand. Perhaps it is the artistic temperament... Still, Jimmy is not judged by the film makers, but presented as a very talented person who got lost in the heady world of stage success. I am glad that the usual attitudes regarding "gypsy fate" and down-troddenness are not brought into the discussion at all, even though the family, despite all their wealth, continues to live in a small, gypsy-only community in Holland where the houses look like mobile homes...

As a reviewer wrote about his CD entitled "The One and Only": "Jimmy takes the standard repertoire and presents it at an incredible pace with clever twists and an impressive technique." The music is certainly amazing throughout the documentary and has been obviously an anchor and a calming influence for Jimmy. The documentary is fairly recent (2006), I hope that he is back on stage and in the recording studios.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Jimmy
• Rosenberg

[marcusdolby1]

@Mrhotclub If you really are Jon Larsen, I would like to thank you for the wonderfull music. I am a very big fan of your music and like you, hope Jimmy continues to find recovery. I was a drug addict for 23 years and have been clean for 5. It can happen, I am living proof.

[Jazzistan]

Very moving documentary! I hope he will get better and that he will get all the support he needs. I also hope he will be strong enough to confront his demons no matter how painful it is, so he can see they other side!

[AmundLauritzen]

Finally with English subtitles! Thank you so much!

[aaronamccoy]

such fire

[wonderbaby100]

Interesting doc on Jimmy Rosenberg.

Thanks for THIS up

[jesterbob383]

Beautiful and painful. And so much extraordinary music. Bravo. I hope we'll get to see plenty of encores.

[panicg]

didn't know that jimmy is such a good singer. I wish him all the luck in the world. Get well and be on the top again...

[interman2]

@undercoversinto thanks for the update!

[undercoversinto]

it goes a little beter with him know, i am his nephew he's still not the old jimmy but he's making steps in the right direction;) cause his mom is very ill..

[mazmonsters]

This is magical, sad, fascinating and awesome all at once. The best documentary on a musician I've ever seen.

We love you Jimmy. Praying for you my friend.