Django Reinhardt - Django in Rome 1949 - 1950 - 4 CD Box Set
Product Notes
By the time these recordings were made, Django had toured the US and made his last recordings with the original Hot Club de France. There was to be one last set of sessions with Stephane Grappelli - which forms the bulk of the first three albums of this collection. The sessions arose from an engagement at a Roman club - the Rupe Tarpea. Reinhardt and Grappelli took it when no other work was on offer. The pair had to face two realities. First, their wartime separation had led to new directions and collaborations. Second, their dwindling audiences wanted to hear their hits - making any evolution difficult. The first cut, Over The Rainbow perhaps defines the Django/Stephane relationship: Grappelli struts his stuff as a lead-in to Django's more agile pyrotechnics. And even as Django supplies rhythm support he can't resist interjections that show him to be the boss and the master of his instrument. Ironically, on the second track - Night And Day Grappelli is much more able than Django to extract pathos from a haunting tune. The stars are reworking some material. For example, Django had recorded a different version of Night And Day with trumpeter Rex Stewart in 1947. And the pre-war Hot Club had recorded Nagasaki, Minor Swing, Sweet Georgia Brown and Swing '39. But this is refinement, not repetition. And Manoir de Mes Reves here was the last time Reinhardt and Grappelli would record together. No dramatic bust-up. Possibly both men felt they had nowhere else to go. Django returned to Rome in 1950 with changes. Grappelli is replaced by alto player André Ekyan and Django is playing an electric guitar. The Italian backing musicians are more than competent, but this is entirely Ekyan and Reinhardt's show - pianist Schécroun is not planning anything attention grabbing, and the rhythm section... supplies rhythm. There's some fine solo work here from Django and Ekyan who frequently revisit material. No harm in that. Anything by Django merits repeated listening.
Track Listings
Disc 1
1Over the Rainbow
2Night and Day
3Minor Blues
4Nature Boy
5The World Is Waiting for the Sunshine
6Vous Qui Passez Sans Me Voir
7Hallelujah
8Nagasaki
9I'll Never Be the Same
10Swing '39
11Clopin Clopant
12Honeysuckle Rose
13All the Things You Are
14Djangology
15Liza
16For Sentimental Reasons
17Daphne
18La Mer
19Sweet Georgia Brown
20Lover Man
21Marie
22Stormy Weather
23Minor Swing
Disc 2
1To Each His Own
2What Is This Thing Called Love
3Ou Es-Tu Mon Amour
4Undecided
5Swing '42
6I Surrender Dear
7After You've Gone
8
9I Saw Stars
10Artillerie Lourde
11It's Only a Paper Moon
12Time On My Hands
13Brick Top
14Tchaikovsky's Starry Night
15My Blue Heaven
16Menilmontant
17Swing Guitars
18My Melancholy Baby
19Webster
20Micro
21Micro
22Dream of You
23Begin the Beguine
Disc 3
1How High the Moon (With Helen Forrest)
2Nuages
3I Can't Get Started
4I Can't Give You Anything But Love
5The Man I Love
6The Peanut Vendor
7Just a Gigolo
8Troublant Bolero
9Rosetta
10Blue Skies
11It Might As Well Be Spring
12Blue Lou
13Brazil
14What a Difference a Day Made
15Pigalle
16Manoir De Mes Reves
17Improvisation No. 4
18Anniversary Song
19Stormy Weather
20Russian Songs Melody
21Jersey Bounce
Disc 4
1Dinette
2Sophisticated Lady
3Micro
4Dream of You
5Nuages
6Darktown Strutter's Ball
7Greig's Norwegian Dance
8A Tisket a Tasket
9Manoir De Mes Reves
10Place De Brouckere
11September Song
12Royal Garden Blues
13St Louis Blues
14Sweet Georgia Brown
15Minor Swing
16Double Whisky
17Artillerie Lourde
18St James' Infirmary
19C Jam Blues
20Honeysuckle Rose
21Debussy's Reverie
22Black Night
23Boogie Woogie
$29.99 USD
Product Notes
By the time these recordings were made, Django had toured the US and made his last recordings with the original Hot Club de France. There was to be one last set of sessions with Stephane Grappelli - which forms the bulk of the first three albums of this collection. The sessions arose from an engagement at a Roman club - the Rupe Tarpea. Reinhardt and Grappelli took it when no other work was on offer. The pair had to face two realities. First, their wartime separation had led to new directions and collaborations. Second, their dwindling audiences wanted to hear their hits - making any evolution difficult. The first cut, Over The Rainbow perhaps defines the Django/Stephane relationship: Grappelli struts his stuff as a lead-in to Django's more agile pyrotechnics. And even as Django supplies rhythm support he can't resist interjections that show him to be the boss and the master of his instrument. Ironically, on the second track - Night And Day Grappelli is much more able than Django to extract pathos from a haunting tune. The stars are reworking some material. For example, Django had recorded a different version of Night And Day with trumpeter Rex Stewart in 1947. And the pre-war Hot Club had recorded Nagasaki, Minor Swing, Sweet Georgia Brown and Swing '39. But this is refinement, not repetition. And Manoir de Mes Reves here was the last time Reinhardt and Grappelli would record together. No dramatic bust-up. Possibly both men felt they had nowhere else to go. Django returned to Rome in 1950 with changes. Grappelli is replaced by alto player André Ekyan and Django is playing an electric guitar. The Italian backing musicians are more than competent, but this is entirely Ekyan and Reinhardt's show - pianist Schécroun is not planning anything attention grabbing, and the rhythm section... supplies rhythm. There's some fine solo work here from Django and Ekyan who frequently revisit material. No harm in that. Anything by Django merits repeated listening.