Music on the Web (UK)

Webmaster: Len Mullenger

[ Jazz index ] [Nostalgia index]  [ Classical MusicWeb ] [ Gerard Hoffnung ]

DJANGO REINHARDT
DJANGOLOGY Vol.1 1934-35
Naxos Jazz Legends 8.120515
Crotchet  

1. Ultrafox
2. Djangology
3. Avalon
4. Chasing Shadows
5. Swanee River
6. Blue Drag
7. I Got Rhythm
8. Moonglow
9. Dinah
10. Tiger rag
11. Confessin'
12. China Boy
13. St Louis Blues
14. Some of These days
15. I've Found a New Baby
16. Limehouse Blues
17. Clouds
18. It Don't Mean a Thing

Tracks 1,5,6,9,10,11.
Stephane Grappelly - Violin, Django Reinhardt, Joseph Reinhardy, Roger Chaput Guitars, Louis Vola - Bass
Track3
Arthur Briggs, Alphonse Cox, Pierre Allier - Trumpets, Eugene D'Hellemmes - Trombone, Grappelly, Reinhardt, etc. as above
Tracks 2,4,7,13,14,16,17
As track one but Pierre Ferret replaces Roger Chaput
Tracks 8,12,15,18
As 2, but Tony Rovira replaces Louis Vola

Django Reinhart died in 1953 and there is certainly no doubt that the Quintet of the Hot club of France, was the first European Jazz Combo, of significance. The music continued in the same vein until Grappelly died in 1997, the two of them created an enduring jazz style that received worldwide acclaim. The line up was not an obvious one for jazz; even today there has been few really influential jazz violinists and even fewer acoustic guitar players.

This collection is the earliest work from the group that I have heard and what is amazing is that by 1934; the style that Grappelly followed until his death was already formed. The technique of both men is phenomenal and this record presents an excellent selection of their output. The digital remastering must have been a major undertaking, it has been done superbly, these don't sound like old recordings.

Don Mather
Don Mather is a Saxophone player and Bandleader in Coventry