Bouncing Around

Depending on your hemispheric location, here's some more Django Reinhardt to get either your summer or winter swinging in the right direction. From the liner notes of volume two, these 23 tracks were recorded between September 9 and December 28, 1937. The opening sides illustrate the Louis Armstrong influence on Philippe Brun. Django then plays two tremendous solos, discretely accompanied by guitar and bass. The next few sides by the Quintette are not particularly well-known, but swing incredibly. On December 14th, Django and his friends recorded two very ambitious sides. Their experiment with Maurice Ravel's "Bolero" proves not entirely successful, whereas "Mabel" includes several highly exciting passages. Violinist Michel Warlop then turns in two attractive sides with mostly obscure musicians, the group anchored by Reinhardt's solid guitar. Even better are the trio sides recorded just before Christmas. A few days later, Django cut another pair of unforgettable solos, "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "Tea For Two." The last four cuts again belong to Philippe Brun: his studio band includes the top French swing musicians of the late thirties on two of Brun's most remarkable recordings. Enjoy. +

Tracks

Philippe Brun
01. Whoa Babe
02. P.B. Flat Blues

Django Reinhardt
03. Saint-Louis Blues
04. Bouncing Around

Django Reinhardt et le Quintette du Hot Club de France
05. Minor Swing
06. Viper's Dream
07. Swinging with DJango
08. Paramount Stomp

Quintette du Hot Club de France
09. Bolero
10. Mabel
11. My Serenade

Michel Warlop et son Orchestre
12. Serenade for a Wealthy Widow
13. Taj Mahal
14. Organ Grinder's Swing

Django Reinhardt
15. You Rascal, You

Michel Warlop et son Orchestre
16. Tea for Two
17. Chirstmas Swing

Django Reinhardt
18. Sweet Georgia Brown
19. Tea for Two

Philippe Brun
20. Blues

Philippe Brun et son Swing Band
21. Easy Going
22. College Stomp
23. Harlem Swing

I've Had My Moments

Here's the first entry in the chronological recordings of Django Reinhardt. It's easy to see why the Quintette du Hot Club de France became one of the most influential acts of the jazz era, and with subsequent recordings only became better. From Allmusic.com, "Django Reinhardt was the first hugely influential jazz figure to emerge from Europe -- and he remains the most influential European to this day, with possible competition from Joe Zawinul, George Shearing, John McLaughlin, his old cohort Stephane Grappelli and a bare handful of others. A free-spirited gypsy, Reinhardt wasn't the most reliable person in the world, frequently wandering off into the countryside on a whim. Yet Reinhardt came up with a unique way of propelling the humble acoustic guitar into the front line of a jazz combo in the days before amplification became widespread. He would spin joyous, arcing, marvelously inflected solos above the thrumming base of two rhythm guitars and a bass, with Grappelli's elegantly gliding violin serving as the perfect foil. His harmonic concepts were startling for their time -- making a direct impression upon Charlie Christian and Les Paul, among others -- and he was an energizing rhythm guitarist behind Grappelli, pushing their groups into a higher gear." Enjoy. +

Tracks

01. Lily Belle May June
02. Sweet Sue, Just You
03. Confessin'
04. The Continental
05. Blue Drag
06. Swanee River
07. Ton Doux Sourire (The Sunshine Of Your Smile)
08. Ultrafox
09. You And The Night And The Music
10. I Get A Kick Out Of You
11. Seagulls
12. Anything Goes
13. Easter Parade
14. I'm Gonna Wash My Hands Of You
15. Avalon
16. Smoke Rings
17. Clouds
18. Believe It, Beloved
19. I've Found A New Baby
20. St. Louis Blues
21. Chasing Shadows
22. I've Had My Moments

When The Day Is Done

It's never the wrong time of year to share some Django Reinhardt. Originally I had intended to begin with the 1935 set but grabbed the wrong one. Guess I'll have to get to that one later. Le Quintette du Hot Club de France was formed in 1934 by Reinhardt and Stéphane Grapelli, with a revolving lineup that originally included Django's brother Joseph (rhythm guitar), Louis Vola (bass), and Roger Chaput (rhythm guitar). The group recorded and toured regularly  1939 when the outbreak of WWII interrupted life. The Quintette was touring in England, where Grapelli chose to remain, while Reinhardt returned to France where he figured he'd be better off (not speaking any English). After the war they regrouped until into 1948. The sound quality of some of these transfers leaves a bit to be desired at times, but the music is incomparable. My favorites here are Ain't Misbehavin', Pennies From Heaven, and The Sheik of Araby. But really there's not a bad recording in the lot. Included are scans. Enjoy. +

Tracks

01. Django Reinhardt. Exactly Like You
02. Django Reinhardt. Charleston
03. Django Reinhardt. You're Driving Me Crazy
04. Django Reinhardt. Tears
05. Django Reinhardt. Solitude
06. Django Reinhardt. Hot Lips
07. Django Reinhardt. Ain't Misbehavin'
08. Django Reinhardt. Rose Room
09. Django Reinhardt. Body And Soul (04-22-37)
10. Django Reinhardt. When The Day Is Done (04-22-37)
11. Django Reinhardt. Runnin' Wild
12. Django Reinhardt. Chicago
13. Django Reinhardt. Leibestraum No 3 (04-26-37)
14. Django Reinhardt. Miss Annabelle Lee
15. Django Reinhardt. A Little Love, A Little Kiss (04-26-37)
16. Django Reinhardt. Mystery Pacific (04-26-37)
17. Django Reinhardt. In A Sentimental Mood
18. Django Reinhardt. The Sheik Of Araby
19. Django Reinhardt. Improvisation (04-27-37)
20. Django Reinhardt. Parfum (04-27-37)
21. Django Reinhardt. Pennies From Heaven
22. Django Reinhardt. Tiger Rag (07-07-37)