Reinhardt,Django Django In Rome 1949-1950 CD

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 Andr? 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 Sch?croun 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.

1. Over the Rainbow 2. Night and Day 3. Minor Blues 4. Nature Boy 5. The World Is Waiting for the Sunshine 6. Vous Qui Passez Sans Me Voir 7. Hallelujah 8. Nagasaki 9. I'll Never Be the Same 10. Swing '39 11. Clopin Clopant 12. Honeysuckle Rose 13. All the You Are 14. Djangology 15. Liza 16. For Sentimental Reasons 17. Daphne 18. La Mer 19. Sweet Georgia Brown 20. Lover Man 21. Marie 22. Stormy Weather 23. Minor Swing 24. To Each His Own 25. What Is This Thing Called Love 26. Ou Es-Tu Mon Amour 27. Undecided 28. Swing '42 29. I Surrender Dear 30. After You've Gone 31. I Got Rhythm 32. I Saw Stars 33. Artillerie Lourde 34. It's Only a Paper Moon 35. Time on My Hands 36. Brick Top 37. Tchaikovsky's Starry Night 38. My Blue Heaven 39. Menilmontant 40. Swing Guitars 41. My Melancholy Baby 42. Webster 43. Micro 44. Micro 45. Dream of You 46. Begin the Beguine 47. How High the Moon 48. Nuages 49. I Can't Get Started 50. I Can't Give You Anything But Love 51. The Man I Love 52. The Peanut Vendor 53. Just a Gigolo 54. Troublant Bolero 55. Rosetta 56. Blue Skies 57. It Might As Well Be Spring 58. Blue Lou 59. Brazil 60. What a Difference a Day Made 61. Pigalle 62. Manoir de Mes Reves 63. Improvisation No.4 64. Anniversary Song 65. Stormy Weather 66. Russian Songs Melody 67. Jersey Bounce 68. Dinette 69. Sophisticated Lady 70. Micro 71. Dream of You 72. Nuages 73. Darktown Strutters Ball 74. Greig's Norwegian Dance 75. A Tisket a Tasket 76. Manoir de Mes Reves 77. Place de Brouckere 78. September Song 79. Royal Garden Blues 80. St Louis Blues 81. Sweet Georgia Brown 82. Minor Swing 83. Double Whiskey 84. Artillerie Lourde 85. St. James' Ifirmary 86. C Jam Blues 87. Honeysuckle Rose 88. Debussy's Reverie 89. Black Night 90. Boogie Woogie