Customer Reviews

The Best of Django Reinhardt

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This CD is probably the best way to discover the music of Django Reinhardt. Though the recordings are from the '30s, they are cleaned up nicely by Blue Note's superb remastering. Most of the tunes were written or co-written by Django, and they showcase the brilliant playing of both Django and violinist Stephane Grappelli. Django was not only an amazing soloist, but an incredible rhythm player. Listen to his comping around Grappelli and the horns. He had so much energy his acoustic guitar cut through the rest of the band. Like most musical geniuses, he made it sound natural and effortless. I will repeat what I have stated elsewhere: Django is to '30s jazz guitar what Jimi Hendrix is to '60s rock guitar, a diamond-in-the-rough genius in a class all by himself. There have been none like him, before or since. This CD is an essential part of any jazz collection.

This "best of" compilation provides a good sampling of Django Reinhardt's recordings over the course of his career, which makes it a good place to start for someone who's not yet familiar with this amazing guitarist (and his equally great partner on violin, Stephane Grappelli). In addition to some great prewar Hot Club of France selections, it also includes some representative recordings made during the war years, while Grappelli was stranded in England while Reinhardt was in France. Still, in the case of Django Reinhardt, any "best of" collection has to leave out vastly more than it includes, and the tunes that are left out include much of the best acoustic guitar playing ever recorded, along with brilliant back-and-forth improvising between Reinhardt and Grappelli. Personally I think it might be worth it to just go ahead and get the wonderful 5-CD set, "The Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order," but if you'd rather start with just a single CD, just consider it a sampling and don't hesitate to check out some of Django's other recordings later. In any case, when it comes to Django Reinhardt CDs, you can hardly go wrong no matter which ones you choose.

If I could change one piece of the general perception of Django Reinhardt, it would be the "Jazz Master" label, which implies to too many people that this is stuffy concert hall music.

Reinhardt was thE jazz guitar master, but his records are damn good fun. Like all the best jazz, it's overflowing with emotion but, more often than not, that emotion is witty, boisterous excitement.

Don't limit yourself to just this Reinhardt CD. Considering the point in history when he was at his artistic peak, his music was generally well recorded, and several producers/engineers/labels have made great efforts to clean up the sound. If nothing else, check out the 5-CD "box set" (not really a box, but 5 great CDs shrinkwrapped together). While my Reinhardt collection is hardly complete, I have yet to come across a less-than-excellent recording of this wonderful music.

After seeing Woody Allen's *Sweet and Lowdown* I went in search of Django Reinhardt (I didn't really believe a name like that could exist)and received this wonderful surprise. The sounds of the 20's and 30's have never sounded better! An added pleasure is the pleasure of Stephane Grappelli ... it just doesn't get better than this.

There isn't a single note wasted. Not a collection, however, for those whose tastes in jazz and blues lean toward the 'pop' styles. Reinhardt's talent defies description. A must have collection; a true representation of jazz in the Jazz Age.

I first heard of Django Reinhardt from the admiration of Ardvit in the movie "Swing Kids" (great movie if you haven't seen it). This CD is amazing. It is especially wowing to hear it knowing that Django played without the use of two of his fingers, which were tragically injured early in his life. I have often been concerned about the musical quality of older recordings, but this CD has absolutely no signs of distortion or lack of quality. First rate recording. Django plays amazingly quick and clear rifts that are astounding. He is joined in many of the recordings by Stephane Grappelli on the violin. Grappelli was one of the few that could match Django, and they play off each other wonderfully.

I highly recommend this CD to any lover of Jazz and/or Swing music.

Django is the best jazz guitarist ever, a simply amazing musician, a plesure to listen to. The only drawback to any of his recordings is the consistent strum of the rhythm guitrs. But Django is always flawless and Stephane is great too!

Yes! My search was over that day, the day i bought this compilation, melody, rythm, swing, romanticism - what a package! I always have had some nonchalance towards jazz compilations, for no other reason but some kind of cheated feeling of getting the artists best of from a particular label. And evidently one can see the classic jazz giants have a sprawled career spread over some 10-20 labels. So if you get a "Best of" Charlie Parker on Verve it wont have anything much in common with "best of" on say EMI or Sony.
Anways, sometimes we do come across some superb compilations of artists that have songs from a particular period of their recording career, which might have been the most fertile one yet. Thats what this compilation spells all over. WC Handy has been done justice to on this "St. Loius Blues" rendition. And we have Grappelli doing the rounds in some tracks with Reinhardt that makes some essential classic stuff that you might find readily on Various Artists Jazz compilations through the years.
"I'll see you in my dreams" stands out for me a definitive though maybe not reinhardt's signatgure tunes.
Well, to cut a long story short dont miss buying this album; even if you havent heard much of swing before.

Anyone who loves the guitar, and who enjoys discussing great players, simply must include Django Reinhardt in their library and their discussions. "The Best of Django Reinhardt" is a great place to start. His speed, inventiveness, musicality, and emotion are unsurpassed by any other guitar player from any other genre or any other era. Buy it, listen to it, and be amazed.

I am enjoying my new disc immensely. There are three generations in my household (14 yrs old) (35 yrs old) and (over 50) - me. The music of Django Reinhardt transcends the generations as all of us are equally enchanted.