Customer Reviews

Djangology

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I am a Django fan, and like most fans I have owned the 1990 BlueBird release, "Djangology 49" for some time. Like most I have always marveled at the aweful sound of this session. The poor sound quality of this release made it a very difficult session to enjoy, even for a hard-core Django addict like myself. Now all has changed.
In July 2002 Bluebird released the Rome 1949 sessions again on a CD titled, "Djangology." The two words that come to mind after listening the newly remastered sound are, "noiseless" and "balanced." Ken Robertson has so loving smoothed out the sound you will not believe its the same session as, "Djangology 49." There is practically no guitar distortion, and the new mix now allows you to hear all the instruments clearly and with an even volume level. All of the background hiss has been removed.
The improved sound allows to finally appreciate this sessions for what it is, a masterpiece.

Simply Django finally in a very well recorded edition. So it's something fantastic believe me. It is simply a marvellous listening experience, I searched for this record for some time and finally I have it in my hands... Oh Django! Some people are afraid of listening to Django because they have the impression that this music could be "dated", not trendy anymore. This music is brilliant and Django is forever! He was like Parker, Gillespie, Powell on their own instrument. Guitar (and even Jazz in a sense) has never been the same after Django. It is a boppish kind of session. It is still a classical Grappelli - Reinhardt cohoperation but it has been recorded in the late Django years (he died just few months after this recording) so he has already been exposed to the influence of bebop. He liked bebop (which music connossoir could dislike it?) and for a brief period he was even intimidated by bebop giants. But he was an unbelievable natural talent so in the end he started to play his own version of bebop incorporating it into his gitane music. Here you can find a lot of classic Django (Daphne, Minor swing), some very well known american standards (All the things you are, It's only a paper moon, After you've gone etc) in a small combo format. It's Django with Grappelli and few less known italian musicians who had the very lucky opportunity to play with the master. It is a sort of very appropriate introduction to Django's music, maybe together with the double Verve cd "Peche a la mouche" which I suggest too. It is sublime, very romantic but also very skyrocketing at some point. Django is unforgettable. he was really mature in his style, very in control, unbelievably virtuosistic but even melodic, as he has always been by the way ,... but here you can appreciate his talent in a very well remastered edition of some of his best music. Highly suggested!!!!!

This CD's tracks are a good representation of the post-war Django, after he had been exposed to the emerging be-bop style and phrasing. Here, Django and extraordinary violinist Stephane Grappelli record some of their classics with three Italian jazzmen (piano, bass and brushed snare-drum), providing a somewhat different feel from the sound of his guitar-dominated 1930's Hot Club days.

For "generalist" jazz fans, this CD will give a nostalgic taste of rhythms, textures and sounds of another time - delivered by the best. For Django and Stephane's aficionados, these tracks are a gem. Django's playing is red hot yet polished, crisp and precise, and continues to amaze for the sheer richness of his inexhaustible ideas both as a soloist and an accompanist. Stephane once again proves why he was the indisputed genius of the jazz violin - never missing a beat, a quarter-tone or an opportunity to say something fresh, new and heartfelt.

The all-Italian rhythm section is in style and non-intrusive, allowing the two stars to express themselves to the fullest while providing great steady support. The occasional piano solo is delivered beautifully in a very personal style, with techniques clearly reminiscent of a strong classical background.

Sound-wise, a great effort was made to rid the old recording of white noise and hissing. I am extremely pleased with the result - Django's Selmer guitar and Stephane's magic violin come across crisp and clear.

Listen to "Minor Swing" or "I'll never be the same" if you want to get a chill up your spine. This CD helps understand why Django is, to this day, the most influential jazz guitarist who ever lived.

First off, this music is great. Reinhardt's reunion with Stephane Grappelly is a worthy addition to his library. While not quite as good to these ears as his mid/late 30's recordings, they're still pretty good.

My only problem is with the sound quality of the CD itself. I'm assuming it's probably just the original source material, though it could be a mastering issue. The sound, while good for the most part, does seem a bit distorted in portions. It's sometimes scratchy, and you can hear instruments bloom and distort from time to time, moreso on the high & loud notes. I have many recordings from this era, and they typically sound better than this. This WAS recorded in Italy, and i'm not aware of what the Italian studios were like in the late 40s. Perhaps they didn't have quite the sound capability that American studios had at the time. Perhaps the originals were not stored well in Italy. I don't know.

It's not a bad enough problem to make me not want to listen to it, but it is unfortunate that i have some Benny Goodman Trio recordings from 10 years earlier that sound cleaner than this. I never buy bootleg recordings...only the ones released by the owning companies, who utilize original source materials. That having been said, i'm a bit disappointed. While i would still recommend this CD, i would also recommend some of the earlier Reinhardt stuff, especially from the late 30s. The sound quality on those is at least as good as the stuff on this 1949 disc.

No less a guitar great than Les Paul has declared Django the best guitarist that there has ever been. Les Paul should know as he's lived through many of them including Eddie Van Halen. From a guy who totally improvised great solo after great solo at speeds that Eddie could only reach by using his two-handed technique, Django just used the two working fingers of his left hand. Incredible! I used to own the old 2-disc "Djangologie" covering his material prior to this period and although his playing was great to hear, the hiss and bad recording wasn't so I'm glad although we have here the '49 version and only 23 tracks, the sound quality is vastly improved and is decent considering what must have been the condition of the original master after all these years. I also like the cardboard packaging and the liner notes. If you like to hear great jazz guitar played in the acoustic style, this is the one to get. Recommended.

I had an LP with this same title many years ago and somehow it got lost thru the years.This last meeting of Django and Grappelli in the studio showed how they both had evolved as players over time and being apart for a long time.As is usual,Django overshadows everybody else who's playing by his forceful rhythym playing and genius level lead lines.For anyone who may not know,Django had only the functional use of his first two fingers on his left(fretting) hand due to an accidental injury to his hand when he was in his teens.He made up for this handicap with absolutely brilliant playing with the digits he had left.I recognised some licks that he had played on some of the songs recorded many years earlier,but you can hear some bebopish note choices that he used very tastefully on this record.
As for Grappelli,his tone and pleasing lead lines is very enjoyable to listen to-as always.For this record,he and Django can still play the unison parts much like I imagine that they had worked out a decade or more earlier.There's never a mistake that this is Django's record,but Steph seems to have a bigger part of this group than the old Hot Club days.I saw Steph in Dallas live one time,and it was one of the highlights of my life.
Just a few words on the bass,drums and piano player on this session.In some places I've seen where these guys were described as weak players barely able to keep up.I disagree...these guys were in the presence of greatness and were most likely totally intimidated by Django and Steph.I think they did a more than good job as accommpaniment for Django and Steph.
Anyhow, my two cents and I highly recommend this CD.Thanks.

A classic combination - sounds as revolutionary as it must have when Reinhardt & Grapelli first played these tunes. You'll be mesmerized.

The record is a great piece which shows the introduction of guitas in Jazz music which happened a bit before and after WW II.
Purchasing online was easy but delivery got late althoug I paid for the fast one which I'l never do again.

A collection of some of the "must-have" recordings in the world of jazz. Superb playing from everyone, with jaw-dropping work from the two leaders, guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grapelli/Grappelly (it is spelled both ways on the packaging). As far as GREAT recordings are concerned, these are among the most fun. The interplay and invention are exciting and the effect on listeners is palpable, producing joy and probably even some dancing. Highly recommended.

This cd was enjoyable for a listening session. There are enough familiar tracks ("Paper Moon" and "Pathetique") to pique the interest in the European Jazz of Django Reinhardt.

It takes a couple of spins to get to know this album. I had never listened to DR before. The music reminded me of what Don Ho would play on his ukelele during his TV show run. Only when you realize when it was recorded can you appreciate the innovation of his music. Jazz is American in creation. It is also quite rhythmic in tempo. Reinhardt and other Europeans broke that convention with arrythmic variations to their music.

I may be wrong, but, Django's influence can be detected in Led Zeppelin of all places (Jimmy Page using a bow on his guitar!).

All in all if you want to learn about European Jazz this disc is a good place to make a start.