Customer Reviews

Gypsy Jazz

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It's been a long wait, but finally here's a CD with 20 of the classic sides of Gypsy Jazz recorded by the phenomenal Ferret family during the 1930s through the 1950s. For some odd reason, the collection kicks off with one Django Reinhardt tune, then highlights some of the best recordings by the Ferrets---Baro, Sarane, Matelo, and their cousin, Challain. There's a sampling from the Trio Ferret with Baro playing a glorious solo version of "La valse des niglos." Then there are several cuts by Sarane Ferret's Swing Quintette de Paris, which rivalled Django's reformed Hot Club group for popularity during the 1940s. Finally, there's a mish-mash of sides from various bands led by Matelo. Unfortunately, this collection is really only a teaser: All of these groups issued other sides and this CD provides only a hint of their greatness. But then again, this is the only such collection of these cool recordings available, so get it!

For anybody who enjoys the remarkable guitar playing of the great Django Reinhardt, this CD is a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered. Although Django himself plays on just one song, it's the sparkling recordings by his gypsy friends and frequent musical companions, the members of the Ferret family, that really make this a classic. It's remarkable that these old recordings still exist, and especially with such unexpected acoustic quality. One interesting feature for fans of Django's music is that these recordings give a sense of his roots in French gypsy guitar techniques before he became immersed in jazz. The great swing guitarist Oscar Aleman (also a contemporary and friend of Django's) once said that he thought his playing could compare with Django's in some respects, but that Django had a lot of "gypsy tricks" on guitar. These "gypsy jazz" recordings by the Ferret family (and others) are great in their own right, but they're also fascinating for the light that they shine on Django Reinhardt's musical roots and amazing guitar techniques.