Quintette du Hot Club de France: 25 Classics 1934-1940

Django Reinhardt

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 19, 1998)
• Original Release Date: May 19, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Asv Living Era
• ASIN: B00000616B
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #109,374 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Track Listings

1. Dinah

2. Oh, Lady Be Good

3. I Saw Stars

4. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)

5. I've Had My Moments

6. Djangology

7. St. Louis Blues

8. Limehouse Blues

9. I Got Rhythm

10. I've Found a New Baby

11. After You've Gone

12. Nagasaki

13. Swing Guitars

14. Charleston

15. You're Driving Me Crazy

16. Runnin' Wild

17. Improvisation - Django Reinhardt

18. Minor Swing

19. Honeysuckle Rose

20. Sweet Georgia Brown

See all 25 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

From Jazziz

In terms of sheer natural ability, Django Reinhardt was incredibly endowed. For years, he was easily the most technically proficient jazz guitarist. This six-CD set illustrates implications of reinhardt's that often go unrecognized. Django's long, complex eighth-note lines and running of chord progressions make him a precursor of bop, like Charlie Christian, who came along a few years later. He has a great rhythmic variety and, like Art Tatum, stimulates listeners with mixes of eighth notes and triplets. Before Wes Montgomery, he popularized the use of octaves. His subtle use of harmonics, bent tones, and vibrato variation also deserve praise.

And Reinhardt recorded what very well may have been the first free-jazz piece, "Improvisation," in 1937, which is amazingly rich in ideas and quite coherently structured. On that tune, Reinhardt exhibits a flamenco influence, something he rarely did. There and on "Parfum," another solo selection, Reinhardt uses rubato effectively.

For the most part, these selections were made with the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, which originally consisted of Reinhardt, violinist Stefan Grappelli, two rhythm guitars, and bass. Clarinetists Hubert Rostaing or Gerard Leveque replace Grappelli on some tracks, and Reinhardt uses two clarinets on one session. The quintet sound with Grappelli was one of the most distinctive among jazz groups. Occasionally, Reinhardt replaced one of the rhythm guitarists with a drummer, resulting in a lighter rhythm-section sound. There are also a few larger ensembles here.

Reinhardt's work is consistently amazing. Unlike Tatum, Reinhardt used his incredible chops for musical ends more than for grandstanding. Grappelli provides a number of highlights as well with his delightfully swinging work. Rostaing plays pleasantly, if generically, and the rhythm sections generally give Reinhardt solid, infectious backing.

Many of the tunes here are standards, but Reinhardt uses some of his excellent originals as well, e.g. "Nuages" and "Manoir de Mes Reves." His "Bolero," on which strings and brass appear, was inspired by Ravel's. There are also versions here of works by Grieg, Liszt, and Fritz Kreisler. "Festival Swing 1942, Part Two" is a Rostaing composition on which five different bands, ranging from a trio to a big band, are heard consecutively.

--- Harvey Pekar, JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

86 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Django CDs in a crowded field., November 29, 2001

By	Ed Brickell (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews

The Reinhardt/Grappelli discography is currently overcrowded with product both good and slipshod, and someone just wanting an introduction to their marvelous music could easily get confused. Make no mistake, the vast majority of these 25 performances (clocking at a generous 74:15 running time) are taken from THE classic "Hot Club de France" quintet performances from the 1930s, and represent much of the very best work these two masterful musicians ever did together.

For those not familiar with ASV's "Living Era" series, these are beautifully and unobtrusively remastered old recordings -- a virtual sonic textbook on how to remaster the old stuff right. The price is nothing to complain about, either.

If you're looking for one Reinhardt/Grappelli CD, this is the one to have.

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maybe the best guitarist who ever played, February 18, 2003

By A Customer

If you like virtuoso jazz guitar and violin, old swing tunes, amazing acoustic guitar playing, or just great music in general, don't miss a chance to hear Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. When the Hot Club of France was formed in the 1930s, nobody had ever played quite like this before, and nobody has since (though many have tried). Probably the reason they aren't better known today is, first of all, because they played in Europe and never really entered the mainstream of American jazz, and also because until recently their remarkable music was available only on relatively poor-quality LPs and old 78s. In recent years, however, the wonders of digital remastering have brought these wonderful old tunes back to life, and a whole new audience can marvel at their virtuosity. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of Reinhardt and Grappelli's CDs, because their music is consistently excellent, but this one has a fine selection of songs and is a good place to start for someone who isn't already familiar with these amazing musicians. One thing I have to mention, though, is that the editorial review (by Jazziz) refers to a "6-CD set," which is apparently a different compilation. This is just a single CD, although there's quite a lot of music packed into it. If you're already hooked on Reinhardt and Grappelli and are ready for a boxed set, JSP's 5-CD set (The Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order) and 4-CD set (Paris and London) are both excellent. No matter how much you listen to this music, it seems almost impossible to get tired of it.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Django & Stephane: Two artists at their best!, October 8, 2000

By	Paulo Leite (Lisbon, Portugal) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Hot Club Quintet of France (Audio CD)

There are all the guitar players on one side. On the other, you have DJANGO REINHARDT...

This is a great opportunity to discover the true genious of these two musicians who made a legend out of their names. These recordings were made during the golden years of Django's quintet. Django Reinhardt was the greatest guitar player in the world. There was no other greater before or after him.. He could do with his guitar things no one could. He had a style, ...a kind of sophisticated gypsyan touch, many other players (on both sides of the Atlantic) tried to imitate. Stephane's playing, like Django's, was also on a class by its own. They were both perfect for each other and their playing is subtil and sensuous.

The tracks selected for this cd represent some of their best work together during those early years. Some ("Souvenirs", "Twelfth Year" and "Swing 39") were composed by the duo. They put their talents in evidence with charm and sofistication. The quintet format they adopted was the best way to simply enhance their magic. I listen to "Souvenirs" and get astounded by the sensiousness of their playing. The same happens in their version of the well known "Tea for Two" which by far surpasses many of the other versions we all know. With them, it's Tea for Two with an european flamboyance. "Lambeth Walk" is their humorous track: many will remember it was used by MTV on one of their vignettes.

To me, the transfer seems fine considering the fact that the original recordings are very old (you can't try to compare these to other recordings made 15 years later when the technology available was much better - and with Django and Stephane, who would do that?). There are many Jazz albums and there is this Reinhardt & Grappelly album.