Customer Reviews

In Solitaire

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Django Reinhardt combined his Gypsy passion and natural musical intuition with a love of American jazz to create a spectacular style of jazz guitar far advanced of his sources. Besides being the guitar star of the Hot Club of France ensemble, he recorded solo tracks over the years, often as off-the-cuff warm ups. This set collects 15 of them to prove beyond a doubt his unparalleled genius then and now. They make his American contemporaries 1937-50 seem positively tentative and conservative in comparison.

As a guitar player I can really appreciate this CD. Listening to Django just playing by himself is wonderous and amazing.

all you have to say is django. he was the best. it came as advertised and on time

I love Django's playing, but these are recordings of him just messing around in the studio. If you're a Django fan, you might find enough hear to be worth what you pay for it. But I found myself listening to it once, satisfying my curiosity, and leaving it on the shelf thereafter.

How sad it is that Django Reinhardt is so little spoken of in music lovers' conversations, yet some of the greats of jazz and noteworthy guitarists praise his work. When one lists the names of the world's greatest guitarists from Wes Montogomery to Chet Atkins to Jimi Hendrix, Django Reinhardt belongs in the discussion, and this fine collection of him playing so, just Django and his guitar will surely show why.

Perhaps the listeners who'd most easily slide into this work are those who love classical guitar like Andres Segovia. It's no secret that brilliant jazz artists have embraced his work who salute his work including Grant Green, the Modern Jazz Quartet, and Oscar Peterson. Mandolin great David Grisman has also composed a work named after him. Highly skillful artists including a Chet Atkins/Mark Knopfler colloboration, Robbie Robertson (formerly of The Band), Allen Toussaint, and some of the previously mentioned artists have lauded his work. Perhaps no artist has spoken more glowingly of his guitar skill than Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones who has sung his praise in many an interview actively encouraging his fans to check out Reinhardt's work.

WELL CHECK OUT HIS WORK, and this album is the perfect place to start. What's so likeable about his work is how one man playing an acoustic guitar can play what is so simple on one level and complex on many others. On the surface, his European continental flare, might sound like something Segovia would perform but on closer examination, his musical expression in many ways sets forth structures that jazz performers around the world would embrace for decades after his untimely demise.

Most of the album consists of works he titles "Improvisations." Each one is its own exploration, some more rhythmic others more melodic. Each one is its own little guitar adventure. Remarkably, for how old the recordings are, prior to his death in early 1953, the sonic quality is superb.

When one considers the state of mainstream music at the time of this recording, Django Reinhardt was truly a sonic visionary. This fine collection of his work demonstrates why.

Solo recordings and improvisations. There is also pretty good sound quality. If you love Django Reinhardt, buy this album.

If this is indeed the track listing, then this CD is NOT the complete solo recordings (I don't actually own it)-Django also did a solo version of 'Tea for Two', which is on many other Django compilations, and can be heard here:

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. . . Just thought it was important to note.