Paris and London: 1937-1948, Vol. 2 [Box set]

Amazon.com
JSP's follow-up to their must-have bargain-priced box set of Django Reinhardt's early recordings is every bit as essential and fascinating for lovers of jazz guitar. Between 1937 and 1948, the world's best-known gypsy guitarist was leading some of the hottest jazz groups in Europe, with some of the most innovative arrangements imaginable. The story behind these sessions is almost as memorable as the material--somehow Reinhardt, despite being a gypsy, prospered through Nazi-occupied France while his peers either fled or perished. Due to the war, the classic lineup of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France evolved and eventually splintered into two groups--one with Stephane Grappelli on violin, another replacing him with the clarinet of Hubert Rostaing. But regardless of Reinhardt's accompaniment, the music-making heard here is nothing short of astounding. Whether swinging through standards ("All of Me," "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," "Sweet Georgia Brown") or performing some of his classic originals ("Nuages," "Swing 42"), whether alone ("Improvisations," "Tea for Two") or backed by more than a dozen friends ("Festival Swing"), this is some of Reinhardt's best music. JSP's remastering and transfers on these 60-year-old 78s is the finest yet available. Essential for swing fans, guitarists, or anyone wanting to know more about the history of jazz. --Jason Verlinde

Tracks:

St Louis Blues
Bouncin' Around
I've Found A New Baby
Bricktop
Speevey
Minor Swing
Viper's Dream
Swingin' With Django
Paramount Stomp
Bolero
Bolero
Mabel
Mabel
My Serenade
You Rascal You
Stephen's Blues
Sugar
Sweet Georgia Brown
Tea For Two

Tracks:

Stockholm
Younger Generation
I'll See You In My Dreams
Echoes Of Spain
Out Of Nowhere
I Can't Give You Anything But Love
Naguine
Nuages
Rhythm Futur
Begin The Beguine
Blues
Coucou
Undecided
Swing 41
Nuages
Pour Vous
Fantasie Sur Une Danse Norvegienne
Vendredi
Liebesfreud
Mabel
Petits Mesonges
Les Yeux Noirs
Sweet Sue, Just You

Tracks:

Swing De Paris
Oiseaux Des Iles
All Of Me
Festival Swing
Dinette
Crepscule
Swing 42
Festival Swing 1942 (Part 2)
Belleville
Lentemente Mademoiselle
Douce Ambiance
Manoir Des Mes Reves
Oui
Cavalerie
Fleur D'Ennui
Blues Clair
Improvisation No.3 (Part 1)
Improvisation No.3 (Part 2)
Coquette
Django's Tiger
Embraceable You
Echoes Of France

Tracks:

Swingtime In Springtime
Yours And Mine
On The Sunny Side Of The Street
I Won't Dance
R Vingt Six
How High The Moon
Lover Man
Blue Lou
Blues
What Is This Thing Called Love?
Ol' Man River
Si Tu Savais
Eveline
Diminushing
Mike
Lady Be Good
Festival 48
Fantaisie
Bricktop
Just For Fun
To Each His Own (Symphonie)

Product Description

Disc 1: Paris 1937:
1. St. Louis Blues
2. Bouncin' Around
3. I've Found A New Baby
4. Bricktop
5. Speevey
6. Minor Swing
7. Viper's Dream
8. Swingin' With Django
9. Paramount Stomp
10. Bolero
11. Bolero
12. Mabel
13. Mabel
14. My Serenade
15. You Rascal You
16. Stephen's Blues
17. Sugar
18. Sweet Georgia Brown
19. Tea For Two

Disc 2: Paris 1939-1940:
1. Stockholm
2. Younger Generation
3. I'll See You In My Dreams
4. Echoes Of Spain
5. Out Of Nowhere
6. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
7. Naguine
8. Nuages
9. Rhythm Futur
10. Begin The Beguine
11. Blues
12. Coucou
13. Undecided
14. Swing 41
15. Nuages
16. Pour Vous
17. Fantaisie Sur Une Danse Norvegienne
18. Vendredi
19. Liebesfreud
20. Mabel
21. Petits Mesonges
22. Les Yeux Noirs
23. Sweet Sue-Just You

Disc 3: Paris & London 1940-1946:
1. Swing De Paris
2. Oiseaux Des Iles
3. All Of Me
4. Festival Swing
5. Dinette
6. Crepuscule
7. Swing 42
8. Festival Swing 1942 (Part 2)
9. Belleville
10. Lentement Mademoiselle
11. Douce Ambiance
12. Manoir De Mes Reves
13. Oui
14. Cavalerie
15. Fleur D'Ennui
16. Blues Clair
17. Improvisation No. 3 (Part 1)
18. Improvisation No. 3 (Part 2)
19. Coquette
20. Django's Tiger
21. Embraceable You
22. Echoes Of France

Disc 4: Paris 1946-1948:
1. Swingtime In Springtime
2. Yours And Mine
3. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
4. I Won't Dance
5. R Vingt Six
6. How High The Moon
7. Lover Man
8. Blue Lou
9. Blues
10. What Is This Thing Called Love?
11. Ol' Man River
12. Si Tu Savais
13. Eveline
14. Diminushing
15. Mike
16. Lady Be Good
17. Festival 48
18. Fantaisie
19. Bricktop
20. Just For Fun
21. To Each His Own (Symphonie)

Format: CD

Amazon.com

JSP's follow-up to their must-have bargain-priced box set of Django Reinhardt's early recordings is every bit as essential and fascinating for lovers of jazz guitar. Between 1937 and 1948, the world's best-known gypsy guitarist was leading some of the hottest jazz groups in Europe, with some of the most innovative arrangements imaginable. The story behind these sessions is almost as memorable as the material--somehow Reinhardt, despite being a gypsy, prospered through Nazi-occupied France while his peers either fled or perished. Due to the war, the classic lineup of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France evolved and eventually splintered into two groups--one with Stephane Grappelli on violin, another replacing him with the clarinet of Hubert Rostaing. But regardless of Reinhardt's accompaniment, the music-making heard here is nothing short of astounding. Whether swinging through standards ("All of Me," "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," "Sweet Georgia Brown") or performing some of his classic originals ("Nuages," "Swing 42"), whether alone ("Improvisations," "Tea for Two") or backed by more than a dozen friends ("Festival Swing"), this is some of Reinhardt's best music. JSP's remastering and transfers on these 60-year-old 78s is the finest yet available. Essential for swing fans, guitarists, or anyone wanting to know more about the history of jazz. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Django yes--- sound no........2006-11-21

Django is my man, and I've always found these to be some of his most fetching recordings. The sound is a bit bland for my tastes, though. JSP puts out an inconsistent product at times.

The Second Most Affordable Reinhardt Collection.......2004-10-09

In my opinion, "Paris & London 1937-48" is slightly better than "Classic Early Recordings in Chronogical Order". Considering the source material, JSP did an excellent job remastering this collection.

Bouncin' Around.......2003-01-15

For someone like me who loves every note Django Reinhardt ever played this 4-CD collection and another 5-CD set also available on Amazon, "Django Reinhardt: The Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order," are the Holy Grail. Between the two sets I can load up the CD player with 9 discs and listen to this most unbelievable of all guitar players show off for hours at a time.

There is more swing, more fun, and more incredible guitar playing on these discs than you'll ever hear anywhere else.

Even though they contain no lengthy linear notes, 'free booklets,' posters, etc., these are, without a doubt, the greatest multi-disc box sets I have ever heard.

Great guitar... and beyond!.......2002-12-05

I got "Paris and London" and JSP's other great box set, "The Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order," at roughly the same time, and for a while I listened constantly to the "Early Recordings" and pretty much neglected this set. One reason is that the "Early Recordings" are so great that I couldn't tear myself away, but another reason is that the "Paris and London" set includes more large-ensemble recordings that have taken me a little longer to appreciate. By my taste, at least, Django is at his best in small acoustic settings (e.g., in the famous Quintet of the Hot Club of France, or even soloing or just accompanied by piano). "Paris and London" does contain a number of songs by the original Hot Club (including Stephane Grappelli), and most of those rank with the very best on the "Early Recordings" set --- but there are also a number of wartime recordings (made while Grappelli was stranded in London) that have a more standard jazz ensemble sound (featuring Hubert Rostaing on clarinet in place of Grappelli's violin), as well as a few performed with large orchestras, and at first I found those a little less appealing. My view changed a little, though, when I read in Django's biography (by his contemporary, the French music critic Charles Delaunay) that by this stage of his career Django was becoming more interested in composing and arranging than in simply playing guitar, and that he felt there were more musical possibilities in larger groups than within the limitations of the string quintet (three guitars, bass and violin). So I've been going back and listening to these large-ensemble recordings with a new ear, and I guess I can say that it's expanded my musical horizons a little. As a guitarist myself, I'm naturally partial to Django's remarkable lead guitar playing, but with the larger groups his role is more like Duke Ellington's on the piano (that is, using his guitar more as the cohesion behind the arrangements than as a lead instrument). So on these recordings you get a fuller sense of Django's overall musical vision, beyond just his virtuoso guitar playing. In any case, even if you're mainly just interested in hearing Django's guitar, you won't be disappointed, because these recordings include some of his best. Also, I see that one reviewer criticized the sound quality of this set as compared to the "Early Recordings," but I'm not sure I'd agree. That reviewer may have better equipment and a more highly-trained ear than I do, but on my equipment these recordings sound just fine --- and in some cases even more sharp and clear than the "Early Recordings." In any case, don't let that consideration deter you from purchasing this great 4-CD set. If you don't already own the "Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order," then by all means start with that. Then, if you like that set (and who wouldn't?), don't hesitate to get this one too. They both show Django at his best, and this one in particular shows his versatility and broad musical vision.

More Great Django, but without Ted Kendall.......2001-10-09

I certainly agree with the other reviewers about the music here being terrific. I also favor the small ensemble work rather than the larger aggregations. After all, there's more Django in the small arrangements.

But I do have to comment on the sound quality. One of the remarkable things about the first installment of this set (the 5 CD box) is its sound. Engineer Ted Kendall did a sterling job of collecting the best quality sources and then cutting as little as possible from the output to give us the music. By contrast, this set is far less impressive. There is much less depth to the bass and the high end has been truncated a bit too in the interest of getting rid of surface noise.

It is because of the sound that I give this set three stars (and really would give it three and one-half if there was that option).

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