Django Reinhardt - Django in Rome (1949-1950) 2003

The postwar recording sessions included in this budget-priced boxed set are the last ones Django Reinhardt made with violinist Stephane Grappelli. The remaining original members of his acclaimed Quintette du Hot Club de France had departed already, and on the first three of these four discs the guitarist and violinist are accompanied by a trio of Italian musicians: pianist Gianni Safred, bassist Carlo Pecori, and drummer Aurelio de Carolis. (The recordings on the fourth disc, which date from 1950, are credited to the Quintette du Hot Club de France, but by that point Grappelli had been replaced by alto saxophonist and clarinetist Andre Ekyan and the remaining three musicians comprised a standard piano trio — an instrumental configuration far removed from that of the original quintet.) The resulting sound is an interesting blend of Reinhardt's Parisian gypsy jazz and the more mainstream small-ensemble jazz sound that was popular both in Europe and the United States at the time. Reinhardt and Grappelli are both in excellent form, and their accompanists more than carry their own weight on such familiar fare as "Minor Swing," "How High the Moon," and "Swing '39"; there are also several fun adaptations of classical melodies, such as "Tchaikovsky's Starry Night" and "Grieg's Norwegian Dance." Grappelli is missed on the final disc, but overall this set provides a fascinating overview of Reinhardt's work at a pivotal point in his career. The JSP label's packaging continues the company's admirable tradition of paying loving attention to detail (full credits, new and extensive notes) without imposing expensive frills on the package. Recommended.
Rick Anderson