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had been replaced by alto saxophonist and clarinetist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
sound that was popular both in Europe and the United States at the time.
and
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,"
"Swing '39"
; there are also several fun adaptations of
classical
melodies, such as
"Tchaikovsky's Starry Night"
"Grieg's Norwegian Dance."
is missed on the final disc, but overall this set provides a fascinating overview of
'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