Like its predecessor,
Fremeaux & Associes' second
Django Reinhardt Quintessence sampler skims the surface of his busiest years as Europe's most revered improvising artist. Its 36 tracks follow a time line from September 1935 through December 1947, touching not only on Paris and London as indicated in the album title, but also Brussels (due north of Liberchies where he was born in 1910) and Chicago, where he recorded "Blues Riff" with
Duke Ellington's orchestra in November 1946. Like most any
Fremeaux Quintessence edition, great care has been taken to select material which represents the artist at his very best. In addition to
Stephane Grappelli and the
Quintette of the Hot Club of France,
Django is joined by violinist
Michel Warlop on "Swingin' with Django," "Paramount Stomp," and "Christmas Swing." On "Vous et Moi," which was recorded in Brussels in 1942,
Django plays violin backed by pianist
Ivon de Bie. As the chronology unfurls, one may sense the impact of the Second World War upon an already rapidly evolving blend of musical traditions. On "Djangology," "Belleville," and a cover of
Jimmie Lunceford's "Uptown Blues," the guitarist is featured with the U.S. Air Transport Command Band. These airchecks were made during a Parisian radio broadcast in October 1945. "Django's Tiger" and "Echoes France" document the guitarist's 1946 reunion with
Grappelli in London. Throughout much of the second disc, the burgeoning modernity of postwar jazz is embodied by clarinetist
Hubert Rostaing, who switches to alto sax on the final selection, "Confessin' (That I Love You)" which was recorded in late 1947 by cornetist
Rex Stewart's quintet. Taking into account the title selection, the time line trajectory and the musicians involved, this set is highly recommended as an intelligently constructed
Django Reinhardt collection. ~ arwulf arwulf
