DJANGO REINHARDT ET LE QUINTETTE DU HOT CLUB DE FRANCE FEATURING STEPHANE GRAPPELLI 1934/1937

Tracklist
0:00 01 - Dinah
2:37 02 - Tiger Rag
5:11 03 - Confessin'
8:08 04 - Swanee River
11:12 05 - Some of These Days
13:37 06 - Djangology
16:35 07 - I'se a Muggin'
19:44 08 - I Can't Give You Anything But Love
23:09 09 - Shine
26:06 10 - Swing Guitars
28:34 11 - Georgia On My Mind
31:50 12 - Tears
34:31 13 - Solitude
37:42 14 - Charleston
40:34 15 - Ain't Misbehavin'
43:31 16 - Rose Room
46:17 17 - Body and Soul
49:47 18 - Chicago
53:14 19 - Mystery Pacific
55:36 20 - The Sheik of Araby
58:42 21 - Minor Swing
1:02:00 22 - Viper's Dream

Guitar (Solo) – Django Reinhardt
Violin – Stéphane Grappelli, Michel Warlop
Guitar (Rhythm) – Joseph Reinhardt, Roger Chaput, Pierre “Baro” Ferret, Matelo Ferret
Bass – Louis Vola, Juan Fernández, Eugène D’Hellemmes, Pierre Michelot
Vocals / Accompaniment – Jerry Mengo, Bert
Tenor Saxophone – Coleman Hawkins
Alto Saxophone – Benny Carter
Drums – Tommy Benford

This compilation album, which brings together recordings made between 1934 and 1937 by Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli, and the Quintette du Hot Club de France, constitutes one of the most vibrant and significant documents in the history of European jazz. At a time when jazz was dominated by American big bands and swing combos, the Parisian group led by Reinhardt and Grappelli contributed a completely distinctive sound: a string orchestra without drums, with rhythm guitars instead of a wind section, and with Grappelli's violin as a leading solo instrument. The album showcases the group's versatility, from the sparkling vitality of pieces like "Tiger Rag" and "Swing Guitars" to the melodic elegance of "Georgia on My Mind" and "Body and Soul." Reinhardt, on his lead guitar, displays a unique language that combines the manouche tradition of his Gypsy heritage with the phrasing and syncopation of American swing, creating agile improvisational lines full of fire and harmonic sophistication. Grappelli, meanwhile, contributes a lyrical, agile, and always melodic violin, which dialogues with Django's guitar in a constant game of question and answer, giving the music a joyful and deeply communicative character. The quintet relies on the solid rhythmic pulse of Joseph Reinhardt, Roger Chaput, and, later, the Ferret brothers on rhythm guitars, while Louis Vola and other guest bassists provide the firm foundation on which everything unfolds. The album also includes landmark collaborations with figures such as Coleman Hawkins and Benny Carter, who integrate American sounds with Parisian style in memorable sessions. Listening to this repertoire is like delving into the genesis of "jazz manouche," a style that not only defined Reinhardt's career but also laid the foundations for a musical school that remains alive almost a century later. The collection not only documents a founding period of European jazz, but also conveys the freshness of a cultural fusion where Gypsy passion, French sophistication, and African-American swing converge in a new, exuberant, and timeless language.