Born in 1910, the French Gypsy guitarist became the first European jazz celebrity and an influence on musicians around the world. in 1934, with violinist Stéphane Grappelli, he formed the Quintet of the Hot Club of France and during the thirties made celebrated recordings with visiting Americans including Benny Carter, Coleman Hawkins and Rex Stewart. When World War Two broke out, Grappelli went to England. Reinhhardt reformed the quintet with clarinetist Hubert Rostaing. He recorded his composition “Nuages” several times, never more effectively than in this version from December, 1940. Django and Joseph Reinhardt, guitars; Hubert Rostaing and Alix Combelle, clarinets; Tony Rovira, bass.
Shortly after Reinhardt died in 1953, John Lewis helped keep the guitarist’s name alive when he titled a piece that was to become one of the Modern Jazz Quartet’s most celebrated numbers. Sixty years later, “Django” is a staple in the jazz repertoires of players old and young, as pianist Aaron Diehl demonstrated in a performance at Dizzy’s club in New York. His sidemen are Warren Wolf, vibes; David Wong, bass; and Rodney Green, drums.
The nonagenarian pianist presented de Barros with every biographer’s hope, unrestricted access to his subject’s personal papers and nearly unrestricted access to her private thoughts. He made the most of it, turning exhaustive research and hundreds of hours of interviews into a true story with the sweep of a novel. From the early discovery of McPartland’s musical gift through her wartime service, her ecstatic and stormy marriage to Jimmy McPartland, her growth as a pianist, her deep affair with Joe Morello, and the radio show that made her a national figure, she has had a fascinating life. It makes a splendid read.
Mulligan’s Concert Jazz Band had three fewer musicians than most big jazz outfits. Its size permitted precision, flexibility and subtlety, yet the band had the power of sprung steel. In this concert from a half century ago, the CJB is as fresh as yesterday. Arrangements by Mulligan, Bob Brookmeyer, Al Cohn and Johnny Mandel set standards to which big band writers still aspire. Bassist Buddy Clark and drummer Mel Lewis inspired Mulligan, Brookmeyer, Conte Candoli, Gene Quill and Zoot Sims to some of the best soloing of their careers. This beautifully produced issue of the complete concert is a basic repertoire item.
Thank you, Doug, for the wonderful Django Reinhardt bits of info and music. Your Rifftides make checking my email worthwhile.
An interviewer once asked Grappelli, “You really played with the great Django Reinhardt?!!”
Grapelli replied, “Well, he play weeth me, too.”
If I remember right, Paul Desmond first introduced to me these guys. I wore out the records of “Crazy Rhythm,” “Honeysuckle Rose,” and “Dicky’s Blues.” Great stuff !!.
What the heck, Dick, let’s wear out “Crazy Rhythm” a little more. Each of the saxophonists plays a chorus, and we hear Django give up his precious 78 rpm solo time and urge Hawkins to take a second helping. What a record. Des and I used to listen to this. —DR
Here’s the full list of personnel, courtesy of SwingMan 1937, who put the piece up on YouTube:
Coleman Hawkins, Alix Combelle – tenor saxes
Benny Carter, Andre Ekyan – alto saxes
Django Reinhardt – guitar
Stephane Grappelly – piano (! – hardly a note of piano is heard)
Eugène D’Hellemmes – bass
Tommy Benford – drums
Thanks very much, Doug. God, how I enjoyed hearing that record again. When I got that record I played Benny’s solo over and over and over and then the same thing with Hawk.
British jazz trumpeter, Humphrey Lyttleton (who sadly died a few years back) once told a story about Django and Stephane going to business meetings that involved booking arrangements for the H.C de F.
It transpired that Django couldn’t understand the intricacies of the contract on offer but felt he had to make his prescence felt by looking over the document. He would study it carefully before pointing to a paragraph and stating unequivocally, “Non, non!”
But invariably the paragraph he objected to would be the part which guaranteed the band free accommodation and food.
Hmm… “French Gypsy guitarist”. I suppose that’s how he’s remembered, but Reinhardt was born in Belgium.