The Best of Django Reinhardt (180 G. Colored LP)

Contains new specially prepared liner notes by PENGUIN GUIDE TO JAZZ’s writer BRIAN MORTON and by Paris’ prestigious JAZZ MAGAZINE

“Django Reinhardt never sounds like anyone except Django Reinhardt. A whole wilderness of buskers have taken on ‘Nuages’ and other favorite themes, but none of them have ever sounded remotely like Django, any more than they could reproduce his poor, burnt fingertips. ‘Unique’ is a tired and redundant term of praise, but it applies here.” - PENGUIN GUIDE TO JAZZ

“Django’s virtuosity continues to astonish guitar masters and young musicians today. He passed away at the zenith of a short career, leaving behind a body of recordings that give indisputable proof of his authentic creative genius.” - JAZZ MAGAZINE

PERSONNEL & DATES:

Django Reinhardt,
guitar soloist on all tracks, plus:

ON SIDE A & B1-B2:
Stèphane Grappelli (vln),V
Pierre “Baro” Ferret, Marcel Bianchi (g),
Louis Volá (d).
Paris, France, April 21-26, 1937.

ON SIDE B3:
Bill Coleman (tp), Christian Wagner (cl),
Frank “Big Boy” Goudie (ts, cl), Emile Stern (p),
Lucien Simoens (b), Jerry Mengo (d).
Paris, France, November 19, 1937.

ON SIDE B4-B8:
Rex Stewart (ct), Barney Bigard (cl, d on B5-B6),
Billy Taylor, Sr. (b).
Paris, France, April 5, 1939.

ON SIDE B9:
Bill Coleman (tp), Dicky Wells (tb),
Richard Fullbright (b), Bill Beason (d).
Paris, France, July 7, 1937.

TRACKS:

SIDE A:
01. EXACTLY LIKE YOU
02. SOLITUDE
03. AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’
04. RUNNIN’ WILD
05. BODY AND SOUL
06. HOT LIPS
07. WHEN DAY IS DONE
08. ROSE ROOM
09. LIEBESTRAUM No.3
10. MISS ANNABELLE LEE

SIDE B:
01. TEARS
02. MYSTERY PACIFIC
03. BIG BOY BLUES
04. MONTMARTRE
05. SOLID OLD MAN [SOLID ROCK]
06. FINESSE [NIGHT WIND]
07. I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW
08. LOW COTTON
09. JAPANESE SANDMAN
10. MINOR SWING