This is the Reinhardt mother lode – a six-disc collection of the Gypsy legend's oeuvre stretching from just before to just after World War II. Disc one includes several infectious cuts with vocalist Freddy Taylor, beginning with Stuff Smith's "I'se a Muggin'." Disc six closes with one of Reinhardt and Grappelli's last recording sessions together, which included an unusually dark reading of "Oh Lady Be Good" and a revisitation of the obscure "Bricktop" (the first version appears on disc two). In between are well over 100 marvelous tracks, with sound quality up to Mosaic's (and Michael Cuscuna's) impeccable standards. The booklet contains a learned essay and annotation by Mike Peters, as well as an impressive gallery of photographs, concert posters, and news clippings. Extraordinary, and for Reinhardt's most devoted fans, entirely worth the investment.
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fourth disc, which date from 1950, are credited to the Quintette du Hot Club de France, but by that point Grappelli had been replaced by alto saxophonist and clarinetist Andre Ekyan and the remaining three musicians comprised a standard piano trio – an instrumental configuration far removed from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.)
Mark O'Connor's second CD with his Hot Swing Trio is more than just a salute to the late, legendary jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli; it firmly establishes as him as a bona fide jazz violin virtuoso, thanks to being distributed by a major label this time around. The capable guitarist Frank Vignola plays gypsy swing à la Django Reinhardt without sounding like a clone; bassist Jon Burr, who spent a decade as a member of Grappelli's rhythm section in his last years, provides a perfect match for his two bandmates. Each member of the trio contributed originals to the session. O'Connor's "In Full Swing" is absolutely breathtaking, while it is fun imagining how Grappelli and Reinhardt might have interpreted his enticing "Stephane and Django"…
In the path of the successful box sets dedicated to the music from the films of Tarantino, The Woody Allen Experience is an exquisite box containing 6 cd's with 84 of the best songs from the films of the great director. In The Woody Allen Experience we find songs from Manhattan, Husbands And Wives, Stardust Memories, Radio Days, The Purple Rose Of Cairo, Alice, Sweet And Lowdown, September and many others, in very elegant versions by absolute legends like Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis, and Josephine Baker, among many others. The Woody Allen Experience can reproduce the authentic New York atmosphere, the musical roots of Woody and his favorite songs, which he has selected for his immortal films. An album to collect and enjoy.
This is a wonderful, warm-hearted, and effortlessly virtuosic live recording by one of the finest living exponents of pre-bop small-ensemble jazz. With pianist Ray Kennedy and bassist Martin Pizzarelli (and on two songs joined by vocalist Grover Kemble), singer and guitarist John Pizzarelli runs through a generally lightweight but thoroughly charming set of standards, homages, funny stories, and the occasional original tune; the fast tunes are light and frothy, the ballads smooth and gentle, and even the moments that are less than utterly inspired work together with the album's highlights to create a very satisfying whole.
The Award winning Texas Gypsies compose and perform original and classic music influenced by the Vintage Jazzy Swingin cool hep cat sounds of the 20's-30's, along with a taste of it's sister sound, Western Swing, and a mix of Gypsy Jazz magic sprinkled over the top! The band mixes passionate violin, heartfelt vocals, a blazing horn section, rocking swingin guitars, slappin upright bass, virtuoso clarinet, and retro style drumming to harmoniously create their own unique, fun and artistic sound! This new CD's has many new and fresh sounding originals such as the Jump Blues/Rockabilly influence "Retro Deco Baby", the Vintage but almost pop like "Lights Up The Sun" and the Western style tribute to Bob Wills and Django Reinhardt track "DjangoBob"…