“Fremeaux & Associates is one of the top jazz labels from France. While Fremeaux is a wide-ranging company that also releases other kinds of music, it has several jazz series that are quite notable including previously unreleased live sessions of American greats in Europe, career retrospectives, and a complete Django Reinhardt series. (…) Integrale Django Reinhardt is a series of 20 two-CD sets that include every recording by the great gypsy guitarist, not just the studio sides but also the surviving radio broadcasts. There have been several “complete” Django reissue series but this seems to be the most comprehensive one. (…)
Integrale Django Reinhardt 5 (Mystery Pacific) dates from May 4, 1936 to May 29, 1937. In addition to the studio sides of the period by the Quintet of the Hot Club of France (featuring violinist Stephane Grappelli and Reinhardt accompanied by two rhythm guitars and bass), there are vocal sides by Jean Tranchant and Nane Cholet, two Grappelli-Reinhardt duets, a pair of unaccompanied guitar solos, and four numbers in which Django and Grappelli (on piano) play with an all-star band featuring tenor-saxophonist Coleman Hawkins and altoist Benny Carter. The rarest performances are 12 ½ minutes of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France taken from a BBC radio broadcast although the recording quality is quite erratic. The overall highlights of this reissue include “Limehouse Blues,” “Shine,” “Exactly Like You,” “Tears,” “Hot Lips,” “When Day Is Done,” “Running Wild,” “Mystery Pacific,” “I Found A New Baby” “Honeysuckle Rose” and “Crazy Rhythm.”
By Scott YANOW - LOS ANGELES JAZZ SCENE
Integrale Django Reinhardt 5 (Mystery Pacific) dates from May 4, 1936 to May 29, 1937. In addition to the studio sides of the period by the Quintet of the Hot Club of France (featuring violinist Stephane Grappelli and Reinhardt accompanied by two rhythm guitars and bass), there are vocal sides by Jean Tranchant and Nane Cholet, two Grappelli-Reinhardt duets, a pair of unaccompanied guitar solos, and four numbers in which Django and Grappelli (on piano) play with an all-star band featuring tenor-saxophonist Coleman Hawkins and altoist Benny Carter. The rarest performances are 12 ½ minutes of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France taken from a BBC radio broadcast although the recording quality is quite erratic. The overall highlights of this reissue include “Limehouse Blues,” “Shine,” “Exactly Like You,” “Tears,” “Hot Lips,” “When Day Is Done,” “Running Wild,” “Mystery Pacific,” “I Found A New Baby” “Honeysuckle Rose” and “Crazy Rhythm.”
By Scott YANOW - LOS ANGELES JAZZ SCENE
