Your Top Thirteen Django Reinhardt Tunes

[Bill Eisele]

Hi All,

A good friend of mine is a DJ on a public radio station jazz show called "Baker's Dozen" and she has a featured artist that she highlights along with related jazz artists. I suggested Django Reinhardt as she hasn't yet featured any Gypsy Jazz on her show. Given the name of the show, she obviously plays thirteen of the featured artists tunes. So, I was wondering if you have suggestions for what the top thirteen Django tunes should be for her show and on what albums you would recommend to find them, hopefully ones that we can easily track down. If you would like to add additional information about the tune, such as why you chose it, that would be helpful. Once she has a firm date for the show I will post the date, time, URL for the streaming content, and other particulars so you can tune in if you're interested.

Thanks!

Bill

[neatomic]

my fave django is actually his later "electric" work...this is a great cd of material from 1947-1953

peche a la mouche....



great version of september song

cheers

[Bill Eisele]

my fave django is actually his later "electric" work...this is a great cd of material from 1947-1953

peche a la mouche....



great version of september song

cheers

Thanks, neatomic! Will definitely check it out.

[steve burchfield]

I once heard an record album that a 4or 5 guitar ensemble voiced like a horn section doing all Django tunes. I think it was from France but I dont remember what the album or artist name was. But I think it had what they thought were some of the best ones. There is a documentary in France where 100 guitarists get together on Djangos birthday I think to honor his memory. Some of them are his descendants. Hopefully those are some leads.

[grahambop]

I once heard an record album that a 4or 5 guitar ensemble voiced like a horn section doing all Django tunes. I think it was from France but I dont remember what the album or artist name was. But I think it had what they thought were some of the best ones. There is a documentary in France where 100 guitarists get together on Djangos birthday I think to honor his memory. Some of them are his descendants. Hopefully those are some leads.

I’ve got that record, years ago I bought a CBS double LP compilation by Django and I couldn’t understand why it had all these overdubbed guitars on it (the sleeve notes make no mention of it).

I never played it much. In fact I’ve just googled it and it seems it was done by some French players called ‘Guitars Unlimited’. Some details here: French Guitars Unlimited - JazzWax

So I think it is Django, but with extra guitars added later. Here’s a track:

[grahambop]

Django, Stephane Grappelli and Eddie South play Bach:

[grahambop]

Django’s solo Improvisation No. 1 (he did several of these):

[grahambop]

By the way a lot of Django’s best-known recordings have been reissued on all sorts of compilations, it shouldn’t be hard to find them.

[Bill Eisele]

By the way a lot of Django’s best-known recordings have been reissued on all sorts of compilations, it shouldn’t be hard to find them.

Thanks, Grahambop! It also gives me an excuse to buy those compilations on CD. All the Django recordings I have are on LP. I also have probably one of the last printed copies of the All Music Guide to Jazz (3rd Edition) and am reviewing the Django entry now for background information and further recommendations.