Search - Django Reinhardt :: Djangology 1 1934-35

Steppin out with django on the downbeat

dj django | Buffalo, Ny United States | 08/11/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"For my first, but surely not to be last, selection to my django collection I choose this album. Why? 'cause it's the cheapest fool. But I'll be damned if it didn't come busting out with some swinging tunes. With a good mix of up tempo swing numbers and mellow interludes it never ceased to conjure up memories of an earlier time as I could sense Paris circa 1935 when I closed my eyes and took it all in, Oh what heaven I have found! Anyway, the surprise of the disk, to this neophyte at least, was violinist Stephane Grappelli's strong presence throughout, especially on the first few tracks of the disk, and really helps add to the old time feel. The sound quality is good, for recordings made sixty five years ago, that is to say it sounds way better than any Robert Johnson recordings I've heard or even the '94 Phish 'boots I got stashed in the backseat of my car. I got to say actually, the sound quality is excellent and never distracts from the music. It has a warm, rich sound, like coming from Grandma's phonograph, the old and big as a Lazyboy type, and again adds favorably to the overall feel of the album. If I haven't convinced you to buy the album by now let me just be clear this is a great disk at any price and at under six bucks, what do you got to loose."