Search - Various Artists :: Gypsy Jazz

Continental Swing In The Gitane Style

Barry McCanna | Normandy, France | 09/09/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Although this 4-CD set includes Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli in various guises, they do not predominate, which means that there's adequate space to feature a variety of other less oft encountered artists. They may not all have been gypsies, Grappelli included, but they absorbed the gitane style. Those whose names I recognise are accordionists Gus Viseur and Tony Murena, Oscar Aleman, Svend Asmussen, Henri Crolla and Sacha Distel, but there are others which are new to me. At just under 100 tracks spanning 1934 to 1956, it's hardly surprising if they don't all hit the spot (I am unenthusiastic about the claims made for the QHCF's "Bolero", and "Opus 5" by the Svenska Hotkvintetten starts promisingly enough, but an uncredited clarinettist proceeds to run amok). I suspect this will duplicate to some extent with previous Gypsy Jazz compilations, particularly that on the Jazz Archives label, and devotees of the genre may wish to take that factor into account. That said, a 32-page illustrated booklet with background notes by Joop Visser (does the man never sleep?) together with a full discography makes this a worthwhile purchase."

Another hit from Proper

D. V. Beck | Minneapolis | 04/05/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If it's from Proper Records, you don't need to hesitate. Their box sets aren't merely collected, they're curated. Gypsy Jazz is one in a substantial catalogue of box sets that can only be called impeccable. I'm a huge fan of this genre, with a large collection of recordings by many artists, but I found enough rare gems here to make it worth the purchase."