The Complete Django Reinhardt And Quintet Of The Hot Club Of France Swing (HMV Sessions 1936-48) (6 CD, 1999/FLAC)

 

When it comes to the real roots of jazz guitar, two names clearly standout in the minds of most jazz followers- Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt. While the recordings of the former are few enough in number to make it a somewhat easy task to acquire, the latter’s fairly large body of work poses a challenge in terms of the novice. Add to this the fact that many foreign issues exist and that in addition to his work as a solo artist Reinhardt was also a key member of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France (QHCF). This group was formed in 1932 and included two rhythm guitars, Django’s solo voice, and the violin of the legendary Stephane Grappelli, although several subtle variations of this grouping were offered up in later years.

Django Reinhardt - Chronological Classics 1934-1953 (15 CD)

 

Django Reinhardt was the first hugely influential jazz figure to emerge from Europe -- and he remains the most influential European to this day, with possible competition from Joe Zawinul, George Shearing, John McLaughlin, his old cohort Stephane Grappelli and a bare handful of others. A free-spirited gypsy, Reinhardt wasn't the most reliable person in the world, frequently wandering off into the countryside on a whim

 

 

Django Reinhardt - Retrospective 1934 - 1953 (3 CD, 2003/FLAC)

This gorgeously packaged three-disc box set collects a range of guitar genius Django Reinhardt's work from the pre- and post-war periods. 

The first disc consists almost exclusively of the recordings he made with the original Quintette du Hot Club de France between 1934 and 1940. These are some of Reinhardt's most enduring sides, and include classics like "Minor Swing," "Sweet Georgia Brown," and "Swing 39," with plenty of chugging rhythmic intensity from the drumless ensemble and showers of dazzling leads from violinist Stephane Grappelli. 

The second disc, which covers '40 through '47, mixes Quintette du Hot Club dates with some of the artist's other sessions--including big-band recordings--on a range of standards ("Embraceable You") and originals (the beautiful "Nuages"). 

The third disc spans '47 through '53, and finds Reinhardt moving away somewhat from his "gypsy jazz" and more toward a mainstream swing sound. The thread through the entire set, naturally, is the virtuosity of Reinhardt's playing, the speed and grace of his lines, and the poetry of his expression. 

 

Django Reinhardt - Intégrale Django Reinhardt, Volumes 1 - 20 [40 CD, 1996-2005/FLAC)

 

The sprawling Intégrale Django Reinhardt, Volumes 1 through 20 (Frémeaux et Associés) is a massive, amazing tribute to Django Reinhardt’s life.

The basic outline of Django Reinhardt’s remarkable career is familiar to just about anyone who loves the guitar: how he started playing guitar-banjo as a child in the bals musette, the rough, working-class dancehalls of Paris; how he nearly lost his life in a fire that badly burned his left hand; how, in the process of relearning to play guitar with his crippled hand, he developed a mastery of his instrument that still astounds other guitarists; how he formed the Quintet of the Hot Club of France with violinist Stephane Grappelli and created the style now known as Gypsy jazz; and how, after filling hundreds of records with his astonishing music, he retired to the little village of Samois, where he died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1953 at the age of 43.

Vol. 01 - Presentation Stomp (1928-1934)

Vol. 02 - I Saw Stars (1934-1935)

Vol. 03 - Djangology (1935)

Vol. 04 - Magic Strings (1935-1936)

Vol. 05 - Mystery Pacific (1936-1937)

Vol. 06 - Swinging With Django (1937)

Vol. 07 - Christmas Swing (1937-1938)

Vol. 08 - Swing From Paris (1938-1939)

Vol. 09 - H.C.Q.-Strut (1939-1940)

Vol. 10 - Nuages (1940)

Vol. 11 - Swing 42 (1940-1942)

Vol. 12 - Manoir De Mes Rêves (1943-1945)

Vol. 13 - Echos Of France (1946-1947)

Vol. 14 - Django's Dream (1947)

Vol. 15 - Gipsy With A Song (1947)

Vol. 16 - Festival 48 (1948)

Vol. 17 - La Mer (1949)

Vol. 18 - I'll Never Be The Same (1949-1950)

Vol. 19 - Troublant Boléro (1950-1952)

Vol. 20 - Pour Que Ma Vie Demeure (1953)

Verve Jazz Masters series Vol. 31-40

 Jazz Masters is a series of mainly single artist compilations released by Polygram/Verve between 1994 and 1996. The compilations collect material that was originally released on Verve or on one of the labels that became part of the Polygram group. The 20th and 60th releases in the series were various artist collections.

VJM 31 - Cannonball Adderley

VJM 32 - Chet Baker

VJM 33 - Benny Goodman

VJM 34 - Coleman Hawkins

VJM 35 - Johnny Hodges

VJM 36 - Gerry Mulligan

VJM 37 - Oscar Peterson Plays Broadway

VJM 38 - Django Reinhardt

VJM 39 - Cal Tjader

VJM 40 - Dinah Washington Sings Standards

VA - Membran Music's Jazz Ballads Series Vol. 6-10 (10 CD, 2004) [FLAC + 320]

 A CD sets with the most beautiful ballads in the history of jazz.

Lyrical, imaginative, sensuous and melodic jewels from the art of music.

Precisely for those people who have maintained their taste for lasting musical values.

Jazz in its most gentle form.

Irrestible...

Jazz Ballads 6: Coleman Hawkins

Jazz Ballads 7: Django Reinhardt

Jazz Ballads 8: Oscar Peterson

Jazz Ballads 9: Errol Garner

Jazz Ballads 10: Stan Getz

Django Reinhardt - Djangologie 1928-1950 [20 CD, 2009]

 

The 20 cd Djangologie box set is the place to go once you've decided to take the plunge into Django's music. It covers all 4 decades chronologically, but rather than trying to comprehensively collect all of Django's recordings (including all of the ones where he is a sideman in dance bands etc) it largely concentrates on the Quintette and other small group recordings, which is what most people want to hear. The sound quality is very good and relatively consistent throughout the collection.

Django Reinhardt - Djangology [10 CD, 2005]

  

Django Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953) was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer.

Often regarded as the first important European jazz musician who made major contributions to the development of the idiom, he is also revered by guitarists worldwide as among the foremost exponents of the instrument. Reinhardt invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique (sometimes called 'hot' jazz guitar) that has since become a living musical tradition within French gypsy culture. With violinist Stéphane Grappelli, he co-founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France, described by critic Thom Jurek as "one of the most original bands in the history of recorded jazz." Reinhardt's most popular compositions have become jazz standards, including "Minor Swing", "Daphne", "Belleville", "Djangology", "Swing '42", and "Nuages". This great 10 cd box set is an excellent addition to the collection of any Django Reinhardt  fan.

Django Reinhardt - Django Reinhardt in Paris [2021,FLAC]

 

Jean Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953), known to all by his Romani nickname Django was a Belgian-born Romani-French jazz guitarist and composer. He was the first major jazz talent to emerge from Europe and remains the most significant.

With violinist Stéphane Grappelli, Reinhardt formed the Paris-based Quintette du Hot Club de France in 1934. The group was among the first to play jazz that featured the guitar as a lead instrument. Reinhardt recorded in France with many visiting American musicians, including Coleman Hawkins and Benny Carter, and briefly toured the United States with Duke Ellington's orchestra in 1946. He died suddenly of a stroke at the age of 43.