Django Reinhardt: Diminishing Blackness The Compositions Of Django Reinhardt, 3CD Boxset

“Like Ravel or Berlioz, Django was truly a composer who imagined a composition down to its smallest detail. If he was above the other musicians he played with, it's precisely because he thought like a composer. When he went into the studio to accompany, say, Jean Sablon, he didn't merely play specific chords or notes, but an orchestral structure. The key to his style was that he was an orchestra in reduction.”

Stéphane Grappelli.

A three CD box set comprising more than 60 pieces that represent the broad spectrum of Django Reinhardt's compositional skill; whether as a solo guitarist, in the context of the famed Quintet of the Hot Club of France, in later aggregations perhaps under the increasing influence of be-bop, or during the years of maturity when Django's playing found an extraordinary new depth of expression.

From the swing classics of the Hot Club to such masterpieces of sensuality as Nuages, Manoir de mes rêves, Troublant Bolero and Anouman, to the long melodic lines of the highly attractive, perfectly logical musical sculptures that are the Improvisations, the presentation seeks to illustrate the scale of Django's musical ambition. To appreciate him as a significant composer and a wonderful guitarist.

The music from Django's own timeless sessions is complemented by Gypsy guitarist Matelo Ferret's splendid interpretations of the waltzes (which were not recorded by Django himself), and other fine recordings made in homage to Django in the decade after his death; by his close friend Henri Crolla, and by four more virtuoso guitarists from very different musical fields in Julian Bream, Sarane Ferret, Chet Atkins and the young Sacha Distel. And by Milt Jackson, both solo and accompanying the French saxophonist Barney Wilen. The anthology is completed by John Lewis' eternal tribute ‘Django' performed by the Modern Jazz Quartet.

DISC ONE: DJANGO REINHARDT

1. ULTRAFOX
2. DJANGOLOGY
3. ORIENTAL SHUFFLE
4. ARE YOU IN THE MOOD?
5. SWEET CHORUS
6. SWING GUITARS
7. TEARS
8. MYSTERY PACIFIC
9. IMPROVISATION
10. PARFUM
11. MINOR SWING
12. SWINGIN' WITH DJANGO
13. MY SERENADE
14. BOLERO
15. DAPHNE
16. APPEL DIRECT (APPEL INDIRECT)
17. IMPROVISATION NO. 2 (TAKE 1)
18. SWING 39
19. STOCKHOLM
20. ECHOES OF SPAIN
21. NAGUINE
22. RHYTHM FUTUR
23. SWING 41
24. SWING DE PARIS
25. DINETTE
26. CREPUSCULE
27. SWING 42

DISC TWO: DJANGO REINHARDT

1. BELLEVILLE
2. LENTEMENT MADEMOISELLE
3. NYMPHÉAS
4. DOUCE AMBIANCE
5. MANOIR DE MES REVES (CASTLE
OF MY DREAMS)
6. BLUES CLAIR
7. FLEUR D'ENNUI
8. IMPROVISATION NO. 3 PART 1
9. IMPROVISATION NO. 3 PART 2
10. IMPROVISATION NO. 6
11. DJANGO'S TIGER
12. DEL SALLE - TAKE 2
13. SWING 48
14. R-VINGT-SIX
15. IMPROVISATION 47
16. FANTASIE
17. MINOR BLUES
18. MICRO (MIKE)
19. NUAGES
20. IMPROVISATION NO. 4
21. WEBSTER
22. DIMINISHING BLACKNESS
23. DOUBLE WHISKY
24. IMPROMPTU
25. VAMP
26. FLECHE D’OR (GOLDEN ARROW)
27. TROUBLANT BOLERO
28. NUIT DE SAINT GERMAIN-DES- PRÉS

DISC THREE: DJANGO REINHARDT

1. ANOUMAN
2. D.R. BLUES
3. BLUES FOR IKE
4. MANOIR DE MES RÊVES (CASTLE OF MY DREAMS)
5. NUAGES
6. DECCAPHONIE
7. ANOUMAN – Henri Crolla
8. MANOIR DE MES RÊVES – Henri Crolla
9. NUAGES – Henri Crolla
10. VAMP - Barney Wilen
11. NUAGES - Barney Wilen
12. CHEZ JAZQUET - Matelo Ferret
13. MONTAGNE SAINTE-GENEVIEVE - Matelo Ferret
14. GAGOUG - Matelo Ferret
15. CHOTI - Matelo Ferret
16. NUAGES – Milt Jackson
17. NUAGES – Sacha Distel
18. DJANGO - Modern Jazz Quartet
19. LENTO (AN ELEGY TO DJANGO REINHARDT) FROM MALCOLM ARNOLD GUITAR CONCERTO OP. 67 – Julian Bream
20. GIN GIN - Sarane Ferret
21. DJANGO'S CASTLE – Chet Atkins