Django Reinhardt - Minor Swing - Paris, 25.11.1937

Django Reinhardt et le Quintette du Hot Club de France,
avec Stéphane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli (vln);
Django Reinhardt (g solo);
Joseph Reinhardt, Eugène Vées (g);
Louis Yola (b)
1937 November 25 - Swing, Paris

"Minor Swing" may be the most popular record Django Reinhardt ever made. Tom Lord's online discography lists it as being reissued on at least 30 albums and it has also appeared on several film soundtracks. And, after all, who can resist its catchy melody and pervasive minor harmonies? The calm introduction (which is actually all there is of a melody) offers little clues to what follows, but it features a rare instance of a string bass solo on a QHCF record. But when the second bass break suddenly becomes very aggressive, Django kicks off the main tune, the group lays into the minor chord sequence, and we're in for a wild ride! Django's fiery solo stays in single-string for the first two choruses, achieving its passion through dramatic bent notes. Then in the third chorus, he combines a block chord, a roll and a glissando up and down the guitar, and his instrument roars like a lion. Grappelli picks up on the growing intensity and his violin solo builds and builds with each successive chorus. Eugene Vees and Joseph Reinhardt, who hardly got notice in the QHCF, are excellent on this recording--I still marvel at how they could create such a strong backbeat without a drummer behind them! And then there's the talking. Django had quite a reputation for shouting verbal encouragements during recording sessions. According to Benny Carter, it was Django that shouted "Go on, go on" to Coleman Hawkins on their 1937 recording of "Crazy Rhythm". (The fact that Hawkins did go on--unheard of in those days--created one of the greatest recordings of the 78 rpm era). On "Minor Swing", we can hear Django egging on Stephane as the performance builds. It's only at the very end of the record, when the entire group says "Oh, Yeah" that we realize the QHCF has played a little joke on us and has brilliantly set the whole thing up during the course of the record.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Django
• Reinhardt
• et
• le
• Quintette
• du
• Hot
• Club
• de
• France
• Stéphane
• Grappelli
• Joseph
• Eugène
• Vées
• Louis
• Yola
• 1937
• November
• 25
• Swing
• Paris

[bibi1944]

@MoragaTito

mira papabecker com

[bibi1944]

@ilarioschanzer

There are 5 recordings of Minor Swing with Django - To witch one are you referring to?

1937 Nov 25 - 1947 Aug 29 - 1948 Dec - 1949 Jan-Feb or 1950 Apr-May.

I would like to have your recording of 25.11.1937

[bibi1944]

he changed the rhythm

[americansailorman]

:-)))

[MoragaTito]

No entiendo la foto con el oficial de las SS nazis ... acaso este famoso guitarrista y su conjunto y tambien Grapelli fueron todos colaboacionistas en Francia durante la ocupación hitleriana que tantas muertes inicentes bajo tortura causó? ... Hay alguien que sepa si en esta historia hay un lado oscuro que las firmas comerciales tapan?

[ILARIOSCHANZER]

@bibi1944

NO ..... THERE ARE SOME BARS MISSING ....

(I HAVE THE RECORDS AND I KNOW THEM VERY WELL) ...

[ILARIOSCHANZER]

VERY GOOD VIDEO

GOOD QUALITY IN THE AUDIO .... ,BUT AT 1,30  THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE MUSIC ....

[muzeinview08]

Love this! Feel like I am wondering around Paris. Actually dancing down the streets!

[muzeinview08]

Love this! Feel like I am wondering around Paris.