Favourite Django Solo?

Archtop Eddy · January 2013

FYI: In comments to this subject, Steveareno mentioned concerns about the poor quality of early Django recordings and since then, more recent comments have addressed the 49 Rome sessions. The combination of these two points reminded me of something. About a year ago, Savanis recommended the Bluebird Djangology CD as the best quality digitized Django recordings. Here is the original thread: http://www.djangobooks.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=9924&p=53605&hilit=bluebird#p53605

I bought the Bluebird CD after seeing that thread and have to agree about the quality there. Worth adding to one's Django collection (even if you have the Integrale series). Be sure to order the CD though, and not just downloadable mp3 tracks to enjoy the best effect of this production. AE

Passacaglia · January 2013

Archtop Eddy wrote:

FYI: In comments to this subject, Steveareno mentioned concerns about the poor quality of early Django recordings and since then, more recent comments have addressed the 49 Rome sessions. The combination of these two points reminded me of something. About a year ago, Savanis recommended the Bluebird Djangology CD as the best quality digitized Django recordings. Here is the original thread: http://www.djangobooks.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=9924&p=53605&hilit=bluebird#p53605

I bought the Bluebird CD after seeing that thread and have to agree about the quality there. Worth adding to one's Django collection (even if you have the Integrale series). Be sure to order the CD though, and not just downloadable mp3 tracks to enjoy the best effect of this production. AE

Eddy, here, not the .mp3, but the physical CD, yes?

normsfun · January 2013

Steveareno wrote:

. Generally, I find the older recordings somewhat annoying due to the poor fidelity. Probably just one mic in the middle of the room, aimed at the whole group. The playing is great, but the sound quality sucks. For some reason Selmac guitars sound so much better with modern recording technology. Doesn't bother me on electric guitars, particularly Charlie Christian and others on Gibson ES 150's. The flat, acoustic tone buried in the mix on the old stuff doesn't work for me. It would be amazing to hear Django playing with the clarity of modern players like Stocehello, Jimmy, Rocky Gresset, etc. They've made so many advances in getting a good sound out of acoustic guitars in the last 20 years. The Rome recordings have about the best sound quality I've come across so far. To have heard him play live in a small club, must have been amazing. He did really well with what he had to work with.
Swang on,

Personally, I couldn't disagree more, I like the sound of the old recordings.

Archtop Eddy · January 2013

Passacaglia wrote:

Eddy, here, not the .mp3, but the physical CD, yes?

Yes, Paul. That's it! AE

Svanis1337 · January 2013

Thanks, AE. It's nice to hear I helped someone.

I have recently discovered that the original release of that album (on LP - by RCA Victor) is infact the first release (at the very least one of the first) of these recordings, ever. RCA Victor allegedly bought them from Jean-Paul Guiter or he worked for them at the time and was an executive. Source; liner notes of the Intégrale and that LP.

In 2002 the LP was remastered and re-issued by Bluebird and Sony. Today Sony owns RCA Victor which is now called RCA Music. I had the idea that the remaining damaged unissued discs from these sessions could be played by modern laser- and optical readers. Perhaps they're in the archives of either Sony or RCA Music.

Who wants to dig for some treasure?

I find the older recordings somewhat annoying due to the poor fidelity.

I recommend the second radio broadcast of Django and the ATC Band in 1945. Belleville and Moten Swing. These two tunes, along with the first radio broadcast with the same personnel and the 1949 "Night and Day" with Paul Baron's orchestra (The Maurice Chevalier Show - This is Paris) are the highest fidelity recordings you will find with Django on acoustic, not counting the Rome sessions.

Excuse the Youtube quality, here are the tunes. Virtually no hiss.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoDBHkVs_vU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNeS6GxZ-Vg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lre2StuA0U

Passacaglia · January 2013

Svanis, Teddy, Eddy, Adrian - thanks, guys, never knew of this. Ordered it today - along with the 3rd Integrale. Will give me something to do for awhile!

Paul

Steveareno · January 2013

Thanks for posting the radio broadcast links, Svanis. Nice to hear him play in a "live" broadcast setting. Better sound quality, probably due to being produced a bit later and with better engineers. They mixed him more up front. Funny, I thought he was playing thru his Stimer by then? Brilliant playing once again.
Swans on,

Ahab · January 2013

I think the Abbey Road sessions he did in 1946 are pretty good quality too, particularly if you can listen to them on vinyl. The recording equipment in Abbey Road was for the time very high quality and if you get the chance to listen to Django on vinyl it's much more rewarding than anything you can listen to digitally. All the nuances of his Selmer come alive and you it feels more intimate, like he's there alongside you!

Archtop Eddy · January 2013

Svanis1337 wrote:

Thanks, AE. It's nice to hear I helped someone.

Thank you Svanis!

These two tunes, along with the first radio broadcast with the same personnel and the 1949 "Night and Day" with Paul Baron's orchestra (The Maurice Chevalier Show - This is Paris) are the highest fidelity recordings you will find with Django on acoustic, not counting the Rome sessions

Thanks for re-introducing us to the Maurice Chevalier Show "Night and Day". Amazing sound and balance with the orchestra. Makes me wish there were a "Django with Strings" recording session like those with Bird, BIllie Holiday and others. AE