Django and Bach

Jazzaferri

Just to keep the record straight, I think Django's rhythm playing is wizard, and that goes for this one too. But IMHO that is the only thing that works well on this cut.

Teddy Dupont

I think Grappelli could swing the violin better than anyone else. I don't think Eddie South was a particularly good jazz player. A great violinist but not a good jazzman. Perhaps Steph felt intimidated by his musicianship and classical background just as he was with Menuhin until he actually performed with him.

Django may have preferred Warlop but his playing leaves me cold.

spatzo

I like Warlop's atmospheres on his own compositions such as Taj Mahal more than the way he plays but I enjoy his chords on double strings.

spatzo

The relation with Django and Bach was kept until the very last days of his life. In fact exactly two days before his death Django (as he was in Ginevra to play at the Kasino theater) went to meet the famous classical guitarist Jose de Aspiazu with a famous swiss jazz trumpeter (can't remember the name) to discuss the opportunity to prepare a big event named "GUITARE" for the year to come. The concert was to be half classical and half Jazz with Django and Jose playing each one a set.

Lupe de Aspiazu, Jose's daughter and extraordinary guitarist in his own right that was 8 years old in that time, told me that she clearly remembered that day: Django was a very nice man that asked his father to play Bach the whole evening long, it lasted hours and Django cried hearing that music. At the end asked to play something himself he said that he was sorry to be unable to play classical music due to his left hand and he explained how he played guitar with two fingers - he played "Nuages" for them (maybe for the last time in his life).