Rome 1949 Recordings with Grappelli

juanderer

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/104173#Comment_104173

So el "El Manisero" was done as a joke but a "A Tisket A Tasket" wasn't?

That's either a lousy sense of humor or you have some very accurate archeological analysis equipment to say that Django meant one one way and another one the other.

Myself, I'm just glad these less-than-stellar documents exist. They're charming in their own way. I think we're reading too much into them.

Now belching, that merits some studying. Carry on, I'm looking forward to reading on it. 🥸

Teddy Dupont

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/104249#Comment_104249

It is the unison playing at the beginning and end of “A-Tisket A-Tasket that I think has a taste bypass. It is truly turgid and simply does not swing. I doubt whether Django was taking that sequence seriously - at least I hope he wasn’t. The solo playing is okay if a bit underwhelming. There are reports Django was unhappy about the tunes he was being “pressured” to play at the time and just wanted to go home.

On the other hand, for me, Django’s performance on “The Peanut Vendor”, particularly his solo, is him having a joke at our expense. He then gets Stephane to join in with the silliness when he starts soloing again after a reasonably straight first chorus. There are lots of little musical jokes in Django’s solos throughout his career but I feel this one falls really flat. When you listen to the truly beautiful, tasteful solos he plays on many of the tracks at these sessions, you can surely only conclude Django suddenly became a music hall joke guitarist because for some reason he chose to. Perhaps he just didn’t like that tune and as it did not really matter in that particular instance (no commercial pressures), he decided to have some fun. But yes, in this case “a lousy sense of humour”. But I don’t really like musical jokes at any time regardless of who plays them so a negative response is inevitable from me.

Look out for the belching on Body and Soul” from 1937. If Svanis’ logic is correct, it wasn’t Steph that time.

MichaelHorowitz

On the other hand, for me, Django’s performance on “The Peanut Vendor”, particularly his solo, is him having a joke at our expense.

I’ve often wondered what was going through Django’s head on that solo. Perhaps he was having the rare off day, but your theory maybe correct. Maybe he just didn’t like the tune and/or he was just joking around.

Teddy Dupont

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/104251#Comment_104251

If the matrix numbers mean anything at these sessions (and they may not), “The Man I Love” was recorded immediately before “The Peanut Vendor” and “Just A Gigolo” immediately after. I think these are great performances and show no signs of Django being off form in any way. However, “It Might As Well Be Spring” was recorded a few tracks later and exhibits elements of flippancy from both Django and Steph. Similarly for “Pigalle” which followed soon after when they were nearing the end of the final session.

Perhaps as they were nearing the end of what had been a marathon recording session, 70+ tracks over a very short period, they were feeling a bit “demob happy” and on some tunes, particularly the odder selections, just having a laugh.

Whatever the reason, Django’s playing on “The Peanut Vendor” is like nothing else he ever recorded. It is an enigma and, for me, an aberration. Unlike “A-Tisket A-Tasket” which I sometimes choose to criticise, “The Peanut Vendor” is something I try to ignore ever existed. 🙈🙈🙈😎