VA - Gypsy Knights - Les Grandes Figures Du Jazz Manouche

Jazz manouche, or "traveler jazz", melds elements of traditional Roma (gypsy) music with early swing; this impassioned, rousing music relies mostly on the percussive playing of stringed instruments like the guitar and violin, sans drums. The uncontested master of the art form remains Belgian guitarist Django Reinhardt, who joined with jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli in the 1930s to form the all-string Quintette de Hot Club de France, thus introducing jazz manouche to the world. Occasionally a jazz manouche band will use a horn player—American jazz greats like Louis Armstrong and Coleman Hawkins played with Django when they toured Europe, and Django shared the bill with Duke Ellington's big band at Carnegie Hall in the 1940s. Such trans-Atlantic exchanges brought Django's musical leverage to the U.S.; American guitarists from Jimi Hendrix to Willie Nelson have cited Django's playing as a formative influence.

Paris-based record company Le Chant du Monde, which specializes in world music, offers a new releases that celebrate the legacy of Django Reinhardt: Gypsy Knights: Les Grandes Figures du Jazz Manouche is a compilation of songs by the greats among Django's disciples and includes three performances by the master himself. The CD explores the full range of jazz manouche expression, from Django and Grappelli on the classic "Djangology, to the moody tango "Davïdo of guitarist Mandino Reinhardt (Django's cousin), to the contemporary swing sound of guitarist Dorado Schmitt's "Balladorado, one of only two ballads on the disc. The CD isn't limited to gypsy guitar: Florin Niculescu turns out a formidable "Lady Is A Tramp" on the violin and accordionists Marcel Loeffler and David Rivière evoke a jazz-age musette on "Pont de Venise" and "A Saint Ouen", respectively. Rivière also performs with the well-known manouche group Les Pommes de Ma Douche on the blues tune "Saint Pierre Blues" and the spry "Fleure Bleue". Also of note: appearances by celebrated gypsy guitarists Angelo Debarre and Biréli Lagrène. - allaboutjazz.com

Tracklist:

       1. Djangologie - Django Reinhardt

2. Antsela - Tchavolo Schmitt

3. Entre Amis - Angelo Debarre, Ludovic Beler

4. B.L. - Biréli Lagrène

5. Choukar Gaiga - Mandino Reinhardt

6. Sinti Rhapsodie - Dorado Schmitt, Pierre Blanchard

7. Lady Is A Tramp - Florin Niculescu

8. Pont De Venise - Marcel Loeffler

9. Saint Pierre Blues - Les Pommes De Ma Douche

10. Swing 42 - Django Reinhardt

11. Valse A Dora - Tchavolo Schmitt

12. Come Into My Swing - Angelo Debarre, Ludovic Beler

13. Bireli Hi Gogoro - Biréli Lagrène

14. Davido - Mandino Reinhardt

15. Balladorado - Dorado Schmitt, Pierre Blanchard

16. Romantique Voyage - Raphael Fays

17. Fleur Bleue - Les Pommes De Ma Douche

18. A Saint Ouen - David Rivière

19. Valse A Tchavolo - Angelo Debarre, Tchavolo Schmitt

20. Blues Clair - Django Reinhardt

VA - Gypsy Knights - Les Grandes Figures Du Jazz Manouche
(256 kbps, small cover art included)