DJANGO REINHARDT – 1951-1953 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1441 (2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The 17th and final installment in the Classics Django Reinhardt chronology contains the Gypsy guitarist's very last recordings. Its 22 tracks consist of Decca and Blue Star records cut in Paris between May 11, 1951, and April 8, 1953. By this time, Reinhardt had switched entirely to the electrically amplified guitar and was actively collaborating with progressive young players like alto saxophonist Hubert Fol, bassist Pierre Michelot, and pianists Raymond Fol and Martial Solal. This beautifully cool and bop-inspired music differs markedly from the Gypsy swing formula established during the 1930s by Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli, and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France. During the last years of his life, Reinhardt was not merely adapting to modernity -- he was actively defining it. Nowhere is this more evident than on the eccentrically reconfigured 1928 pop hit "Crazy Rhythm" and its flip side, Reinhardt's lovely "Anouman," a wistful air that feels like a Charles Mingus romance or a candidate for an early Truffaut or Godard film soundtrack. (The piece's title closely resembles the name of the monkey-faced Hindu deity Hanuman; it very well may represent one of the many links between European Gypsy culture and its East Indian ancestry.) This excellent compilation works as a moving and thought-provoking conclusion to the complete recordings of Django Reinhardt as compiled and reissued by the Classics label. (The only material that didn't make it into the series was an apparently contested body of works recorded in Rome during 1949 and 1950.) A little more than one month after recording "Le Soir," "Chez Moi," "I Cover the Waterfront," and "Deccaphonie," Django Reinhardt was felled by a stroke while fishing, was subsequently hospitalized, and left his body behind on May 16, 1953. Musically speaking, this album is his last will and testament. arwulf arwulf 

JAMES MOODY – 1951 | The Chronogical Classics – 1388 (2005) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In need of rest and recuperation after suffering under the twin scourges of alcoholism and Benzedrine addiction, saxophonist James Moody backed away from the scene in 1948 and took off to stay with his uncle in Paris for a couple of weeks, only to remain overseas for three years, making great jazz records with some of Europe's finest young players. Volume four in the Classics James Moody chronology assembles all of the recordings he made for the Metronome and Vogue labels in Stockholm and Paris between January 24 and July 27, 1951. The opening tracks, culled from the Swedish portion of the survey, are greatly enhanced by the presence of baritone saxophonist Lars Gullin, a marvelous improviser whose tonalities blend beautifully with Moody's tenor. On "Pennies From Heaven" and "Cherokee," Moody and the rhythm section are backed by a modest string ensemble; here the sonic chemistry is so pleasantly integrated as to warrant comparison with Charlie Parker's own adventures in chamber music. The next leg of Moody's European odyssey finds him backed by a rhythm section with conga drums and a huge string and wind orchestra under the direction of André Hodier. Using alto and tenor saxophones, Moody navigates well even when the monstrous ensemble threatens to engulf him. It's a relief to hear him two weeks later blowing alto sax and leading a quintet comprised of trumpeter Roger Guerin and the same trio that was used with Hodier's Orchestre: pianist Raymond Fol, bassist Pierre Michelot and drummer Pierre Lemarchand. Longtime Moody fans will thrill to hear the enclosed version of "I Cover the Waterfront," destined to serve as the basis for Eddie Jefferson's famous vocalese version on James Moody's 1956 Flute 'n the Blues album. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

DON BYAS – 1951-1952 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1315 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Don Byas, one of the top tenor saxophonists of the mid-'40s, permanently moved to Europe in 1946 and was largely forgotten in the U.S. However, he continued playing and recording throughout his European years, and although his records rarely made it to the United States, they sold well in Europe. On this disc Byas, who was still very much in his playing prime in the 1950s, is first featured on three numbers with the swing/Dixieland-oriented group the Saratoga Jazz Hounds, a quintet that co-stars the erratic but exciting trumpeter Guy Longnon. The remainder of the Classics CD puts the focus entirely on Byas, who is joined by four overlapping rhythm sections. Most of the selections are slow-to-medium-tempo ballads that showcase Byas' lush tone and his ability to caress melodies, resulting in a pleasing collection. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

DON BYAS – 1952-1953 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1414 (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Volume nine in the complete chronological recordings of Carlos Wesley Don Byas presents 21 recordings made for the Vogue label in Paris between July 18, 1952 and December 8, 1953. U.S. jazzheads should be grateful to the producers of the Classics reissue project for making these very European recordings available on compact disc throughout the civilized world, and in North America. Opening with the remainder of a sax-and-vibes quintet session from July 1952, this portion of the chronology quickly moves into less intimate territory with two sessions featuring Byas in front of large Parisian big bands. The songs chosen for use on these dates -- Georges Auric's sunny-simple "Moulin Rouge," for example -- were all drawn from contemporary French pop culture. While these tuneful ditties with arranged backgrounds may not seem as relaxed and spontaneous as the smaller group blowing sessions, the saxophonist sounds completely relaxed and happy to be treated with the respect that was usually granted him in mainland Europe. On November 24 and December 8, 1953, Don Byas resumed making records accompanied by a sympathetic rhythm section, with Martial Solal at the piano and Pierre Michelot handling the string bass. Points of fascination include Jerome Kern's "Remember My Forgotten Man," a Depression-Era social commentary piece originally staged and filmed by Busby Berkeley; an "Unknown Original"; a revision of "Harvard Blues" here titled "Blues for Don Carlos" and a slice of verité bearing the initials "G.D.B.," a reference to the phrase "gueule de bois," which is French vernacular for a beastly hangover. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist + Credits :