Django Reinhardt - Django In Rome 1949-1950

This 4CD, 90 track collection brings together sides cut by the legendary gipsy guitarist Django Reindhardt while in Rome at the start of the 1950s. All of the tracks show his total mastery of his instrument in a variety of settings, alongside his long time musical partner Stephane Grapelli. At this time, European musicians were at something of a crossroads, with the first wave of bop players making their presence felt not only in the US but beyond. Django had totally mastered the new style (and it could be argued he was an inspiration for it), but he was reluctant to make the jump over to new repertoire, so these recordings are fantastic examples of an artist going through a time of change, adapting the swing tunes of the 30's to the sounds and improvisational style of the 40's and 50's. This release is presented to the usual high standards of other JSP releases, with crystal clear remastering of the source material, erudite liner notes and a selection of photos.