Interesting Django Recordings and Lost Footage?

spatzo

I will go in those vaults with a rabbit leg in one hand and a plectrum in the other and I certainly will find it!

Another odd thing in the film "Jazz Hot" is the light. When the quintet begins to play the scene light is low, everything is very dark and the difference is enormous slightly after Django begins his solo. Such a difference is too big to be a successfull effect, probably the electrician was smoking a cigarette when they were beginning to film... so it could easily be one of the different takes they did that day. It was monted so we can consider it has been considered as an acceptable take but probably some more footage can be found.

The second consideration on that film is that there were at least two cameras involved as it is impossible to switch a single camera in the two main plans of "J'attendrai" without loosing something. In the first view the orchestra is far from the camera (no other camera can be seen on the right) and then the plan comes near Django (unfortunately too near to see the full fretboard) on his right. So for me that scene has probably been recorded twice. The first take was frontal and the second one was lateral or maybe in the second part of the tune (near Django) they move the right camera in the view of the first one to catch the end of the tune.

Teddy Dupont

There is definitely more than one take in the "J'Attandrai" film. Django is sitting in quite a different position in the close-ups. You can also see and hear some odd inconsistencies between the end of Stephane's solo and the start of Django's.

I believe it is quite possible that Django is miming to his playing in the close-ups. I can convince myself that when I play it slowly, at one stage Django fingers appear to frame notes that are not heard on the soundtrack.

I love the way he pulls a bit of cigarette paper off his lips at the end.

spatzo

Yes I can even tell you that the cigarette is a "Gauloise Bleue".

I agree with you I perfectly remember that my first impression when finally seeing him was that there was a problem with the synchronization in that section of the clip.

What about the location? it looks like a french 4 stars hotel...

About Lew Grade and the famous contrat signature From Jennifer DeForke "Stephane Grappelli : biography of a jazz legend":

[When British impresario Lew Grade first heard QHCF he remarked, “When I heard Stephane play, it was a revelation to me…Django Reinhardt of course absolutely shocked me. There was no doubt in my mind he was the best guitarist in the world…together they were a remarkable team.” Lew immediately offered them a tour of England]

spatzo

To date exactly the film we have to consider when the tune was first heard/composed

Rina Ketty (italian wife of Jean Vaissade that first recorded Django in 1927 with Griserie) first sing it in 1938 and she appears at the ABC and the Europeen in Paris. The tune was composed by Dino Olivieri in 1933.

Jean Sablon's version in April 1939...



Tino Rossi Colombia 1939...

Rudi Schuricke (in german Komm Zuruck) 1939...

So it was a big succes in the year 1938

Svanis1337

I think you are very right about more takes existing of Jazz Hot. Even on J'attendrai, perhaps. Here is an example on how videos like these were produced back in the day, and then cut off into segments and released to the public. Just the same thing recorded over and over again from different angles and then put together the way the director wants it. Wasting several minutes of film. I believe this well-known footage of Art Tatum was made in a few different versions. Just different takes from the session spliced together.

Full recording: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42ncxejJTdc

What was released: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JycfQd9nk9M

And a similar one of Ella Fitzgerald.

Full recording: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a3y5IMXM-0

What was released: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPvl__VXP4w

Both recordings are from the early 40's, so if Jazz Hot is from 1939 it is not inconcievable they were recorded the same way. Maybe it's even the same director, who knows?

The website this footage comes from, myfootage.com has some footage on guitarists they haven't uploaded yet, i've sent them a mail and requested some of the footage a day or so ago but they've only sent one clip so far. Maybe there is some Django in there, with so many videos from France about fashion, Josephine Baker and Jazz Musicians..

Just go to myfootage.com and search for whatever you want. I searched for "Guitar" when these not-yet uploaded clips appeared.

There's always a chance Django is in one of them. If only indirectly.

OFFTOPIC:

Below is an Art Tatum recording which is about deserts, according to the announcer. The tune is Caravan, but I always thought it was referring to gypsy caravans in europe and not desert nomad caravans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApuTuVTNbik

The more you know...

Back to topic:

Of course, it'd be great to find more footage of Django's contemporaries as well, like Joseph Reinhardt. It was great seeing Joseph play Sonny Boy with a sunglasses-adorned Villerstein. Then there's Bric-a-Brac and the videos on Teddy's youtube channel. That's all the Joseph clips I know about.

spatzo

Very interesting! Many thanks for that interesting link :idea:

The indirect search is certainly one of the best ways to find something. Antonietto told me he found one day a photo of Django absolutely casualy. He was in a dentist waiting room and was looking for some magazine to spend time and he found a photo of Django buying flowers to an old women in from of a french theater or church. Antonietto recognized Django :shock: but the label of the photo only mentionned the old women that was well know for making this activity for years. The photograph or the writer didn't recognized Django...

AboutTatum/Caravan : Tatum is amazing, hearing this tune we better understand why Charlie Parker went to wash dishes for days in the restaurant where Tatum was gigged just to be able to hear him playing

Svanis1337

Thanks Spatzo. I found out that the guy that runs that site actually replies to e-mails in person, and is not just an automated response. At least it seems that way.

I asked him to sift through his footage and see if he could find footage of Django based on my description. Who knows what might turn up?

Let's hope for the best.



Wasn't this site the place you found the footage you've uploaded on "Spatzoupload"?

Svanis1337

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGA_Y9-fIL4

7:13 in, "Le Bal Tabarin"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bal_Tabarin

Where did Django play in 1944?

Exactly!

No Django here though.


I also found this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOZDVST7VhE

One of the earliest ever films with synchronized sound: Gregor et ses Gregoriens, with Stéphane Grappelli.

spatzo

No it was not that site, a few one's are:

http://www.gaumontpathearchives.com/ (GAUMONT PATHE)

http://www.bbcmotiongallery.com/ (BBC)

http://www.archivioluce.com/archivio/ (ISTITUTO LUCE for ITALY)

http://www.britishpathe.com/ (BRITISH PATHE)

http://www.ina.fr/ (INA for FRANCE)

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/browse/ (LIBRARY OF CONGRESS - USA)

spatzo

A good reference for Django is Paul Vernon' s book "Jean Django Reinhardt a contextual bio-discography 1910-1953"

I must correct myself by saying that "Jazz Hot" could have been produced by British Gaumont instead of BBC as I was stating before as a promotional vehicle for Decca Record COmpany.

From "A jazz and blues filmography" by David Meeker
JAZZ "HOT" [motion picture]
Title: JAZZ "HOT" [motion picture]
Place of Publication/Creation: UK
Copyright Date: 1938
Form: motion picture
Source: Information from: "Jazz on the Screen" by David Meeker. Used with permission.
Notes: Short film (under 30 minutes).

Produced as a promotional vehicle for the Decca Record Company.

Songs:
"Largo" by Georg Frideric Handel; "J’attendrai" by Louis Poterat, Dino Olivieri.
Personnel on Camera:
The Quintette of the Hot Club of France:- Stéphane Grappelly, violin; Django Reinhardt, guitar; Joseph Reinhardt, Baro Ferret, rhythm guitar; ( ?) Roger Grasset, acoustic double bass.

So we must contact Decca Record Company to know more and find the other two tunes! :P

I also think that if a copyright has been deposed in 1938 the document might mention eventual other tunes or clips...

One question for Teddy: has the speaker an english accent?