Django a vivre
If you are a fan of Django Reinhardt, this an album you must have. A fairly sweeping statement I will grant, but not without its' merits. This album is part of a 'Triptych' by Fapy Lafertin, a project to recreate the sound of the original Quintette, without trying to recreate the songs. Over half of the songs recorded here were never recorded by the maestro. This album (along with Hungaria and Star Eyes) is recorded live with a HQ mic leveled between the musicians as in the QHCF's original recordings. The results are stunning, the violin of Elsworth is not quite Grapelli, but Fapy's comping can clearly lead to one to conclude you are listening to a lost archive of the real thing. Mr Lafertin did not set out to copy, but to innovate, his lead lines and arpeggios roll like waves, broken only by the accuracy of octaves almost underplayed at precise moments. Added to this the choice of tunes like Seul Ce Soir and Velasques' timeless Besame Mucho make this album an extension to, rather than a detraction from, the Quintets original work. The other two albums in the Triptych come just as highly recommended. Verdict: You will not regret it by any means
Submitted by: redblues on 04/21/2011 10:45:06 PM