Best version of Nuages to Transcribe and learn?

boberto

I'm going to limit my query to Django recordings.

Which of the, er, 17 or so versions of Nuages that Django recorded during his life do you think is the best one to transcribe?

Bonus points if you can include an amazon-mp3 or itunes link in your post.

HennoxLane

well, I find the very last one he ever recorded (a few weeks or days before his death, according to the information that came with the cd) to be the most beautiful, you can find it on"pêche à la mouche"!

Jazzaferri

Rostaing on clarinet late 40's if I recall correctly.

That's my favourite anyway

adrian

Why not just choose the one you enjoy the most? Or take your favorite bits and pieces from different versions?

boberto

Came across an excellent annotated rundown of the different versions of Nuages c/o Dave Gould's Guitar Pages [?] - http://www.gould68.freeserve.co.uk/nuages.htm

On this page I will attempt to list and describe all of Django's recordings of his most famous composition, NUAGES (also known as "The Bluest Kind Of Blues"). Written and first recorded in the autumn of 1940 NUAGES became the best known and probably the most played of all of Django's large output as a composer.
The war had begun and Django had left Stephane in England and returned to France to play and record with various personnel during the winter of 1939 and the first half of 1940. By this time Django was becoming anxious to reform the quintet and since Grappelli was not available it was thought that the new line-up should be clarinet, two guitars, bass and drums. Django had been impressed by the playing of saxophone and clarinetist Hubert Rostaing and went into the studios on October 1st 1940 to record six tracks, one of which was NUAGES. Django was to record this tune a total of at least 13 times between October 1st 1940 and his death in 1953:

He goes on to detail the specifics of each of the versions. Worth checking out.

Thanks for the feedback guys.