Interesting Django Recordings and Lost Footage?

Svanis1337

Daniel Nevers was wrong again, then.

spatzo

Yes, I think he was! Of course it might be difficult sometimes to say who is playing but in this case the violin is a good swinger but he hasn't the phrasing, the grace and fluent playing of Grappelli, and same for Django there are some enormous rhythmic hesitations Django never could have made. The tune is nice however.

Teddy Dupont

It certainly was not Django and sounds very much like Joseph. I am not so convinced it is not Grappelli though because, without Django, at this period in his life Grappelli could sometimes sound a bit light weight "tea time swing". I have many of his UK wartime recordings and they do not have the musical power of his pre-war Quintette work although he was becoming much more technically proficient. In his post war recordings with Django, Grappelli was far more fluent although he had not moved on musically in the way Django had.

Nevers did a fantastic job in creating the Integrale series but sometimes he made some quite crass mistakes/errors of judgement.

spatzo

I agree with you it really remembers Joseph with his strange "home made" (?) guitar and the violin could easily be Villerstein...

Nevers really took some strange decisions when he decided to include what he considered some "possible" Django recordings eliminating others such as "Blue Drag" with Freddy Taylor for example an interesting recording from the period of "Les Oiseaux Bleus" the musical bar in the 1937 Universal Exposition. The tune give us the flavor of that orchestra and that's interesting considering Django sometimes had attended the band and later recorded the same song with a wonderful solo & a delighful arrangement. Django also played there with Fletcher Allen (composer of Viper's dream).

spatzo

Have a look to this footage...

Teddy Dupont

spatzo wrote:

Have a look to this footage...

Unfortunately, his left hand looks completely normal. - Did you keep the Gusti Malha, Boite a Matelots clip?

spatzo

so it was in 1928!

Django in that moment has ended a billiard game in the bar "chez La Môme" in rue Jules Vallès and was going back to his roulotte to take his battled banjo unaware he will have to stay 27 days in Lariboisière - salle Nélaton. Fortunately Pathé-Gaumont had intelligently placed a camera at the beginning of "La Zone" and was waiting here to make one of his historical scoop footage!



Django was a little bit late that day and still had to go by foot to Porte de Clignancourt to take the tram that left him in Gare de l'Est (3km) and then to go by foot to "La Java" (2 km) near Place de la République, if only he was lucky he could have jumped on the platform of Bus 69 down to 105 rue du Faubourg du Temple. But as we all know it was not a lucky day it was "the day"...



Flora refused to be catched on film for unknown reasons...

spatzo

yes I still have it! 8)

spatzo

Just another scoop before going to bed, what about Django playing with Vola, Drap and Chaput at the Claridge just before creating the Quintette du Hot CLub de France...



The Louis Vola orchestra is behind the man giving numbers, not always clearly visible.

This one has been shot on March 23rd 1934...

Night!

Teddy Dupont

spatzo wrote:

Just another scoop before going to bed, what about Django playing with Vola, Drap and Chaput at the Claridge just before creating the Quintette du Hot CLub de France...



The Louis Vola orchestra is behind the man giving numbers, not always clearly visible.

This one has been shot on March 23rd 1934...

Night!

....And with synchronized sound as well. Incredible!