Comments

• Jack western Massachusetts✭✭✭✭

  January 2005 Posts: 1,752

  George Brock wrote:

  Isn't she lovely by stevie wonder jumps out for me without even thinking about it.

  
  You can hear this one on Sinti (Jimmy Rosenberg). I'd be interested to hear what you think of it.
  

  George Brock wrote:

  I was taking coltrane et al for granted but if you go there you have Invitation, Green Dolphin Street, Angel Eyes, In your own sweet way,the girl from ipanema,500 miles high,epistrophy, don't get around much anymore, chelsea bridge

  
  As Nick wrote, you can find a lot of stuff from this era if you're willing to search out the discs; most of the 'bigger' gypsy jazz CDs always lean more heavily on the Hot Club tunes, simply because that's what sells the most. It's true, too, that most of the (jazz) tunes up through the mid-50s will be pretty easily adaptable (I keep meaning to add Blue Monk to the set, for instance). I don't know if you own any of the Cosimini books, but looking through them you'll often find a note to the effect of: 'Django never recorded this tune, but it's since become very popular with Gypsy guitarists'...so it is still evolving.
  

  George Brock wrote:

  back to today:
  It just depends on which direction you are headed - repeating what we already know or open to the possibilities. There are alway going to be audiences wanting to hear Djaango's ideas; it would seem to be our responsibility to keep it relevant to today's listener.

  
  I'm not convinced the two are mutually exclusive. Looking at your post, I'm not sure if you're saying we shouldn't just reiterate Django's riffs, etc., or if you're saying we should be actively looking to adapt new tunes. Stephane Wrembel, I think, is a good example of someone who's bringing Django tunes to 'today's listener' without repeating what we already know, both in his personal approach (playing a good amount of later-era Django that isn't so often heard), and by bringing in a percussionist (if you've got the chance to see them live, don't pass it up). People I know who had become inured to Django tunes perked up at Stephane's take on it, even though the tunes were the same. About keeping it relevant: I know Robin Nolan laid down some rhymes on a tune somewhere-has anyone heard this yet? He seemed a bit bashful about it when he told me. At any rate, good conversation, all.
  
  Best,
  Jack