Stephane Grappelli - Jazz in Pariz: Django

At the time of this 1962 session, Stéphane Grappelli had not yet recaptured the fame that he achieved during his prewar partnership with Django Reinhardt, though he was hardly idle at the time. This meeting with guitarist Pierre Cavalli, bassist Guy Pedersen, and drummer Daniel Humair covers many tunes previously recorded by the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, but also delves into more recent works like John Lewis' elegant tribute to the late guitarist ("Django") and Sonny Rollins' catchy bop vehicle "Pent-Up House," both of which became a part of Grappelli's repertoire for the remainder of his career. The violinist is in good form, but not quite as inspired as he would be once his star rose a few years later. Cavalli's brash style of playing is no match for later Grappelli collaborators such as Joe Pass, Martin Taylor, or Marc Fosset. In any case, this CD from the bargain-priced Jazz in Paris series is definitely worth the money.

01 - Django
02 - Nuages
03 - Alabamy Bound
04 - You'd Better Go Now
05 - Le Tien
06 - Like Someone in Love
07 - Minor Swing
08 - Daphne
09 - Soft Winds
10 - Makin' Woopee
11 - (I Like New York in June) How About You
12 - Pent Up House