Django's Castle

[geoff1711]

When this album came out everybody was talking about Gypsy Jazz, and I really don't like all that Stephan Grapelli fiddle playing, so didn't buy into it.

Last week just prior to my hols I was looking for some new music to download to my iPod and saw Django's Castle, gave it a listen and it's not at all what I expected, to me it's not Gypsy Jazz at all but the style of French Jazz as was and can still be heard in bars all over Paris and the South, true there is obviously a lot more modern music played, but this style is still alive and thriving, I know I'm in Antibes at the moment and heard similar only yesterday from some street buskers.

It's a brilliant album, and the description Gypsy Jazz does it no favours at all.

True Django was a Gypsy but he played Jazz, you might just as well say Apache, FBI etc is Geordie Rock.

If Hank does another in this style I'll ignore any mention of Gypry Jazz and just buy it .

Geoff

[captainhaddock]

Were it available as a CD and not a download, I would buy a copy, I don't care much for downloads as there are no sleeve notes, IMO one of the best things about a CD is the packaging !

[Fenderman]

That's why i didn't buy it, i'm old school and prefer to have the physical copy of music.

[UlrichS]

Why not download it, burn it onto a CDR and print your own paperwork. I have attached all you need for printing (sorry about the size but I thought I should not make the pics too small).
Hope this is of help.
Ulrich

[UlrichS]

... and here is the CD label

[geoff1711]

Generally all my music is on CD but then I rip it to computer and then listen on iPhone iPod etc so appart from the backup of a hard copy and the sleeve notes which only get looked at once there's no real difference for me.

It was just that B***dy word GYPSY

Geoff

[JimN]

When I first became aware of Django, and of the Hot Club de Paris (I can be specific: 1968; I was 17), the phrase "gypsy jazz" was never heard.

I bought Django's wartime Paris recordings (the ones with a clarinet group led by Hubert Rostaing) and the 1930s Decca London recordings with Grapelli and simply thought I was listening to a unique European jazz guitarist.

"Gypsy", like "avant-garde", "progressive" or "modern", is just a word. In this case, it's a code-word for "Djangoesque".

PS: Thanks for the scans, Ulrich.

[donna plasky]

Hi. I just wanted to say that I agree with your excellent analysis about the wording/naming of that CD. I bought Django's Castle without really knowing what Gypsy Jazz would be and I wasn't really that familiar with Django Reinhardt. I actually found some of it to be Chet Atkins-like which, for me, is a positive thing. Not sure anybody would agree with me on that, but it's funny how some words/descriptions seemed unappealing to me but other words were more inviting...and the music on the CD didn't change. Just my hesitation to jump in and try it. Django's Castle certainly isn't rock and roll, but it's not supposed to be. I can understand the preference to buy it on an actual CD with liner notes etc., but if it's really only available in digital format, I would recommend getting a copy of it while it's still available.

Here's one of the songs that reminds me of Chet Atkins' music.

Kind regards,
Donna

[noelford]

Donna, I've been playing my own version of Djangos Castle for a long time. It has always been a favourite, but the version I had, in my teens, was the one by Chet Atkins.

[dave robinson]

Unlike his latest album 'Hank' this is a good listen IMHO.