Dial 214 / Dial 218
The year 1947 was a major turning point in the career of Django Reinhardt. It was one of his most productive and important years, marked by numerous recordings, wether from radio broadcasts or studio sessions for producer Eddie Barclay.
After World War II, Django reunited with his former musical partner Stéphane Grappelli and continued to enjoy great success in France, particularly with his famous composition “Nuages.” However, his musical direction changed significantly after discovering American bebop through recordings by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie or Thelonious Monk. The speed, complexity, and innovation of this new style deeply impressed him. Thus Django gathered a new Quintette du Hot Club de France, featuring clarinet player Hubert Rostaing and a drummer: a line-up somehow close to famous American swing bands such as Benny Goodman’s small groups.
In late 1946, Django accepted an invitation from Duke Ellington to tour the United States. Django performed in 22 cities, appeared at the famous Carnegie Hall, and earned admiration from leading American musicians, including Les Paul. The tour also introduced him more fully to the electric guitar. Playing a Gibson ES-300, Django discovered new sound textures that expanded his musical expression and influenced his later work. Despite personal difficulties such as language barriers, homesickness, and unmet expectations, Django returned to France in February 1947 profoundly inspired by what he had experienced in America. His exposure to bebop and electric guitar transformed his musical vision, making 1947 a decisive year in his artistic development.
The Blue Star sessions / Dial reissues
Thanks to the artistic freedom granted by Eddie Barclay, Django was able to choose his own repertoire, which included original compositions, jazz standards, and arrangements of folk melodies. This selection highlights Django’s ability to transform existing songs into highly personal interpretations. Tracks such as“Anniversary Song”and“I’ll Never Smile Again”showcase his virtuosity, emotional depth, and innovative melodic ideas. His versions of standards like“Night and Day”and“Brazil” or personal compositions such as “Moppin’ The Bride” also reveal his growing interest in bebop.
These sessions also include several blues tunes. Although some American guitarists questioned Django’s approach to the blues, he developed a highly original style that later influenced musicians such as B.B. King, who praised Django’s amplified guitar tone and use of chromatic lines.
More broadly, these recordings represent an important moment in jazz history. Django was bridging the gap between the swing era and the emerging bebop movement. Like Charlie Christian, he helped redefine the role of the guitar in modern jazz, but with a distinctive personality and artistic vision.
Overall, the 1947 Blue Star sessions demonstrate Django Reinhardt’s ability to embrace musical innovation while remaining true to his artistic identity, reinforcing his reputation as one of the most influential and forward-thinking figures in jazz history.
-2 x 180g 12’’ LPs / 45-RPM
-Limited edition of 250 copies per album, hand-numbered
-Exclusively available on www.samrecords.fr
VOLUME ONE / Dial 214
P 4763-1 A1 TOPSY (Edgar Battle / Eddie Durham) 03:06
ST 2104 A2 SEPTEMBER SONG (Kurt Weill / Maxwell Anderson) 03:20
P 4764-1 A3 MOPPIN’ THE BRIDE (Django Reinhardt) 02:20
ST 2105 A4 BRAZIL (Ary Baroso) 02:48
T 2091-1 B1 ANNIVERSARY SONG (Iosif Ivanovici / Saul Chaplin / Al Jolson) 03:34
ST 2092-1 B2 SWING 48 (Django Reinhardt) 02:44
ST 2108 B3 DJANGO’S BLUES (Django Reinhardt) 03:07
P 4766-1 B4 MANO (Django Reinhardt) 02:55
VOLUME TWO / Dial 218
P 4767-1 A1 BLUES PRIMITIF (Eddie Barclay) 02:41
P 4768-1 A2 GYPSY WITH A SONG – PART 2 (Django Reinhardt) 02:57
OSW 328-1 A3 BLUES CLAIR (Django Reinhardt) 03:05
ST 2087-1 A4 DANSE NORVEGIENNE (Edvard Grieg / Arr. Django Reinhardt) 02:59
ST 2088-1 B1 BLUES FOR BARCLAY – TAKE 1 (Eddie Barclay) 02:58
ST 2106-1 B2 I’LL NEVER SMILE AGAIN – TAKE 1 (Ruth Lowe) 02:37
ST 2221-3 B3 CONFESSIN’ (Al J. Neiburg / Doc Dougherty / Ellis Reynolds) 02:58
ST 2220-3 B4 NIGHT AND DAY (Cole Porter) 02:55
STUDIO TECHNISONOR, 26 RUE FRANÇOIS 1ER, PARIS VIII. RECORDED BY ROBERT SERGENT, 1947.
– JULY 6TH (DIAL 214 B1, B2 / DIAL 218 A4, B1)
DJANGO REINHARDT ET LE QUINTETTE DU HOT CLUB DE FRANCE:
HUBERT ROSTAING – CLARINET / DJANGO REINHARDT – GUITAR / JOSEPH REINHARDT – GUITAR / LADISLAS CZABANYCK – DOUBLE BASS / ANDRE JOURDAN – DRUMS
– JULY 18TH (DIAL 214 A2, A4, B3 / DIAL 218 B2)
DJANGO REINHARDT ET LE QUINTETTE DU HOT CLUB DE FRANCE:
HUBERT ROSTAING – CLARINET / DJANGO REINHARDT – GUITAR / EUGENE VEES – GUITAR / EMMANUEL SOUDIEUX – DOUBLE BASS / ANDRE JOURDAN – DRUMS
– OCTOBER 4TH (DIAL 214 A1, A3, B4 / DIAL 218 A1, A2)
DJANGO REINHARDT ET LE QUINTETTE DU HOT CLUB DE FRANCE:
HUBERT ROSTAING – CLARINET / DJANGO REINHARDT – GUITAR / JOSEPH REINHARDT – GUITAR / EMMANUEL SOUDIEUX – DOUBLE BASS / ANDRE JOURDAN – DRUMS
– DECEMBER 10TH (DIAL 218 B3, B4)
REX STEWART QUINTET:
REX STEWART – CORNET / HUBERT ROSTAING – ALTO SAXOPHONE / DJANGO REINHARDT – GUITAR / LADISLAS CZABANYCK – DOUBLE BASS / TED CURRY – DRUMS
STUDIO PELOUZE, 5 RUE PELOUZE, PARIS VIII. RECORDED BY W. RUHLMANN, 1943.
– FEBRUARY 26TH (DIAL 218 A3)
DJANGO REINHARDT – GUITAR / EUGENE VEES – GUITAR / JEAN STORNE – DOUBLE BASS / GASTON LEONARD – DRUMS
In order to optimise the sound quality of these reissues, we have patiently collected the best reproduction sources currently available. We would like to express our warmest thanks to Guillaume Lesigne and La Discothèque de Radio France for their help in this task.
Every effort has been made to preserve the integrity of the original analogue recordings. The listener should be aware, however that these transfers from shellac discs contain imperfection inherent of the recording and techniques of that time.
– Original recordings supervised by Hugues Panassié for Blue Star, except “Blues clair” produced by Swing.
– 78-rpm transfers by Christophe Hénault, Art et Son Studio.
– Audio restoration and mastering by François Lê Xuân.
– Lacquers cut by Marie Pieprzownik, Translab.
– Original illustration by Burt Goldblatt, manually screen printed by Stéphane Constant.
– Release coordination and liner notes by Michel Mercier.
– Reissue produced by François Lê Xuân and Frédéric Thomas for Sam Records/Saga.
Special thanks: Guillaume Lesigne, Virginie Vincienne, Thomas Henry, Guillaume Dambier, Daniel Richard, Karen Boe, Susan Mercier.