Romane
Djangovision. Romane Integrale Vol. 8
A tribute to Django Reinhardt can be an expected, relatively easy thing to do if you play jazz guitar, especially if your name is Romane, a spearhead on the gypsy-jazz scene. Yet this «tribute album» from Romane deliberately goes against the grain in imagining the Master's caravan coming to a halt outside the New York label Blue Note's studios in the early 60's. As you might guess from its decidedly "Sixties" title, Romane peppers Django's compositions with the then-nascent jazz-soul groove of musicians like Jimmy Smith, Brother Jack McDuff and Lonnie Smith. Goodbye "pump", goodbye traditional swing_ Here Romane is in the company of an unavoidable duo_BenoIt Sourisse (Hammond organ), AndrE Charlier (drums)_and bassist Marc Michel Le BEvillon. A success when first released, this album heralded "Roots & Groove" which surfaced nine years later (FA537), an album where Romane explored jazz-funk in an even more clear-cut vein. Augustin BONDOUX As the publisher of the complete recordings of Django Reinhardt _ the set is a work of reference with 40CDs and booklets totalling 760 pages _ FrEmeaux & AssociEs today counts as one of the premier independent producers of gypsy jazz. This genre, as erudite and technical as it is generous and approachable, demonstrates the cultural and musicological richness of the gypsy contribution to western culture. Romane is one of their most eminent representatives and his compositions have become genuine standards. FrEmeaux & AssociEs celebrates the work of this guitarist in a collection covering his entire career as a recording artist, available to the public as a "Complete Works" set with Djangovision as its eight volume. Patrick FREMEAUX