I am a Django fan, and like most fans I have owned the 1990 BlueBird release, "Djangology 49" for some time. Like most I have always marveled at the aweful sound of this session. The poor sound quality of this release made it a very difficult session to enjoy, even for a hard-core Django addict like myself. Now all has changed.

In July 2002 Bluebird released the Rome 1949 sessions again on a CD titled, "Djangology." The two words that come to mind after listening the newly remastered sound are, "noiseless" and "balanced." Ken Robertson has so loving smoothed out the sound you will not believe its the same session as, "Djangology 49." There is practically no guitar distortion, and the new mix now allows you to hear all the instruments clearly and with an even volume level. All of the background hiss has been removed.

The improved sound allows to finally appreciate this sessions for what it is, a masterpiece.

This CD's tracks are a good representation of the post-war Django, after he had been exposed to the emerging be-bop style and phrasing. Here, Django and extraordinary violinist Stephane Grappelli record some of their classics with three Italian jazzmen (piano, bass and brushed snare-drum), providing a somewhat different feel from the sound of his guitar-dominated 1930's Hot Club days.

For "generalist" jazz fans, this CD will give a nostalgic taste of rhythms, textures and sounds of another time - delivered by the best. For Django and Stephane's aficionados, these tracks are a gem. Django's playing is red hot yet polished, crisp and precise, and continues to amaze for the sheer richness of his inexhaustible ideas both as a soloist and an accompanist. Stephane once again proves why he was the indisputed genius of the jazz violin - never missing a beat, a quarter-tone or an opportunity to say something fresh, new and heartfelt.

The all-Italian rhythm section is in style and non-intrusive, allowing the two stars to express themselves to the fullest while providing great steady support. The occasional piano solo is delivered beautifully in a very personal style, with techniques clearly reminiscent of a strong classical background.

Sound-wise, a great effort was made to rid the old recording of white noise and hissing. I am extremely pleased with the result - Django's Selmer guitar and Stephane's magic violin come across crisp and clear.

Listen to "Minor Swing" or "I'll never be the same" if you want to get a chill up your spine. This CD helps understand why Django is, to this day, the most influential jazz guitarist who ever lived.

If you're into Django Reinhardt, look no further! I'm just starting to peel back the layers and this generously-priced collection has ALOT to offer. I got mine the other day and am still working my way through the 10 hours or so Django. I initially feared that the price reflected the quality of the recordings but that simply isn't the case. Every song sounds superb! And, needless to say, Django shines!

First off, this music is great. Reinhardt's reunion with Stephane Grappelly is a worthy addition to his library. While not quite as good to these ears as his mid/late 30's recordings, they're still pretty good.

My only problem is with the sound quality of the CD itself. I'm assuming it's probably just the original source material, though it could be a mastering issue. The sound, while good for the most part, does seem a bit distorted in portions. It's sometimes scratchy, and you can hear instruments bloom and distort from time to time, moreso on the high & loud notes. I have many recordings from this era, and they typically sound better than this. This WAS recorded in Italy, and i'm not aware of what the Italian studios were like in the late 40s. Perhaps they didn't have quite the sound capability that American studios had at the time. Perhaps the originals were not stored well in Italy. I don't know.

It's not a bad enough problem to make me not want to listen to it, but it is unfortunate that i have some Benny Goodman Trio recordings from 10 years earlier that sound cleaner than this. I never buy bootleg recordings...only the ones released by the owning companies, who utilize original source materials. That having been said, i'm a bit disappointed. While i would still recommend this CD, i would also recommend some of the earlier Reinhardt stuff, especially from the late 30s. The sound quality on those is at least as good as the stuff on this 1949 disc.

Wonderful set. The only (monro) complaint I have is the lack of liner notes, so there is no information on when a song was recorded or who the personnel were on the recording. This is a very minor complaint. Te sound quality is excellent. I would definately recommend this set to all Django fans.