Stephane Grappelli's tremendous number of recordings, particularly those made in the final three decades of his life, provide a great standard for comparison against one another. These 1992 studio sessions, orchestrated and conducted by
Michel Legrand (who also plays piano), feature 15 works by French composers. Unfortunately, the bland string arrangements and
Legrand's refusal to feature other soloists (other than
Grappelli and himself, though the supporting musicians include
Jon Faddis) make this CD lean more toward easy listening than jazz.
Grappelli's unique style of playing is easily identifiable, though his solos are hardly equal to his capabilities, as
Legrand's charts restrict him unnecessarily. An innocuous choir is featured in the sleepy ballad "Insensiblement." "Revoir Paris" has
Legrand scat singing in unison with the bassist. Especially disappointing is the dull treatment of
Django Reinhardt's "Nuages," a piece
Grappelli likely recorded dozens of times and performed thousands of times throughout most of his long career, though his solo on this one track at least comes closer to approaching his level of playing. Swing fans should avoid this atypical release by
Stephane Grappelli. ~ Ken Dryden