Live At The Cambridge Folk Festival: BBC Sessions

Violinist Stephane Grappelli had an incredibly long career that extended from around 1933 until his death in 1997; these previously unreleased recordings from two appearances at the Cambridge Folk Festival cover very familiar parts of his repertoire in typically swinging fashion. The bulk of the CD comes from his 1983 performance with a quartet that included Martin Taylor on lead guitar, Marc Fossett on rhythm guitar, and Patrice Caratini on bass. Grappelli is in top form, as are both guitarists (each of whom recorded extensively with the violinist). One strange error is the label's identification of Django Reinhardt's "Are You in the Mood?" as "I'm in the Mood for Love," in spite of the fact that Grappelli actually introduces the piece and its composer to the audience. Guitarists Diz Disley and Denny Wright, along with bassist David Etheridge, join Grappelli in an audience recording of several numbers from a 1973 concert. Although the sound is rather mediocre, the playing is superb. The only other disappointment is that the tape runs out in the middle of the final track, "I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby." Fans of Stephane Grappelli will immensely enjoy this newly discovered treasure. ~ Ken Dryden