Django Reinhardt: Mystery Pacific

Was Mystery Pacific Django Reinhardts personal tribute to Duke Ellingtons Daybreak Express? Theres not enough similarities to call one an arrangement of the other, but theres also no doubt of the influence. Mystery Pacifics opening is an obvious nod to Daybreak as is the simple harmonic structure and for that matter, the form of the entire piece. However, Django must have realized that he would never be able to re-create the many colors of the Ellington band with his small group. Instead, he and Stephane Grappelli created a new piece tailor-made for the QHCF, which is as evocative of an express train as Ellingtons. Reinhardt goes a step further than Ellington by including spots for improvised solos by himself and Grappelli. The violinist is his usual elegant self here during his solo, but dont miss his Doppler effect background during Djangos solo. And I am constantly amazed at how Django got so much music out of a guitar when his fretting hand was so badly deformed.