STEPHANE GRAPPELLI/DAVID CRISMAN
Live
Warner Brothers BSK 3550

STEPHANE GRAPPELLI
At the Winery
Concord jazz CJ-139

STEPHANE GRAPPELLI AND THE DIZ DISLEY TRIO
Violinspiration
Pausa 7098

Possessed of the soul of a gypsy and the fingers of a saint, Stephane Grappelli has been playing his own kind of caravan swing jazz for over 50 years. Literally generations of listeners have fallen under the magic of his violin-from sessions dating back into the ‘30s with Django Reinhardt to his modern work with players including jean-Luc Panty and Larry Coryell-and the interest in his playing remains acute enough so that barely half a year goes by without the release of yet another Grappelli disc.

The three records under consideration were released in the first half of 1981, and though several years separate the recording dates (Violinspiration, March/75; Live, Sept./79; Winery, Sept./’80); the same high caliber of playing by Grappelli can be heard on each project. What lends distinction to the records individually, are the recording circumstances (studio/live) and personnel with whom he worked.

The mostly acoustic (guitars, mandolin, bass) Live album contains the best of both worlds. It opens with two smokers (“Shine,” and “Pent-up House,” by Sonny Rollins) on which Grappelli and Grisman (mandolin) get in plenty of lead time and hot licks, but with the spotlight on the violinist.

The light remains on Grappelli as he eases into a soulful six minute version of “Misty,” alternating lightning-quick runs and slides up the neck with sweetly sustained noted from the head. He solos for more than five minutes, and the song is clearly his territory. To close the side, the group rolls into a rendition of “Sweet Georgia Brown” which would have the Globetrotters breathing extra hard were they to warm up with this version as background music.

The high point of the performance, however, comes on the second side in the violin duel between (current Dregs’ member) Mark O’Connor and Grappelli on “Tiger Rag.” The (then) 18 year old O’Connor (several times U.S. National Fiddle Champion) trades licks with a man almost four times his age as it they were twin brothers. Grappelli responds in kind, fully communicating the excitement and inspiration of the moment felt both by the band and the audience.

At the Winery, another live performance, finds Grappelli playing with a trio composed of two electric guitarists (John Etheridge and Martin Taylor) and a bassist (Jack Sewing). This is more of “band” effort than Live or Violinspiration, and both Etheridge and Taylor are more than just average soloists-adding subtle touches to both solos and arrangements not found on the Live effort. Ballads (“Willow Weep for Me,” with Grappelli on electric viola), pop tunes (an upbeat “You Are the Sunshine of My Life”), originals (“Minor Swing,” by Grappelli and Reinhardt, and a very nice “Angel’s Camp” by Taylor) and standards (Cole Porter’s ‘‘Love for Sale”) represent the album’s range of material, all handled with grace and verve by this top-notch ensemble.

Violinspiration seemingly has the least (inspiration, that is) of the three discs. Backed again by a twin (acoustic) guitar/bass rhythm section, the playing is certainly well-executed, but - perhaps because of the studio sterility - does not come up to the level of the preceding discs. One noteworthy cut is “Souvenir De Villingen,” a short piece with Grappelli making a rare appearance on electric piano, with overdubbed violin.

-Steve Hurlburt