SONG: Paris Blues
ARTIST: Django Reinhardt
ALBUM: The Art of Jazz Guitar
Marry me you two fingered guitar playing gypsy fool.
Everything about this song is perfect. And its so perfect because its not perfect at all. The sound quality is so bad its good. Its muddled and fuzzy and dark and distant. The atmophere of the song is so strong and charismatic- it transports you so far away from where you are. I love songs that can do that. You know, I have never been to Paris. I've never been anywhere even close. But to me, this song really captures everything I think of Paris to be. Everything I hope Paris would be. It surpasses simply being genuis musical art because when I hear it, it paints such a clear picture in my head. I find it amazing how an artist can accomplish just that without ever saying a word.
I have to point out a part in particular that is just so good it makes me wince. The emotion and power leads up in such a way and hits such a climax that it just knocks the wind right out me. Its all about how the instruments contrast and work together. Its almost like they each have thier own little personality. At about 2:30 the drummer starts on this wild solo and then the suspence builds and the clarinet (or sax, I can't tell which it is) just comes in and screams out its part at the highest point of suspence and follows it up with a few little cheeky bouts and almost sends me into cardiac arrest. And it ends not too long after that and you're left sitting there wondering what just hit you.
Its really wonderful.
