Prior to JSP's systematic chronicling of Reinhardt's complete recordings, there were many, many single and double disc overviews of his work, almost all of which focused on his earlier Hot Club recordings. There's a reason for this -- those early recordings are classics of small-combo swing and guitar jazz. However, that left these wonderful later experiments almost completely unavailable on CD. Django Reinhardt solo, recordings with small groups including both long-time collaborators and new, experiments with electric guitar and flirtations with the then-new style of bebop. Not every experiment works and some of the recordings sound like retreads of his prewar work, but there are many dazzling surprises here.
If you have any interest in jazz guitar, small-combo swing, or Django Reinhardt himself, this set is well worth purchasing. You get 5 discs of music, most of which is unavailable elsewhere on CD, and including some of the most "different" sounding recordings in Reinhardt's discography, good remastering, detailed notes on recording dates and session musicians, for a reasonable price tag.
