Djangology: What to buy?

Between the outmoded technology of his original 78 rpm vinyl recordings and the pick-a-song digital downloads now in vogue, creating a "selected discography" of Django's music is a Byzantine and probably passé enterprise. But a sure bet is "The Best of Django Reinhardt" (Blue Note).

His most popular and enduring songs are the ones he made with the Hot Club quintet between 1934 and 1939. Look especially for "Django Reinhardt 1937" and the companion discs "1937: Volume 2" and "1937-1938," all on the Classics label. As for individual songs, the quality is generally pretty high -- snatch a 20-second sample online and choose for yourself.

Completists should look up the five-CD set "The Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order" (JSP). Another great compilation, which bridges the Hot Club material and Reinhardt's performances with such American jazz greats as Coleman Hawkins and Benny Carter, is "Swing in Paris 1939-40" (Affinity).