Orleans Records 1811
New Orleans resident Green divides his time between painting (pictures, not houses) and playing guitar in the Django vein. The music is primarily Reinhardt compositions, or pieces associated with the era, interpreted with the romanticism and tone of the fret wizard. Green wisely avoids mimicking the speed and flash of the gypsy guitarist, which, though both are solid reasons why we still find Django timeless, are definitely not the only reasons. Interestingly, Pirelli Lagrene was once uncannily capable of incorporating all of his traits, evidently losing the ability in the process of leaving Hot Club influences behind to find his own voice. Green generally sounds as good as Lagrene does these days, even with half the chops of the latter. Nothing here that Reinhardt didn't do better, obviously, but as a tribute album it's a great reminder of how terminally romantic both Reinhardt and gypsy music were.
---Dave McElfresh
Zingano / Waltz For Pud / Calvarie / Nuages / Douce Joie / Petit Fleur / Viva Mureno / I Asked A Flower / Bolero / Russian Lullaby / Danse Norviege (39:07)
Tony Green - solo, rhythm guitar
Gregor Sneddon - rhythm guitar
Vitus Paukstaitis - bass
Feb. & Apr. 1996, New Orleans
Originally published in Cadence (January 1997), Vol. 23, No. 1