From the Record Shelves #64

Crazy Rhythm

Odeon EMI E 054-34162

It’s a good example of how jazz music travels and inspires. After the visit of Django Reinhardt and his “Quintette du Hot Club de France” in Stockholm in 1939 some Swedish musicians decided to form a Swedish version. Since they all had work with other orchestras the activities of the new group were confined to radio work, recordings and some concerts in the Swedish capital.

Their star solo guitarist was Sven Stiberg and the violin player Emil Iwring also had a solid reputation at the time. Folke Eriksberg who played rhythm guitar together with Kalle Löhr normally did chord solos and does one at the end here. The bass player is Roland Bengtsson who later became a concert guitarist and who can be heard as an accompanist on many records with famous singers.

The tune that with time became a popular choice at jam sessions was written by and recorded by Roger Wolfe Kahn in the 1920s.

I leave it to you to do more comparisons if you like, but my immediate impression is that “Svenska Hotkvintetten” had a lighter rhythm than the French original.

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