Fapy Lafertin is a leading light in jazz, a legendary figure and guardian of the flame. He is also a great guitarist. Here he fronts his New Quartet represents the cream of the young guard of "string jazz" in Belgium, with Alexandre Tripodi and Renaud Dardenne (the "Violons de Bruxelles") and Cédric Raymond, known for his work with Tcha Limberger, Toots Thielemans etc. The album ranges between gypsy jazz - one of the most attractive, animated expressions of swing in continental Europe - and the choro and fado genres of Brazil and Portugal, whose Atlantic melodies are full of romanticism and sensitivity. The guitarist and his companions, all of them tuneful stylists, here invite us to fly through the air on a voyage that defies gravity.

First released in 1994 and 1996, these two now-legendary albums have equal reputations as being both rare and major works in the genre they incarnate to perfection. The spirit of Django Reinhardt guides the playing of Fapy Lafertin: his choruses all show a rare elegance and precision together with a rhythmic pulse second to none, which make Lafertin more than a mere heir to the Master. Reissued in 2012 through Lejazzetal, this edition, re-mastered and augmented, presents Swing Guitar and Hungaria, recorded under pre-war conditions (direct sound-takes encircling a Thirties’ mic) and produced by Dave Kelbie, an unavoidable iconoclast and jazz figure, and probably the genre’s greatest producer (with credits including Evan Christopher’s Django A la Creole, Tcha Limberger etc.) Swing Guitar and Hungaria are indispensible to any jazz fan’s collection. Benjamin GOLDENSTEIN & Augustin BONDOUX