It Had To Be You – 1986
Stephane Grappelli
A masterful violinist and guitarist Martin Taylor too
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While Stephane Grappelli will always be identified with Django Reinhardt, the violinist also had a long solo career that in the 1970s, ‘80s and 90s found him traveling the world as jazz’s premiere violinist.
Grappelli continued to improve with age as he shows on this 1986 performance of “It Had To Be You” that was performed when he was 78.
Joined by guitarists Martin Taylor and Louis Stewart, and bassist Jack Sewing, Grappelli first plays the rarely heard verse of the song and a slow melody chorus before the tempo is doubled and the quartet gets cooking.
Taylor gets an extended solo before the classic violinist takes the tune out at its original tempo and mood.
-Scott Yanow
Thelonious Monk