Diz Disley & His String Quintet

1950s recordings of Gipsy Jazz from one of the Jazz and Folk world's great characters and most accomplished guitarists. Today there is a proliferation of groups performing the Gipsy Jazz purveyed by the legendary Django Reinhardt, but in the 1950s Reinhardt who died in 1951 was on the verge of being forgotten. Enter Diz Disley, cartoonist, broadcaster, banjo player and Django inspired guitarist. Diz served his time in numerous Trad bands including The Yorkshire Jazz Band, Mick Mulligan's, Ken Colyer's, Kenny Ball, Chris Barber and Alex Welsh's as well as the Skiffle Groups of Chas McDevitt and Bob Cort. He formed his String Quintet to play the music of Django Renhardt to play the interval spot at Humphrey Lyttelton's Club at 100 Oxford Street in London. The group proved popular and was soon broadcasting and playing more gigs. They made few recordings, one set for the small 77 Records label and an EP for Pye. All those recordings are included here including some unreleased tracks. Diz went on to greater things when he rediscovered Django Reinhardt's ex- partner Stephane Grappelli and gave him a whole new career. Diz Disley revived his String band occasionally over the years. He died in 2010.