Making a fusion of jazz and other idioms is nothing new. In the 1930s, the accordionist Tony Murena’s hybrid of American jazz and French musette vied for popularity with the music of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. A virtuoso of the instrument, he toured major concert halls throughout Europe and South America. Listening to him today, you sometimes wish he’d take it easy on the virtuosity and give music more of a chance, but it’s impressive nevertheless. He sounds happier with triple time than the four-in-a-bar of swing, but among these 27 short tracks there’s the fastest version of Count Basie’s Jumpin’ at the Woodside I’ve ever heard. Just a curiosity now, perhaps, but fun.
