“Swing 42” is a composition by the Romani-French guitarist Django Reinhardt, recorded in the early 1940s. It belongs to a small group of Reinhardt tunes named for years — alongside “Swing 41” and “Swing 48” — and reflects his practice of working out melodies by ear, often by scatting them before they reached the guitar.
The tune is a staple of the gypsy-jazz repertoire, with a buoyant swing feel and harmonic motion that invites extended improvisation. Its appeal to acoustic players outside that tradition lies in the same place as much of Reinhardt’s music: a melody strong enough to stand on its own and changes open enough to explore.
A notable recording is by the Tony Rice Unit, the ensemble through which the flatpicking guitarist Tony Rice pursued his blend of bluegrass instrumentation and jazz material. Rice’s interest in Reinhardt’s music was longstanding, and tunes like this one were central to that side of his work.
