The Django Reinhardt NY Festival was founded at Birdland in 2000 and the Festival Allstars made their debut two years later. Both the band and the festival are still going strong.
Although both organisations were inspired by the recordings of Stéphane and Django in 1930s Paris, they are not caught in a time-warp. Playing compositions by Schmitt, Beier and Blanchard that whilst respecting tradition swaps the horse drawn caravan for a supercharged Renault resulting in gypsy jazz with an urban edge.
I'm not normally a lover of accordions but Beier's dexterity on the instrument is such that I could only respond with "Chapeau monsieur!". He also blows the accordina, which is an instrument not unlike a melodica, on which he pays tribute to the late harmonica virtuoso Toots Thielemans with his own composition, Around Toots.
Schmitt and Blanchard on guitar and violin do their worthy forebears justice with Licusati and Mehrstein solid in support.
If your thing is manouche, gypsy jazz, then this is for you, it was released last Friday on the Motéma label. Lance
PS: You may also fancy the Globe tonight where the YORKSHIRE GYPSY SWING COLLECTIVE are strutting their stuff
Rire Avec Charlie; El Destino; Casse Noisette; Balkanic Dance; Around Toots; Lovely Wife; Swing and Ready; Nothing But Kind; Sunshine in my Heart; Piazza Italia; Dorado's Suite; Stenli.
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