Under Paris Skies
In the 1930sDjango ReinhardtandStephane Grappelliand the Quintet of the Hot Club of France took American jazz, Manouche melodies, and Parisian café music and blended them into an intoxicating style now known as Gypsy jazz. Pearl Django, a band from the Pacific Northwest, play music that's inspired by Reinhardt and Grappelli, but as their delightful versions of swing standards onUnder Paris Skiesshow, they are more than mere copyists. When Pearl Django plays Hot Club standards like "Nuages" or "Swing 39," the guitar and fiddle solos retain the effortless bounce of the original versions, but the propulsive rhythms are pure American swing. In a nice change from the standard Hot Club stringed-instrument lineup of three guitars, violin, and bass, Pearl Django includes an accordion on four numbers, a deft touch that recalls the music's birth in the cafés and bistros of France.Under Paris Skiesis a charming homage to the music of Reinhardt and Grappelli from a band that knows how to add their own personal twist to a classic style.--Michael Simmons