Search - Connie Evingson, Pearl Django, Parisota Hot Club :: Gypsy in My Soul

SHADES OF DJANGO

Barry McCanna | Normandy, France | 07/29/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a stunning album, which succeeds vocally, instrumentally, and in its choice of repertoire. From the start, it's apparent that the gypsy of the title is the Belgian guitarist Django Reinhardt. The spirit of the Hot Club Of France, and Django's urbane partner Stephane Grappelly, is most apparent in the accompaniments by Pearl Django, and the Clearwater Hot Club, both of which include a violin in the line-up. Those by the Parisota Hot Club substitute a clarinet, a la Hubert Rostaing, and the Gallic flavour is enhanced by the occasional accordion. The title song, to which Connie gives a coloratura introduction, opens and closes with the familiar sound of Minor Swing, and "April in Paris" and "Nuages" deploy French lyrics, the latter written by Susannah McCorkle.



There are half-a-dozen standards here, but other songs are no less noteworthy, not least Sting's "Until", which Connie sings in a delightfully laid-back folksy style, whilst Arthur Schwartz's lovely ballad "You And The Night And The Music" is given a Latin-American beat. Sigmund Romberg's classic "Lover, Come Back To Me" is taken at a fast tempo, with a chugging guitar rhythm, and sounds more like a celebration than a refrain for a lost love. But that's a minor cavil, which is more than outweighed by the treasures on offer, including scat singing that is a treat to listen to (and you won't hear me say that very often!).

"

Gypsy Works for Me!

Julie Bakerville | Oak Valley, CA USA | 11/02/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What a great cd! Always listen to the samples before I buy... And this was a

no brainer. Some of her songs are in the movie Ratatouille."

Great cd

Bertil Ekman | 05/05/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Perfect especially if you like Hot Club-music. And Connie has a fine voice as usual. / Bertil (Sweden)"