In the 1930s Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli and 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 Gy... more »psy 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 on Under Paris Skies show, 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 Skies is 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« less
In the 1930s Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli and 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 on Under Paris Skies show, 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 Skies is 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
CD Reviews
They're Back!
07/27/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've heard Stephane Grappelli live in concert three times in my life, the last time just a year before he died. I began collecting Django Reinhardt and Grappelli albums in the 70's, and then CD's in the 80's and 90's. After Grappelli's death, I thought I'd never hear this sound live again. I heard Pearl Django live at a jazz festival yesterday, and this group is the real thing. And what's wonderful about their albums is that the sound is crisp and clear, unlike those re-releases of old Hot Club albums from the 30's. It gives a taste of what it must have been like to actually hear Django and Grappelli first hand."
Fantastic Django-esque Presentation
Jon Pierre LeMaines | Washington, DC | 05/31/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"You simply have got to purchase this album. It is without doubt Pearl Django's best offering to date and probably the best post-Django style band music ever recorded. Guitarist Neil Anderson sounds melodic beyond belief on this recording - like Django re-incarnated- and rhythm guitarist Dudley Hill must now be considered a national treasure, both as a composer and for his impeccable swing rhythms. Violinist Michael Grey was obviously inspired during these sessions and has given us some of his best soloing here. I want to mention too the great bass playing present on this CD - for it is the great unsung hero of Pearl Django's success; never calling attention to itself, it is easy to overlook, but a careful listen to "Cerokee" demonstrates masterful playing and tremendous taste. If you fail to purchase this album you are missing out on a fantastic musical experience - one that respects the past while showing how that past can be envisioned in such a way as to provide an reflective yet optimistic future, even admidst these trying times we live in. Thank you, Pearl Django, for this album!"
Even better in Concert
Tara J. Havard | Anacortes, WA United States | 07/17/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm now a Pearl Django raving fan!! I saw them a couple months ago here in Anacortes, WA and ever since then I can't get enough of them. I just turn this cd on continuous play and listen to it all day!!!"
I'm a Believer!
Elaine D. Johnson | Prather, CA USA | 06/02/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"My first album and I am hooked! What a great sound and what a gratifying variety of tunes reflecting their unique style. Their rendition of the classic "Laura" in a recent concert made me jump up from my seat and buy this CD. The title song, "Under Paris Skies" is the typical styling that is so appealing. "Limehouse Blues" and the Reinhardt "Nuages" are top-notch. Well, all of them are."
Welcome to Gypsy Jazz
Philip Gardner | Melbourne, Australia | 08/03/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Pearl Django provide the ideal entry to the world of gypsy jazz. "Under Paris Skies" takes the listener on a jaunty walk through the streets of Paris. It is full of joy and expert playing. Hard to imagine who wouldn't like this one. Highly recommended."
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1