1. Swing Ghan
2. For Pierre
3. Balkanic Dance
4. Nuages
5. Valse en Exil
6. El Dorado
7. Manoir de mes Rêves
8. Out of Nowhere
9. Camping Car
10. Song for Ettore
11. Bronson's Song
12. Pat's Waltz
13. Them There Eyes
14. Melissa
15. Bossa Dorado
Dorado Schmitt - Lead guitar, violin
Samson Schmitt - Lead guitar, rhythm guitar
Ludovic Beier - Accordion, accordina
Pierre Blanchard - Violin
Francko Mehrstein - Rhythm guitar
Amati Schmitt - Lead guiutar
Bronson Schmitt - Lead guitar
Doudou Cuillerier - Rhythm guitar
Xavier Nikq - Bass
Jisoo Ok - Cello
Ana Cohen - Alto sax
I always feel a slight wave of apprehension when I see a tribute to
Django Reinhardt advertised. Quite often this means one or more musicians
imitating Django while acoustic guitars chug tediously in the background.
Fortunately this album dispels that disquiet, because it contains enough
variety to avoid sameness. As well as a varied repertoire (two jazz
standards, a couple of Reinhardt compositions, and several originals), the
band contains not only the usual Django-tribute instruments but also
accordion and (on one track each) saxophone and cello. A piece on the
internet about the recording says "The most meaningful tribute that can be
paid to great jazz artists is not to simply pay homage, but to be inspired
by that legacy to create new and vibrant music in that same spirit". And
that is exactly what this group does.
The core of the band is the Schmitt gypsy family from France,
consisting of Dorado Schmitt, his son Samson, and younger family members
Bronson and Amati. The album was supposedly recorded at the 13th annual
Django Festival in New York, although the sleeve confusingly says that eight
of the 15 tracks were recorded at a studio in Paris. This is not the only
puzzle on the sleeve: some of the soloists are listed, but not every one.
And track 13 is mis-spelt as Them Their Eyes (although it is a
swinging performance).
Apart from this kind of riddle, this album is a delight, with virtuosic
playing especially from Dorado Schmitt and Ludovic Beier. Dorado is
equally adept on guitar and violin. His violin style seems to be influenced
both by Stéphane Grappelli and gypsy traditions. Ludovic's
accordion adds variety to several tracks and he plays an accordina
(a mouth accordion) on Manoir de mes Rêves.Anat
Cohen's alto sax solo on Nuages inventively avoids straying
too close to the Reinhardt tradition. Pierre Blanchard's violin solo
in Valse en Exil is lyrical, with a French ambience. The only
slight disappointment is Camping Car, which is attributed to
Ludovic Beier but is obviously a rip-off of Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington's
Caravan. Give credit where it's due.
Tony Augarde
www.augardebooks.co.uk
CD Reviews
Three's a Crowd 
