Reliance Music Alliance Archive

The Django Festival AllStars – Attitude Manouche – Resilience Music Alliance

by Audiophile Audition | Jul 17, 2018 | Jazz CD Reviews

An up to date version of gypsy jazz The Django Festival AllStars – Attitude Manouche – Resilience Music Alliance 54:18****: (Samson Schmitt – lead guitar; Pierre Blanchard – violin, string arrangements; Ludovic Beier – accordion, accordina; Philippe “Doudou”Cuilerier – rhythm guitar, vocals; Antonio Licusati – double bass) In the book Django Reinhardt and the Illustrated History of Gypsy Jazz by Michael Dregni, we learn that Reinhardt was a “Manouche Gypsy” from the Romani gypsy’s of Eastern Europe. During the height of his popularity in the 1930s and 1940s in the jazz world of Paris, gypsy jazz was considered a pariah well outside the mainstream of what was regarded as jazz during that time period. That this style of music has survived and to some extent thrived, is due in no small measure to groups like The Django Festival AllStars and is exemplified by their latest release Attitude Manouche. In this frothy session of gypsy-styled music, ten of the compositions are by band members, with only one from another source and that is John Williams Main Theme from “Schindler’s List”. Their treatment of the number is in keeping with the gravity of the Stephen Spielberg film and is wonderfully evocative with […]