Hot Clubs, Hot Times, Django Feast at the Dakota Written by Andrea Canter, Contributing Editor I lost count of the number of press releases I have received in the last few months
regarding events honoring the 100th birthday of Django Reinhardt. Birdland has an annual event every December, but now many clubs are joining in. The Dakota Jazz Club in downtown Minneapolis hosted what has
to be one of the best and most comprehensive, a "Django Feast" covering a wide range of music influenced by the gypsy jazz styles of the 1930s hot clubs in France and subsequent popularity of the legendary
pairing of Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. The four-day event kicked off Sunday night with a triple-header of area bands (Twin Cities, Parisota and Clearwater Hot Clubs) hosted by guest vocalist Connie
Evingson, and continued with two nights of the Dorado Schmitt All Stars and a final night with Mark O' Connor's expanded Hot Swing Trio. The momentum seemed to grow exponentially each night, and each band
brought a unique interpretation to the music. TCHC
opened the evening, bringing a classic configuration of two guitars (Robert Bell, Reynold Philipsek), bass (Matt Senjum) and violin (Gary Schulte). Music by or associated with Django Reinhardt was heavily swinging and joyful, including "Honeysuckle Rose," "Blue Django," and Dorado Schmitt's "Bossa Dorado." Philipsek's original "Butterfly" captured the French Musette style and showcased Schulte's singing violin—one can easily imagine him tackling the great Romantic composers in a concert hall. Connie sang three tunes with TCHC, "S' Wonderful" with s'wonderful support from Philipsek; "I'm Confessin' That I Love You" featuring the nimble fingers of Robert Bell, and a lovely "After You've Gone." Connie's solid intonation and swinging phrasing have not wavered off the mark over her 25+year career, and the TCHS is perhaps the quintessential purveyor of the Django/Grappelli sound among area ensembles.
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