Rating:
Genre:
Jazz
Release Date: 08/01/2006
The very name of
the Hot Club of Detroit is a tip-off to what kind of traditional
jazz this Detroit-based sextet plays. Where other
jazz combos may devote themselves to
Dixieland or
bebop, this group hearkens back to the hot dance music and
gypsy jazz made by
Django Reinhardt; indeed, the group's name is a play on
Reinhardt's legendary
Hot Club of France Quintet, which also featured violinist
Stéphane Grappelli in one of the classic pairings of 20th century music. There is no violinist in
the Hot Club of Detroit, but under the direction of founder/lead guitarist
Evan Perri, this group -- which also features
Colton Weatherston and
Paul Brady on rhythm guitar,
Shannon Wade on bass,
Dave Bennett on clarinet, and
Julien Labro on button accordion -- remains faithful to the restless and sophisticated spirit of
Reinhardt's music on their eponymous 2006 debut. The key to the group's success is that they value both the sound and spirit of
Reinhardt and are able to capture some of each. When they are running through the
gypsy guitarist's repertoire -- and over half of the album's 13 songs is taken from his songbook -- their love and respect for the material is clear, but this never descends into a dogged homage to an idol; it's as spirited, lively, and infectious as his music (and on the
ballads, as lushly romantic), but there is a nimbleness to the performances -- particularly
Perri's guitar work and
Bennett's clarinet -- that keeps the music fun and fresh. If the band simply played
Reinhardt this well,
Hot Club of Detroit would be a very, very fine record, but what makes it an excellent one is how the sextet can bring this
gypsy spirit to music as diverse as
Wes Montgomery's sweet
"Leila," Antonio Carlos Jobim's
"How Insensitive," and an epic 11-minute version of the
"Godfather Theme" that is surprising not only in its inclusion, but in its sly arrangement, which lets the band swing like madmen. Through these newer songs,
the Hot Club of Detroit proves their mastery of
Reinhardt's music, since they can not only play his songs so well; they know how to translate it to other styles. That adventurousness, combined with their considerable musicality, makes
Hot Club of Detroit a first-rate debut album -- and after listening to it, it's hard not to want to hear how they go forward on their next album.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
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