The HOT CLUB
OF SAN FRANCISCO
Yerba Buena Bounce
With YERBA BUENA BOUNCE, its tenth CD, The Hot Club of San Franciso confirms its reputation as America's longest-running and finest Gypsy Jazz ensemble. Inspired explorations of Django Reinhardt's tunes, originals and more, are captured in shimmering HDCD sound.
The Hot Club of San Francisco is a quintet of accomplished and versatile musicians who celebrate Django Reinhardt's and Stephane Grappelli's renowned Hot Club de France. The ensemble borrows the all-string instrumentation of three guitars, violin and bass from the original Hot Club, but breathes new life into the music with innovative arrangements of classic tunes and original compositions from the group's superb lead guitarist, Paul Mehling. Hearing the ensemble takes the listener back to the 1930s and to the small, smoky jazz clubs of Paris. The music of The Hot Club of San Francisco has entranced audiences around the globe for more than a decade.
Mandolinist DAVID GRISMAN, father of Dawg music and good friend of The Hot Club, makes a special guest appearance on two tracks. The set is further enhanced by bandoneon virtuoso Seth Asarno, and two bonus tracks feature the quintet augmented by three Dixieland horns!
Recorded by multi-Grammy-nominated "Prof." Keith Johnson at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California, the YERBA BUENA BOUNCE sessions benefited from the historic ambience, scene of hundreds of classic jazz and rock recordings. Using his own custom-built microphones and electronics (as always), Johnson was able to utilize some of Fantasy's unique facilities, such as a legendary echo chamber, to add luster to his always life-like soundscapes.
THE HOT CLUB OF SAN FRANCISCO: Evan (Zeppo) Price, violin; Paul (Pazzo) Mehling, solo guitar; Jeff Magidson & Jason Vanderford, rhythm guitars; Ari Munkres, bass. GUEST ARTISTS: David Grisman, mandolin; Seth Asarno, bandoneon; Bill Carter, clarinet; Marc Caprone, trumpet; Clint Baker, trombone/tuba.
Track listing: 1 Mystery Pacific; 2 Hot Lips; 3 I'm Happy Just To Dance With You; 4 Sway; 5 Number Two; 6 Souvenir de Villingen; 7 Tickle Toe; 8 Black and White; 9 Lullabye; 10 Rythme Futur; 11 Yerba Buena Bounce; 12 Stardust; 13 Borneo; 14 Georgia Cabin; 15 Improvisation #2; BONUS TRACKS: 16 Gong Oh; 17 JAM: Some Of These Days
REVIEWS:
"...violinist Evan Price and guitarist Paul Mehling leapt into the stratosphere with flurries of notes... Price's tone was sweet and plangent. And, oh, momma, is Mehling ever one fast-fingered guitarist. Whooowee, what runs, what flurries." --Wes Phillips, Stereophile 12/2007
Gypsy Jazz Audio Review on KQED-TV-9, San Francisco
"It's the synergies, combination of highly competent execution, accessibility and the fact that they swing harder than anyone else out there that make The Hot Club of San Francisco the Count Basie of gypsy Swing." --Monterey Jacques, Djangology.net - Full Review
"Tremendous playing on a variety of wild Gypsy swing songs." --Mike Holmes, Epinions.com - Full Review
"San Francisco has the earned reputation as a city that is unique and goes its own independent direction. I think that can also be said of the Hot Club of San Francisco, a creative band that masters Gypsy Jazz, but gives it new shape, sound, and inspiration on this entertaining CD." -- Harvey Barkan, L.A. Jazz Scene
"The impression that the musicians are there in the room, full-sized, is downright eerie. That and the lively swing of these fine musicians make this recording a must-have." --Rejskind, Ultra High Fidelity
"It is a reminder that this joyous style of music is timeless and, in the right hands, exciting and fresh." --Joseph Taylor, Soundstage.com Full Review
"What impresses me most about this CD is the continuing musical maturation of Paul and his violinist partner Evan Price, along with an increasing group cohesion overall. As the years go by, they seem to have gained a certain measure of confidence in execution and a more emotionally direct approach to swinging, as if they know exactly what they want and how to get it. Particularly sizzling are "Mystery Pacific" and "Rythme Futur." -Don Mopsick, Editor Jazz Me News - Complete Review
"These guys pull us back to the glorious sounds of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli, (with) the Gypsy, bluegrass feeling that was a large part of the French glitz in the 1930s. This is a fine addition to any collection." --D. Oscar Groomes, O's Place Jazz Newsletter
"...the group breathes new life into this slice of jazz with innovative arrangements and inspired playing... To top it off, the recording was engineered by Keith Johnson, whom I consider the world's greatest recording engineer." --Robert Harley, AVGuide.com - Complete Review
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