 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
by Bob Merlis When some of the best musicians in Nashville kick back and play the kind of music they want to play, rather than the kind of music that the commercial market demands, they become The Gypsy Hombres. This continually evolving trio, led by violinist extraordinaire Peter Hyrka, nails the free spirited sound that made Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli legends in their own time. The Gypsy spirit is alive and well within Hyrka's soul. "I really don't want to own anything," he confides, "I like to travel light." He first heard Django and company in his native Memphis over community radio station WEVL. "It sounded like cartoon music, but better," he recalls. Taking up the violin, he evolved a style of his own, noting, "I play like Grappelli but I think like Joe Venuti." He also sites Eddie Lang of the Paul Whiteman Orchestra as an influence. The basic approach, as applied to some of the best-loved holiday songs here, is simply guitar, violin and bass with some mandolin and accordion coloring. The result: the timeless repertoire has never sounded as fresh. According to Hyrka, "a lot of Christmas standards lend themselves to this style." Naturally, this all begs the question: why didn't anybody ever think to do this before? The Hombres line up -- always subject to change -- heard on the album includes David Spicher (bass) and Justin Thompson on guitar. All of them have played on innumerable recording session with Hykra heard on albums by Six Pence None The Richer, Todd Snider, Shelby Lynne. Hykra has long gone against the Nashville grain: "I don't do commercial country stuff; it's corporate, it's servile and is not really about music at all." Django Bells, on the other hand, is only about music and, when you think about it, that's the way it should be for the holidays, shouldn't it? Check out the artist's website: http://www.memphisinternational.com Track List: 1. Santa Claus is Coming to Town 2. Blue Christmas/ Let It Snow 3. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 4. Sleigh Ride 5. Here Come Santa Claus 6. Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer 7. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy 8. Whose Child Is This 9. You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch 10. Django Bells Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
|