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Vavavoom: New Orleans Gypsy Jazz Bistro VAVAVOOM? Think speed, energy, a hot chick, maybe a 1950s burlesque queen in a smoky bar on her night off. But what style of music? The short answer is a synthesis of New Orleans jazz and the French Gypsy tradition of Django Reinhardt, as well as what Jelly Roll Morton called, "the Spanish tinge," but that's only part of the story. The fact that guitarists Raphael Bas and Pierre Pichon have been playing together since high school in Bourges, France speaks of their authenticity, and from their renditions of the classic tunes Swing 42 and Nuages, it is clear that they know their Django. But since emigrating to the United States independently of each other over a decade ago, they have played many styles, including blues, funk, reggae, and other types of jazz. Bas once backed former Big Brother and the Holding Company guitarist Sam Andrew, and Pichon toured with the popular Austin swing band, The Asylum Street Spankers. These influences are there in the music, too-particularly in the intricately interwoven guitar parts they play, whether backing each other or other band members, rather than following the more traditional approach of just playing block chords behind the soloist. Bart Ramsey and Neti Vaan have had a long musical partnership, too. Vaan is a native of the Netherlands, and for many years she and Ramsey have spent summers in Europe touring as Ramsey & Vaan, playing an eclectic mix of roots music, jazz and originals. Ramsey is an accomplished songwriter and lyricist, as well as an instrumentalist on accordion and piano. Vaan is conversant with traditional Cajun and Irish fiddle styles, and also plays with the popular New Orleans Jazz Vipers. Bassist Spike Perkins is a long time veteran of the New Orleans music scene. Credits include Bahamian singer Exuma, the Tex Mex/roots band the Iguanas, blues guitarist Sherman Robertson, and saxophonist Jerry Jumonville. He was first introduced to French Gypsy music by Norbert Slama, a venerable Parisian-style accordionist who made his home in New Orleans for a time. Also featured on cornet is Jack Fine, one of the elder statesmen of the trad jazz scene, and a colorful bon vivant who has resided in New York City, France and New Orleans. Melomania The music was recorded live in the studio, with acoustic instruments. The repertoire and approach are indicative of what one might hear at a live Vavavoom performance. Bossa Dorado and For Sephora are lively tunes that show that Latin music has become an influence on European, as well as North American jazz. On Blue Drag, Bas demonstrates his unusual technical of playing a rack-mounted harmonica in harmony with his guitar lines, and it features vocals and some fine piano work by Ramsey. The Louis Armstrong classic Some Of These Days features a bouncy groove, Fine's cornet, and a bass solo by Perkins. The well-worn but beloved La Vie En Rose is Vaan's one vocal on the recording, and a sensitive lyricism pervades both her voice and violin. The Bossa Nova standard Black Orpheus is sung by Ramsey in French, with his own translation. Dark Eyes is a high-energy rave up, with lead vocals by Pichon and group vocals by the band. Caravan, one of the group's show stoppers in performance, features Arabic-style scatting by Bas and some smoky cornet work by Fine. The two original tunes on the recording are a study in contrasts. You Want More, by Bas, is a spooky minor blues about a haunted lake. Atomic Stomp, an instrumental by Ramsey, is squarely in the European tradition, except for a vamp between choruses that sounds as if it could be by Billy Preston if he played the accordion. The classic Brazil grooves with a light-hearted energy, and the group vocal usually inspires sing-alongs, not to mention a packed dance floor. Check out the artist's website: http://www.vavavoomband.com Track List: 1. Bossa Dorado 2. Blue Drag 3. Swing 42 4. You Want More 5. Some Of These Days 6. Dark Eyes 7. La Vie En Rose 8. Atomic Stomp 9. Black Orpheus 10. For Sephora 11. Caravan 12. Nuages 13. Brazil Other Genres: |