The Django Festival Allstars, “Attitude Manouche,” from Attitude Manouche
It’s been 65 years since the death of guitarist Django Reinhardt, but despite the passage of time, his music continues to captivate modern ears. One prominent example: the Django Festival Allstars, a community of gifted artists who collaborate in different line-ups for a series of performances across Europe and the U.S. The group’s new album, Attitude Manouche, demonstrates their strong cohesion and shared fluency with the language of jazz manouche, also known as gypsy jazz. With remarkable dexterity and air-tight rhythmic precision, this particular group of European musicians — Samona Schmitt on lead guitar, Ludovic Beier on accordina, Pierre Blanchard on violin, Dou Dou Cuillerier on rhythm guitar and Antonio Licusati on bass— navigate the contours of gypsy jazz in all of its forms.
The soulful title track is a strum-heavy homage to the group’s titular honoree. Rippling guitar riffs, slithering violin and prancing accordion come together in fascinating fashion to suggest that Reinhardt is more than just a namesake for this band. He’s a guiding star. Available on Resilience Music.