Time: 52:12
Size: 122.3 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front
[3:25] 1. Swing News
[3:03] 2. I'll See You In My Dreams
[2:18] 3. I've Had My Moments
[4:20] 4. Caravan
[2:16] 5. Les Yeux Noirs
[2:25] 6. Crazy Valse
[2:38] 7. All Of Me
[4:25] 8. Sweet Georgia Brown
[2:45] 9. China Boy
[3:42] 10. Body And Soul
[4:04] 11. Mocca
[2:13] 12. Stompin' At Decca
[2:55] 13. Sweet Sue
[3:52] 14. November Night
[3:00] 15. Dinah
[4:43] 16. Black Orpheus
German Gypsy prodigy Joscho Stephan set the Gypsy jazz world alight with his debut album, 1999’s Swinging Strings. The CD was dazzling in its fresh playing, handful of original compositions, and the fact that the whole album was a collection of first takes. Stephan’s second CD was eagerly awaited. This new disc has its highlights as well as its letdowns. After proving that he can play guitar on his first album, Stephan now appears to want to see how fast he can play it. Some of the songs here are machine-gun melodies that lose any sense of musicality, like the breakneck version of Les Yeux Noirs that is largely a medley of every other Gypsy Jazz guitarist’s best solos and clichéd licks. Other cuts are downright bizarre in their choice of stylings. The version of Sweet Georgia Brown features a slapped electric bass solo that would be more at home on a George Clinton Funkadelic album. It’s downright strange. And then there is Stephan’s version of Caravan that is ethereal in its beauty—and worth the cost of the CD alone. Stephan can obviously play guitar with the best of them. He also has an original style when he works at being himself and not aping Django Reinhardt or the other masters. And ultimately the highlights here outshine the oddities. It will be interesting to see what Stephan chooses to do on his next album. —Michael Dregni
Swing News
WONDERFUL posting! More Joscho, please!
ReplyDeleteSure, this man is a talented guitar player, but to me, he's overdoing some songs, mostly the faster ones. Anyway, there is good moments here.
ReplyDelete