Pearl Django - With Friends Like These

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:48
Size: 118.6 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[4:14] 1. Floyd Hoyt Rides Again
[4:05] 2. Night Of The Dolphin
[2:31] 3. Waltz A La Carte
[3:26] 4. Le Quatre Cinq (The Cat Sank)
[3:55] 5. The Path
[4:25] 6. Bittersweet
[4:02] 7. Dance If You Care To
[4:01] 8. Mighty Engine Of Rhythm
[4:42] 9. Friends Like These
[3:25] 10. Pippi's Pleasure
[3:37] 11. Night In Phindesia
[5:21] 12. A Foregone Conclusion
[3:56] 13. Out Of Towners

Michael Gray, Violin & Viola; David Lange, Accordion; Rick Leppanen, Double Bass; Neil Andersson, Guitar; Tim Lerch, Guitar.

Our new CD is titled With Friends Like These. Our thirteenth CD continues our recent trend of demonstrating the fine composition skills within the band. The CD really features the band, but this version includes the return of Neil Andesson and our new guitarist, Tim Lerch. Tim wrote the title composition and references, in an unusual way, Dudley Hill with couple of his titles. Michael dedicated a tune to Dick Stein of KNKX, who gave us the nickname the "mighty engine of rhythm" We hope you like it.

With Friends Like These

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Pearl Django - Chasing Rainbows

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:18
Size: 112.9 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[3:56] 1. No. 19
[4:14] 2. Bluesette
[2:59] 3. Samba Du Caberet Rouge
[4:15] 4. Tres Palabras
[3:17] 5. I Never Knew
[3:55] 6. Besame Mucho
[3:22] 7. Long Gone
[3:15] 8. Trois Et Deux
[3:39] 9. La Vie En Rose
[3:03] 10. Gypsy-Attle
[3:48] 11. September Song
[5:03] 12. You Must Believe In Spring
[4:24] 13. Boise Jump

With their eighth release, Pearl Django is broadening their musical horizons. The new CD features three guest artists and some exceptional new compositions by members of the group.The wonderful guitarist, Patrick Saussois, from Paris, joins Pearl Django on three tracks and has contributed an original tune to the mix. One of Seattle's best drummers, Mark Ivester is found on one cut of the previous CD, but is truly featured on five tracks of the new CD. Mark's drumming kicks the energy up a a few notches. And accordionist, David Lange, who can be heard on previous Pearl Django CDs, contributes some of his most tasteful playing ever.

Chasing Rainbows

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Pearl Django - Eleven

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:43
Size: 116.1 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz, Swing
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[5:53] 1. Sonara
[4:30] 2. Jeannine
[3:14] 3. Prozac Musette
[4:35] 4. Endless Fields Of Green
[2:55] 5. Rumbatism
[5:03] 6. Serafina
[5:11] 7. Eleventh Hour
[3:53] 8. Rue De Dinan
[3:53] 9. Bella Deluxe
[3:32] 10. Pannonica
[3:38] 11. Jive At Five
[4:22] 12. Zimovia

We are very excited about our CD titled Eleven. We are joined by the magnificent guitarist, Martin Taylor on three tracks. Martin penned two of the compositions he can be heard on and the third is a reworking of a tune Martin had recorded with the great Stephane Grappelli. . If you have been listening to our recent CDs you know we have been recording more and more originals and this CD continues that trend. We hope you like it.

Eleven

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Pearl Django - Under Paris Skies

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:57
Size: 118.9 MB
Styles: Swing, Gypsy jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[2:08] 1. Seaside Adventure
[2:58] 2. Limehouse Blues
[3:07] 3. Under Paris Skies
[3:56] 4. I've Found A New Baby
[3:11] 5. Laura
[3:42] 6. Radio City Rhythm
[3:09] 7. Plum Crumble
[2:37] 8. Cherokee
[5:15] 9. Nuages
[2:47] 10. Zingarelli
[3:10] 11. My Blue Heaven
[2:47] 12. Swing 39
[2:29] 13. Blues For Venetia
[2:37] 14. I'll See You In My Dreams
[4:56] 15. La Rive Gauche
[3:00] 16. New Metropolitan Swing

Neil Andersson, Guitar; Michael Gray, Violin; Dudley Hill, Gibson L-5; Rick Leppanen, String Bass. Special Guests:David Lange, Accordion (Tracks 1, 3, 10 & 15); Doug Mckenna, Guitar; Greg Ruby, Guitar.

The Pacific Northwest-based American Gipsy Swing formation Pearl Django pays tribute to the genre's originator not only by name. Their record label is Modern Hot Records, another graceful bow to the original Hot Club of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. Under Paris Skies even appropriates the original locale to conjure up a present-day bohemian Manouche/Sinti setting of musical French outdoor cafes and bistros where this type of ensemble - lead guitar, rhythm guitar, double bass, violin, sometimes accordion or clarinet -- still keeps the flame alive.

While not of the ungodly virtuoso caliber of a Jimmy Rosenberg, Romane, Stochelo Rosenberg, Angelo Debarre, Frank Vignola or Fapy Lafertin, Neil Andersson's lead guitar is firmly planted in this at times snazzy, at times wistfully romantic milieu. Bolstered by seven original compositions and 9 others -- only two of which are Reinhardt/Grappelli tunes -- the group wisely concentrates on lighthearted charm that doesn't require diabolical chops to make this album a wonderfully evocative mood setter. Even the novice will peg the proper scene in an instant.

If Paris is the city of love, then Pearl Django's music is its flirtatious accompaniment. Shimmying and bopping along on the jauntily swinging shrum-shrum of Dudley Hill's Gibson L-5 and Rick Leppanen's solid bass lines, the amiable feel-good riff trading between solo guitar and Michael Gray's violin has that laissez-faire, lazy-cool sophistication foreigners go to Paris for to catch and cultivate. Michael's thick-throated fiddle sashays along with minimal effort on the bow, like an old Cuban son dancer barely shuffling his feet yet floating with tireless elegance.

Under Paris Skies

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Pearl Django - Time Flies...

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:24
Size: 99.4 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz, Hot Club Swing
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[3:17] 1. Django Bop-Bistrot D'Eustache
[4:45] 2. Grisology
[3:11] 3. Djangolatry
[4:25] 4. Napoli '61
[3:01] 5. Something Borrowed
[3:49] 6. Waltz For 12
[4:59] 7. Springing
[4:48] 8. A Supernator In Italia
[3:09] 9. Momento
[1:48] 10. Manha De Carnaval (Prelude)
[6:08] 11. Manha De Carnaval

Time Flies . . . is the twelfth release by Pearl Django in a little over 20 years of performing. For the period of the past four CDs the group has moved away for Django style covers and has exploited the composing skills of the band members. On this CD you will find nine PD originals and a beautiful cover version of Black Orpheus by Luiz Bonfa. While there is still strong evidence o for the influence of Django Reinhardt, with titles, Django Bop, Djangolatry and Something Borrowed, there are a few compositions which, push the boundaries of what may be considered Gypsy jazz or Hot Club Swing. The compositions are quite good, quite good indeed.

Time Flies...

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Pearl Django - New Metropolitan Swing

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:14
Size: 137.9 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz, Retro swing
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[3:41] 1. Boheme Auberge
[2:25] 2. Montagne Ste Genevieve
[4:27] 3. Stompin' At Decca
[4:59] 4. Bella Savoy
[3:27] 5. Stardust
[2:10] 6. Moonlight In Vermont
[4:18] 7. Tangerine
[4:42] 8. Oh, Lady Be Good
[4:40] 9. 9:20 Special
[4:42] 10. A Foggy Day
[1:44] 11. Modern Hot
[2:06] 12. At Sundown
[4:47] 13. Djangology
[4:20] 14. Bedtime For Bix
[4:52] 15. Stompin' At The Savoy
[2:45] 16. It's What Curley Said To Moe

Neil Andersson, Kyle (Gypsy Jazz mode), Park Harlequin, Maccaferri (Plastic Acoustic); Dudley Hill, 1947 Gibson L-5, 30s Gibson ES 150 (Charlie Christian model); Shelley D. Park, Park Maccaferri replica; Michael Gray, Violin; David "Pope" Firman, String Bass. Special guests: Lance Buller, Trumpet; Stephanie Porter, Vocal.

Gypsy jazz (also known as gypsy swing or hot club jazz) is a style of jazz music started by guitarist Jean "Django" Reinhardt in the 1930s. Because its origins are largely in France it is often called by the French name, "Jazz manouche," or alternatively, "manouche jazz".

Although the name Pearl Django seems tongue-in-cheek, guitarist Neil Andersson and company are serious about Gypsy swing. Originally a rocker, Northwest native Andersson found that jazz was his real love. “Playing Django-style guitar has totally renewed my interest in guitar playing,” he says. “It’s so intriguing to figure out how Django played, and how he developed his melodies. A lot of Django’s playing is classically influenced—such as his vibrato and his romantic approach to melody. It’s not just blues based.”

The seeds of Pearl Django were sown when Andersson started playing standards with guitarist Dudley Hill. At a workshop in Vancouver (led by Britain’s Ian Cruickshank—a guitarist, author, and producer of the video Gypsy Guitar: The Legacy of Django Reinhardt), Andersson met an apprentice luthier, Shelley Park, who played some of the most authentic Gypsy rhythm guitar on the continent. Asking her to join the group was a given, and, after adding Rick Leppanen on bass and Michael Gray on violin, Pearl Django was born.

New Metropolitan Swing

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Michael Gray & Pearl Django - Souvenirs: Stephane Grappelli Remembered

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 39:42
Size: 90.9 MB
Styles: Gypsy swing
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[3:27] 1. Minor Swing
[3:10] 2. Souvenirs De Villengen
[3:19] 3. Pent-Up House
[4:30] 4. Splendor In Feathers
[4:15] 5. Saskia
[4:02] 6. In My Solitude
[5:15] 7. It's Only A Paper Moon
[4:14] 8. I'll Remember April
[3:04] 9. Sweet Lorraine
[4:21] 10. Tears

Neil Andersson, Guitar; Michael Gray, Violin; Dudley Hill, Guitar; Rick Leppanen, Bass; Shelley D. Park, Guitar.
New Stories: appears on Splendor in Feathers and I'll Remember April. John Bishop, Drums (tracks 4 & 7); Doug Miller, Bass (tracks 4 & 7); Marc Seales, Piano (tracks 4 & 7).
Special guests: Will Dowd, Drums (track 8); David Lange, Accordion (track 2); Paul Sawyer, Electric Guitar (track 8).

Initially a self-taught instrumentalist, Michael Gray learned to play violin while homesteading in Alaska. Michael is originally from Philadelphia. Since moving to the Puget Sound area, he has kept busy performing and recording with groups including Highwire, Grass Backwards, Quo ad Hoc, Point No Point and Odd Men Out. Michael is an accomplished composer and has recently acquired part-time teaching positions at Cornish College and the University of Washington.

With a performance history spanning almost two decades, Pearl Django endures as one of the most highly regarded Hot Club style groups working today. Although the band’s roots are firmly in the music made famous by Django Reinhardt and Stephan Grappelli, its extensive repertoire includes traditional jazz classics and original compositions. Pearl Django has performed at festivals, dances and nightspots throughout the U.S. and abroad. They have played at the prestigious Festival Django Reinhardt in Samois sur Seine and have been featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” The band’s signature style is marked by pristine and dexterous string work, colors of Bal Musette, the steady pulse of rhythm guitar and an unmistakable swing that delights audiences of all musical sensibilities. Throughout the years, Pearl Django has cultivated a devoted and enthusiastic following and they continue to play to packed houses wherever they perform.

Souvenirs: Stephane Grappelli Remembered

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Pearl Django - Avalon

Styles: Gypsy Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:33
Size: 125,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:50)  1. Avalon
(3:46)  2. Troublant Bolero
(3:41)  3. Swing 42
(2:28)  4. Memories of You
(3:10)  5. Lover, Come Back to Me
(4:27)  6. Blues en Mineur
(5:22)  7. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
(5:24)  8. Manoir de Mes Reves
(4:26)  9. Begin the Beguine
(3:05) 10. Belleville
(2:21) 11. Walc Nagrobek
(3:21) 12. Swingtonic
(3:57) 13. Honeysuckle Rose
(4:11) 14. I'm Confessin'

The fifth release by Pearl Django shows them in high spirits with string music that swings; three acoustic guitarists, a violinist & a bassist recapitulate the instrumentation of Django's legendary Quintet of the Hot Club of France, paying homage to a magnificent tradition, while bringing five wide-ranging backgrounds & a spectrum of stylistic capabilities to a new renaissance of string swing. ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Avalon-Pearl-Django/dp/B000050HP8

Personnel: Dudley Hill, Shelley D. Park, Neil Anderson (guitar); Michael Gray (violin); David Lange (accordion).

Avalon

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Pearl Django - Modern Times

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 53:31
Size: 125.0 MB
Styles: Swing, Gypsy jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[3:20] 1. Smile
[3:50] 2. Missoula Flood
[4:15] 3. Chutes, No Ladders
[3:43] 4. Mulholland Bounce
[4:43] 5. Saskia
[4:51] 6. Once In A While
[2:58] 7. The Conversation
[4:39] 8. September In The Rain
[3:58] 9. Sombre Dimanche / Le Rubis
[4:26] 10. Warm Valley
[3:32] 11. L'indifference
[4:52] 12. Black And Blue
[4:18] 13. Cheek To Cheek

Modern Times is the ninth release by the Hot Club style group, Pearl Django. For over 12 years Pearl Django has remained as one of the most popular Django influenced groups in the US with sales approaching 60,000. Accordionist and recording en Pearl Django: Neil Andersson (guitar); Michael Gray (violin); David Lange (accordion); Rick Leppanen (bass guitar). Additional personnel: Ron Peters, Pete Krebs, Robin Nolan, Greg Ruby (guitars).

Modern Times

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Pearl Django - Swing 48

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 50:31
Size: 115.7 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[3:51] 1. Swing 48
[2:33] 2. La Mer
[4:31] 3. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
[2:59] 4. Dragonfly
[3:00] 5. Swing 24
[4:16] 6. Holiday For Guitars
[3:39] 7. Sweet Sue, Just You
[3:51] 8. Melodie Au Crepuscule
[3:17] 9. Samois Swing
[5:00] 10. Palo Verde
[2:28] 11. Freeway
[2:55] 12. Cb's Waltz
[3:47] 13. Sweet Chorus
[4:17] 14. Double Scratch

This is the seventh release by one of America's premiere "Hot Club" influenced groups, Pearl Django. "Swing 48," the title cut on this CD, is a Django Reinhardt minor blues, and it's used here as a vehicle to showcase the hard swing and improvisation of the five members of Pearl Django. The thirteen other compositions are a mix of band member originals, Django tunes and standards. So much of Pearl Django's music shows their appreciation for music that is upbeat, that swings, and that generally displays their love for "Hot Club" style jazz. Features guitarists Neil Andersson and Dudley Hill, as well as violinist Michael Gray.

Recorded at David Lange Studios, Edgewood, Washington.

Michael Gray (violin); Neil Andersson, Dudley Hill, Greg Ruby (guitar); Rick Leppanen (double bass). Additional personnel: David Lange (accordion); Mark Ivester (drums).

Swing 48

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