31 October 2017

Hot clubbing


Now this was nice. An free lunchtime gig from the School of Music at the ANU's new Pop-Up refectory (very hip but also very temporary and very cheap although with an imposing PA). The band was Gypsy Project, playing the music of Django and the Hot Club of France and, I guess, some related idioms. The website talks of Romany folk and Russian waltzes - perhaps at weddings. On the day, it was Django tunes and a few jazz tunes in the style: Night & day and Honeysuckle rose and Thomas the Tank Engine (identified in competition by a woman, presumably a recent mother) along with Djangology, Swing 1939 and 1948 and Minor blues and the like. All those two feels and chopped guitar chords and France-sleeze melodies and those quick runs. I liked it, tapped along with it. Several others did although many were just there between lectures or to eat. But a great pleasure, lively, jumpy. Some very nice solos all round, quite differently styled from the two guitars; the bass that switches between 2 and 4 and Anthony's great, mobile melodic lines that stretch regularly up the neck; the violin, electric, fat and prominent. All much fun and rollicking. They get out for gigs, but I reckon their weddings must be a blast: their music would suit all that positivity and loveyness. Ah, dreaming of France. Catch them with someone special and dance.

The Gypsy Jazz Project played at the ANU Pop-Up Refec. They are Sverre Molland and Bruce Rose (guitars), Ben Phillips (violin) and Anthony Irving (bass).

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