With Yerba Buena Bounce, its tenth CD, The Hot Club of San Francisco confirms its reputation as Americas longest-running and finest Gypsy Jazz ensemble. Inspired explorations of Django Reinhardts tunes, originals and more, are captured in shimmering HDCD sound.
The Hot Club of San Francisco is a quintet of accomplished and versatile musicians who celebrate Django Reinhardts and Stephane Grappellis renowned Hot Club de France. The ensemble borrows the all-string instrumentation of three guitars, violin and bass from the original Hot Club, but breathes new life into the music with innovative arrangements of classic tunes and original compositions from the groups superb lead guitarist, Paul Mehling. Hearing the ensemble takes the listener back to the 1930s and to the small, smoky jazz clubs of Paris. The music of The Hot Club of San Francisco has entranced audiences around the globe for more than a decade. Their performances have been hailed as intricate, scorching, and often brilliant (Acoustic Guitar).
Mandolinist David Grisman, father of Dawg music and good friend of The Hot Club, makes a special guest appearance on two tracks. The set is further enhanced by bandoneon virtuoso Seth Asarno. Two bonus tracks feature the quintet augmented by three Dixieland horns!
Recorded by multi-Grammy-nominated Prof. Keith Johnson at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California, the Yerba Buena Bounce sessions benefited from the historic ambience, scene of hundreds of classic jazz and rock recordings. Using his own custom-built microphones and electronics (as always), Johnson was able to utilize some of Fantasys unique facilities, such as a legendary echo chamber, to add
luster to his always life-like soundscapes.
Musicians:
Ari Munkres, cello
Jason Vanderford, guitar
Evan Price, violin
Jeff Magidson, guitar
Paul Mehling, vocals(16,17), guitar
Bill Carter, clarinet
Marc Caprone, trumpet
Clint Baker, trombone, tuba
Selections:
1. Mystery Pacific
Django Reinhardt/Stéphane Grappelli
2. Hot Lips
Henry Busse/Lon Davis/H.W. Lange
3. Im Happy Just To Dance With You
John Lennon/Paul McCartney with Seth Asarno, bandoneon
4. Sway
Norman Gimbel/R.P. Rosas with David Grisman, mandolin
5. Number Two
Paul Mehling
6. Souvenir de Villingen
Stéphane Grappelli
7. Tickle Toe
Lester Young
8. Black and White
Django Reinhardt/Stéphane Grappelli
9. Lullabye
Paul Mehling with David Grisman, mandolin; Seth Asarno, bandoneon
10. Rythme Futur
Django Reinhardt
11. Yerba Buena Bounce
Paul Mehling
12. Stardust
Hoagy Carmichael/Mitchell Parish
13. Borneo
Walter Donaldson
14. Georgia Cabin
Sidney Bechet
15. Improvisation #2
Django Reinhardt
Bonus Tracks:
16. Gong Oh
Paolo Conte
17. Jam: Some Of These Days
Brooks Shelton