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But was it coming so sassy and sweet Sunday night from the Hot Club of San Francisco on the Viterbo University Fine Arts Center Main Theatre stage. The gypsy jazz string quintet was sizzling and dazzling in a Bright Star Season evening of pure delight.
The Hot Club of San Francisco easily entertains and keeps the music of Django Reinhardt alive and jumping with joy. Lead guitarist Paul Mehling led more than 800 people in the crowd on a journey of Django’s life and music interspersed with American jazz.
Mehling is a fabulous acoustic guitarist, who improvises with brilliance whether it’s a solo, a duet with violinist Evan Price or playing with bassist Clint Baker and two rhythm guitarists. Price is a phenomenal violinist with a great jazz ear and bowing, and Baker plays a bouncing, beautiful bass.
Hot Club played several good old Django tunes with gorgeous interplay. The ensemble also gave wonderful renditions of “The Man I Love” and “All Of Me.” The group especially had a lot of fun adding a gypsy style to a Fats Waller tune, “Jitterbug Waltz.”
This is a string chamber jazz group of virtuoso musicians who bring a passion, warmth and a sentimentality to this great genre of music.
Terry Rindfleisch can be reached at trindfleisch@lacrossetribune.com, or (608) 791-8227
