USA: HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES TO RELEASE CINEMA SWING
HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES TO RELEASE CINEMA SWING(March 6, 2020)
A Sizzling Collection of 12 Songs Celebrating Classic Gypsy Jazz And Original Material Composed By Band Members
This band is an LA treasure”—Jackson Brown
"Masterfully played..."--Blogcritics.org
"An exciting collection of 12 songs in which classical "jazz Manouche" and original material are composed by band members."--Rootsville
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Josh Workman-guitar | Jake Bluenote-guitar, vocal | Carl Byron-accordion, piano, vocal
Paul Eckman-bass | Jim Doyle-drums
Produced, Engineered, Mastered by Jim Doyle at Doyle Audio | Mixed by Kevin Jarvis
On the west side of Los Angeles, an unassuming Sepulveda Blvd storefront anchors a giant neon sign announcing The Cinema Bar. Since 2011 on Monday nights, this quirky night spot—which has hosted numerous genres of music since the 1940s—has turned itself over to the gypsy jazz of the Hot Club of Los Angeles.
The band, which was formed in 2011, is comprised of established Los Angeles-based musicians with backgrounds in country, jazz, folk, blues, rock, pop and world music. Amongst them, the members of Hot Club of Los Angeles have performed with many influential artists including David Grisman, Bill Frissell, Rita Coolidge and Debra Harry to name a few. On March 6th, 2020 the ensemble will release its second studio album, Cinema Swing.
Hot Club of Los Angeles is a Nuevo Django/jazz manouche/gypsy jazz ensemble that showcases eclectic arrangements of gypsy jazz instrumentals, vocal numbers sung in French, Roma and Russian, straight-ahead jazz repertoire, a unique blend of film music selections, and gypsy jazz-inspired originals composed by band members Carl Byron and Paul Eckman.
The group is known for its sterling musicianship, range of repertoire and exciting shows. The Argonaut newspaper lauds Hot Club of Los Angeles for bringing “one of the worlds greatest musical traditions” to LA’s backyard, exclaiming “it’s rare to find musicians with the skill and passion to play it.” Famed musician Jackson Browne caught them in 2016 and now occasionally sits in with the band. For the piano parts on Cinema Swing, Browne lent Byron the use of the Baldwin grand at Browne’s Groove Masters studio in Santa Monica.
Cinema Swing captures the exuberance of the group’s celebrated live shows. The recording covers six touchstones of the gypsy jazz repertoire: Django’s “Douce Ambience” and “Nuages” (sung in French by Byron), manouche classics “Swing Gitan” and “Noto Swing”, traditional Russian song “Óči čjórnye/Ochi Chyornye”(“Dark Eyes”), and the standard “After You’ve Gone”. Band members Eckman and Byron also contributed three new original pieces each, fusing their own compositional styles with the spirit of classic gypsy jazz numbers, while also providing material that showcases the band’s expressive range and virtuosity.
“The album’s title track is my homage to Django’s most famous piece, ‘Minor Swing,”’ explains Byron. “The title itself refers both to the Cinema Bar and Songs from the Cinema, the film and music-themed all star 2017 and 2018 Artists for Peace and Justice benefits where the band performed with Jackson Browne and a bounty of other luminaries from music, film and television.”
“Cynthia” a waltz by Eckman, features lyrical interplay between guitars, accordion and piano. “I wanted to write a sentimental song,” Eckman says. “I had an image of a man in a French country café singing, perhaps about lost love.” “Bossa Sepulveda” (Byron), which takes its name from the street where The Cinema Bar is located, was inspired by the great tradition of fusing gypsy jazz with various Latin music styles. “Sylvain” (Eckman) features an array of hooky, post-bop melodic lines. On “Valse Angeles” (Byron) the musette and waltz styles that influenced Django are evoked. “Drinking Song” (Eckman) is a gypsy jazz homage to Kurt Weill infused with Weimar-era Weltschmerz and also, as the title suggests, a rousing romp. According to Eckman, “The melody of “Drinking Song” seemed reminiscent of the type of song that could be heard in a rowdy bar; hence the title.”
Hot Club of Los Angeles invests its performances with passion and the band’s own unique approach to gypsy jazz, reflecting the accomplished musicianship and stylistic breadth of the group’s members, which drummer/producer Doyle captures on the record. “We’re not your parent’s (or grandparent’s) gypsy jazz band,” notes Byron. “We range far and wide stylistically, while still honoring Django’s legacy. It’s also fun music that will brighten your day, put a smile on your face and a spring in your step.”
For More Information: https://www.hotclubofla.com/
Press Contact: Kim Grant Kim@KGMusicPress.com (t): 626-755-9022
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Kim Grant--Entertainment Publicist, Social Strategist, Marketer, Writer http://kgmusicpress.com Find us on Social Media c. 626-755-9022
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