Hot Club Edmonton - ST

Tracks

		Track Name	Length
	1	Belleville	02:58
	2	Blanche	04:43
	3	Hommage à Grappelli	03:14
	4	Misty	08:14
	5	Fly in the Pudding	05:09
	6	Dinah	03:04
	7	Johnny and Mary	05:02
	8	The Fox	03:34
	9	Sweet Suzanne	05:03
	10	I Got Rhythm	03:25
	11	La vie en Rose	03:31
	12	Dark Eyes	06:30
	13	Sweet Georgia Brown	05:51

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Information/Write-up

May 11, 2015: Celebrating 15 years with The Museum of Canadian Music!
Gypsy Jazz was shaped within the context of Paris in the 1930s by Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli and the Quintette du Hot Club de France. Together, these two masters popularized this style and made waves throughout the world. Gypsy Jazz is an utterly infectious genre of music that encompasses haunting airs, swinging melodies, driving rhythms and virtuosic improvisation. All of this is delivered with the Gypsy flair. When listening to this music, one can imagine a smoky and crowded bar in France. It is our goal with this project to capture the essence of the Quintette du Hot Club de France while paying tribute to two giants in the history of jazz. Cheers to Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli!

Clinton Pelletier and Daniel Gervais were first drawn to Gypsy Jazz in 2003. Clinton was recording his debut album at the time and wanted to cover this style. At that point, Clinton and Daniel decided to fully immerse themselves in Gypsy Jazz. A trip to Europe in the spring of 2006 allowed them to further experience this music from the very source. Inspired at the site of Stéphane Grappelli's columbarium in Paris, Daniel composed Hommage à Grappelli. In the summer of 2009, Clinton and Daniel returned to France for a tour with the French-Canadian dance troupe Zéphyr. On this trip, they were fortunate to meet a wonderful French Gypsy Jazz violinist, Matthias Guerry. This musical encounter led to an impromptu concert and a very authentic experience, which was an excellent background for the completion of the Hot Club Edmonton debut album.

Although Clinton and Daniel are not Gypsies themselves, there are certain parallels between their world and that of Django's and Stéphane's. Firstly, they both have French heritage. Secondly, like the Gypsy peoples, their lives as professional musicians include a lot of travelling. Finally, having grown up listening to Country and Western Swing, they were exposed to and developed an appreciation for improvisation at an early age. Just as Gypsy Jazz was shaped within the context of Paris in the 1930s, the Hot Club Edmonton sound could be described as a product of Gypsy Jazz combined with Western Canadian musical influences.

When listening to this music, one can imagine a smoky and crowded bar in France. Hot Club Edmonton captures the essence of Quintette du Hot Club de France while paying tribute to two giants in the history of jazz, Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli.

By Calvin Daniels
Gypsy Jazz with a twist. This new album is a fresh mix of french gypsy jazz and western canadian folk music. The album was named 2010's instrumental recording of the year at the WCMA's!

When you go to a band’s website and on the front page read “are you ready for a unique musical experience? This is a place where 1930’s Gypsy Jazz, meets Western Canadian Folk Music, creating a sound unlike any you've heard before: Hot Club Edmonton,” you tend to get rather curious about just what is going to be on the disk.

Well, true to its billing, Hot Club Edmonton throws together several musical influences on their self-titled effort. The idea of Parisian jazz certainly comes through, from the opening instrumental Belleville to the French vocals of Blanche which could have been playing in a French club during the Great War as far as style goes.

The CD liner notes explain the roots of Gypsy jazz. “Gypsy Jazz was shaped within the context of Paris in the 1930s’ by Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli and the Quintette du Hot Club de France. Together these two masters popularized this style and made waves throughout the world. Gypsy Jazz is an utterly infectious genre of music that encompasses haunting airs, swinging melodies, driving rhythms and virtuosic improvisation. All of this is delivered with the Gypsy flair.”

That a band on the Canadian Prairies undertook this particular project is interesting and gratifying for the listener too. Hot Club Edmonton looks to capture that historical feel. “It is our goal with this project to capture the essence of the Quintette du Hot Club de France while paying tribute to two giants in the history of Jazz.”

To the group’s credit they do it well. Certainly the word infectious is one which comes to mind in terms of describing the music here. It is a fun disk to listen too. This is one worth checking out for its uniqueness, its upbeat music, and fine musicianship. Oh yes the best is Misty, with the sweet vocals of Thea Neumann. Impressive and beautiful.
-Calvin Daniels, Yorkton This Week newspaper May 12, 2010 - Yorkton, Saskatchewan

Clinton Pelletier: lead/rhythm/electric guitars, vocals (all tracks except 12)
Daniel Gervais: fiddle, 5-string fiddle, vocals (all tracks except 12)
Cam Neufeld: rhythm guitar (tracks 1–13)
Travis Switzer: upright bass (tracks 1, 3, 6, 7)
Jason Kodie: accordion (track 2)
Brad Tebble: snare drum (track 2)
Curtis Ebner: upright bass (tracks 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11)
Calvin Vollrath: fiddle (track 5)
Jeremiah McDade: soprano saxophone (tracks 8, 9, 12)
Mike Lent: upright bass (tracks 10, 12)
Thea Neumann: vocals (tracks 4, 11, 13)

Produced by Clinton Pelletier and Daniel Gervais
Engineered by Clinton Pelletier at Reel Time Studios
Mixed and mastered by Phil Anderson at Powersound Studios

Brand identity and design by Matthew Cabaj

THANK YOU

I wish to thank my parents, Gilles and Patricia Gervais, for guiding me into a musical life. Thank you Aline for your constant love and support.
–Daniel–

First and foremost, I need to acknowledge the two men responsible for Gypsy Jazz: Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. May they rest in peace. Also, a huge thanks to all who were involved in the conception of this album to its release. As always, my family deserves recognition for their on-going support and inspiration. Thank you all!!!
–Clinton–

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