By: Mackenzie Lambert
If there was ever an appropriate venue for the Django Reinhardt Centennial Celebration held on May 27th, it would be the Tralf. It provides a satisfying aura as one might have expected from Le Hot Club de France in the 1930’s. This event would be lost in a bigger, impersonal venue like HSBC Arena or Shea’s.
Headliner Stephane Wrembel & the Django Experiment and Buffalo’s own Babik performed in honor of 100 years of Django Reinhardt. For the uninitiated, Django was a celebrated Gypsy jazz guitarist who could only use two fingers on his fret hand since the others were paralyzed from a fire accident. His fans are truly legion, including but not limited to King Crimson’s Robert Fripp, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath’s Tommy Iommi, Phish’s Trey Anastasio, The Squirrel Nut Zippers, and even Murray Cook, the guitarist from the Wiggles.
While Gypsy jazz itself may not be as “mainstream” as many would think, it is still used frequently throughout the landscape of popular culture. Viewers of Jon Favreau’s Dinner for Five would hear Gypsy jazz between segments and through the credits. His music was used throughout both games in the Bioshock series. Films such as The Matrix, Sweet and Lowdown, L.A. Story, and Chocolat have all featured tracks by Django. It is safe to say that his music is still relevant despite the fact that he has been dead for 57 years.
As Joshua Assad, guitarist for Babik, stated, “The essence and vibe of this music is timeless, infectious, and carries an everlasting joy regardless of your background and age. This music is played with heart and plays to the heart. It is pure spirit.”
After an opening featuring a didgeridoo, Babik thrilled the crowd with a set featuring Django songs as well as Django-inspired music. The superb violin-playing of Geoffrey Perry brings to mind another element integral to the Gypsy jazz genre: Stephane Grappelli. Grappelli was often the violinist accompanying Django. he can be heard on such tracks as “Liza (All the Clouds’ll Roll Away)” and “Belleville.” The many crowd pleasers performed by Babik included “After You’ve Gone”, “12th Street Rag”, “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing”, and an insane medley consisting of bits of songs like “Smoke on the Water”, “Iron Man”, “Dueling Banjos”, and “Sabre Dance”.
(Image courtesy of www.babikjazz.com)
Babik essentially showcased a Marx Brothers approach to Gypsy jazz. They showed what fun could be had within the genre. No matter how unorthodox the instrument, be it a cigar box-ukelele or a kazoo, the could play the hell out of it and it would not seem out of place. The improvisation and interplay between the band from members Assad, Perry, bassist Kevin O’Brien, and lead guitarist Stuart Fuchs made for an intense and tough-act-to-follow opening.
Stephane Wrembel presented Gypsy jazz in a manner that was traditional, purist, energetic, and ferocious. He and his ensemble stayed within the parameters of Gypsy jazz. However, they were never dull nor lost the momentum initiated by Babik. Wrembel opened with a Django favorite, “Minor Swing”. Other noted tracks in his set include “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” and “Big Brother”, from the Woody Allen film Vicky Christina Barcelona.
The musicians backing up Wrembel were nothing short of amazing. Nick Anderson was channeling Buddy Rich, moving from smooth to furious in a heartbeat. Dave Speranza showed that stunning upright bass solos are possible and look easier than they really are. Koran Hasanagic was an impressive guitarist and contributed his own fair share of blistering playing.
If there was one qualm with the evening, it was on the part of the audience during Wrembel’s time on the stage. While the band was playing, there was a wave of chattering going on. I would have expected this at Thursday at the Square where the price of admission is nothing. I was surprised to see this at a venue where admission was fairly pricey. Other than that one hiccup, the combination of Babik with Stephane Wrembel & the Django Experiment proved to be a fruitful evening in honor of one legendary guitarist.
(Lead image courtesy of StephaneWrembel.com)
—-
Mackenzie Lambert is a Buffalo-based columnist. He has been
featured in such publications as Penny Blood and Pantechnion. Lambert
is also a movie columnist for The Men’s Room Today (www.themensroomtoday.com).