Alfonso Ponticelli & Swing Gitan are a Chicago-based Gypsy jazz band in the tradition of Django Reinhardt, though their music ranges from traditional songs to works written by Django and his partner Stéphane Grappelli, standards, swing jazz compositions, and originals. There is plenty of virtuoso playing by the leader on acoustic guitar, with the chugging rhythm guitars behind him a trademark of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, while violinist Steve Gibons is a perfect foil for him. They bring a freshness to rarely played Reinhardt compositions such as "Django's Tiger" and "Rhythme Futur." But this is no mere nostalgia act, as the band takes the music in new directions, particularly with a hilarious Gypsy jazz setting of "Munsters" (that's right, the theme song of the old 1960s television comedy that starred Fred Gwynne and Yvonne De Carlo) in a medley with the more traditional-flavored "Rythmes Gitans." Violinist Gibons' "Ravelnikov" has a dramatic Middle Eastern theme, while Ponticelli's "Melancholy Tango" overdubs a little bit of thunderstorm sound effects. They add a pair of bonus tracks, including an informally recorded version of "Sweet Georgia Brown" from 1996.
© Ken Dryden /TiVo