Although Parisian gypsy swing peaked in the '30s, it continues to enjoy a small but enthusiastic cult following in the 21st century -- especially in Europe, where reissues of
Django Reinhardt's classic performances continue to sell and where young acoustic guitarists are still learning to play in a
Reinhardt-based style. One of those European acoustic guitarists with a major
Reinhardt influence is Biel Ballester, a Mallorca native who now lives in Barcelona.
Reinhardt's inspiration is impossible to miss on
Echoes from Mallorca, an intimate trio effort that finds Ballester joined by Joan Ramon Puntí on acoustic rhythm guitar and Leandro Hipaucha or Nono Fernandez on upright bass. But despite his obvious love of
Reinhardt, Ballester is far from a
Reinhardt clone; instead, he puts his own spin on the gypsy jazz style by combining
Reinhardt's influence with elements of Mediterranean music and Catalan-style rhumba. Think of it as Paris by way of Catalunya, which is where this 52-minute CD was recorded in 2001 and 2002 -- and that approach serves Ballester well on his own compositions as well as
Miles Davis' "Solar" and no less five
Reinhardt pieces: "Vendredi 13," "Mabel," "Swing 48," "Peche á la Mouche," and "Lentement Mademoiselle." Ballester has strong chops, but
Echoes from Mallorca never becomes an exercise in technique for the sake of technique; the Mallorca native clearly understands the importance of feeling and emotion. Die-hard fans of gypsy swing will not want to miss this fine release. ~ Alex Henderson