Christian Escoude combines elements of gypsy jazz, bop, and a contemporary flavor during these 1989 sessions that also include fellow guitarists Paul Challin Ferret, Jimmy Gourley, Frederic Sylvestre, accordion player Marcel Azzla, cellist Vincent Courtois, bassist Alby Cullaz, and either Billy Hart or Philippe Combelle on drums. The presence of so many players sometimes muddies the sound, especially when Azzla is too prominent in the mix. Several of the works were written by Escoude's late uncle, the popular accordion player/composer Gus Viseur, who had worked with Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli in the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, though the switch to electric guitars and addition of percussion indicates this is not your father's gypsy music. Toots Thielemans' "Bluesette" opens very deliberately before returning to its buoyant, uptempo roots, while the group opens John Lewis' "Django" in rather maudlin fashion, with the accordion proving to be more of a distraction than an asset. Escoude's "Valse Catalane" provides a breezy finale to this enjoyable (though uneven) date.
© Ken Dryden /TiVo