"Django Chanté" - CD Critique - Besprechungen - Reviews - Recensies - Críticas

Highly recommended

The Dutch band Orkest Polytour make a speciality of singing French chansons in so-called Hot Club style, or, in French, "Swing Manouche". Their first CD was very favourably reviewed by us and this excellent follow up continues in the same vein, with bags of ambience, texture, great arrangements and a unique style. Add the superb violin of the gifted Tim Kliphius and you really have something special. But what makes this new CD even more unique is that the guys have unearthed the lost lyrics of five Django tunes never previously heard and set them to well known tunes by Django & Stephane Grappelli. A Rare find indeed!

As we said before, this band reeks of the traditional musette that one would have found walking into a Paris sidewalk cafe in the nineteen forties, or even today in some quarters. The lineup of accordian, solo guitar, rhythm guitar and bass is just right for the style and Jean-Pierre Guiran's light, slightly melancholy voice, drifts over the music in a style that could only be Fraqnch musette.

For the guitarist, Jan de Jong punctuates each track with some fine gypsy-style solos. No one stretches out, that is not the point of these cameos. The band work as a whole to produce as authentic a sound as possible and they certainly succeed in that.

The CD is chock full of Django tunes uniquely enlivened by the addition of the never before heard lyrics (on CD at least).

But above all else, once again Orkest Polytour bring to the CD a joyfulness; a joie de vivre that is hard to fault. This is not a CD for pure gypsy guitar fans although there are many fine guitar solos on it, but if you are into Django and want to enjoy a unique slant and something different, you won't be disappointed with this fine effort. Highly recommended .

Rating: ****.

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