Leader John Jorgenson, a founding member of the Desert Rose Band, the Hellecasters, and six-year member of Elton John's band, is a guitarist's guitarist. Artists ranging from Barbara Streisand to Bonnie Raitt to Earl Scrug... more »gs have sought out his work. It has been 3 years since the release of Jorgenson's first Gypsy Jazz tribute, ""Franco-American Swing"", but fans can now discover that the wait has been worth it for ""Ultraspontane"", a 12-track collection of pure musical artistry in the same tradition. As proven in the last release, John and company do not merely recreate the hot jazz that blazed through Europe in the 1920s and 30s. The JJQ have expanded upon this extraordinary musical genre to keep it modern and marvelous.« less
Leader John Jorgenson, a founding member of the Desert Rose Band, the Hellecasters, and six-year member of Elton John's band, is a guitarist's guitarist. Artists ranging from Barbara Streisand to Bonnie Raitt to Earl Scruggs have sought out his work. It has been 3 years since the release of Jorgenson's first Gypsy Jazz tribute, ""Franco-American Swing"", but fans can now discover that the wait has been worth it for ""Ultraspontane"", a 12-track collection of pure musical artistry in the same tradition. As proven in the last release, John and company do not merely recreate the hot jazz that blazed through Europe in the 1920s and 30s. The JJQ have expanded upon this extraordinary musical genre to keep it modern and marvelous.
"I am a big fan of the jazz of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. To hear something new, different and so lively while keeping within their genre with the same kind of artistry and brilliance is a real treat. This one is a keeper.
I told my wife about it last week, but she forgot the name. Later, she heard the interview of NPR with John and she made a note to tell me about "this great music." For the interview, see http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18343640&ft=1&f=1105"
Swingin' set of latter-day gypsy jazz
Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 08/05/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"American pop/country guitarist John Jorgenson has a long and abiding love for the gypsy jazz style of Django Reinhardt and Serane Ferrat... Here he indulges that passion in a lively acoustic set featuring a strong instrumental quintet and even a guest appearance by Beryl Davis, a grand dame of the British big band era who once worked with violinist Stephane Grappelli. All the songs are Jorgenson originals, and they match the playful, dynamic glory of the classic gypsy jazz of the 1930s... A nice surprise! If you like the style, this is definitely worth checking out. (DJ Joe Sixpack)"
Django's Back!!!
Robert Neumann | Tavares, FL USA | 01/18/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"John Jorgensen is one of the great hot jazz guitar players of our era. His group harkens back to Le Jazz Hot and Django Reinhart's playing in Paris in the 40's. Check out his first album of hot jazz guitar (Franco-American Swing). You'll love it, too!"
My First (but not last) John Jorgenson miracle
tomh | Newton, MA United States | 02/26/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I heard John Jorgenson interviewed on NPR a few weeks back. The clips appealed to me, so I bought the album. Wow -- I just can't stop listening to it. Loud!
If you like Gipsy Kings (I do), you'll probably also like this, but it's really quite different in a number of ways. For one, it's not so clearly and uniformly gypsy music -- there are certainly a lot of references, and many strong, driving rhythms and phrases that make it clear that the roots here are strong. But then, a piece called Lucky Sevens comes in with a pretty amazing clarinet lead that would make Benny Goodman proud. And several other pieces that reminded me more of Bela Fleck's bluegrass stuff. And while clearly not improvised, this music seems as untethered and liberated to go in whatever direction is right as Keith Jarret.
In short, this album has quickly ascended to a place in my library that is reserved for a few true heroes of modern music. Plus, it's just a blast, and great for parties."
Live Concert and Great CD
Eugene R. Walker | Ketchikan AK, USA | 01/15/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I live in Ketchikan, AK, population about 8,000 with maybe 14,000 on the entire island. The John Jorgenson Quintet recently toured through here, giving a concert in Kayhi Auditorium, about 600 seats. This intimate setting, with great acoustics, made for a fantastic performance. At the end, they shut off the electronics, gathered at the front of the stage, and called for the audience to crowd forward--giving a delightful all-acoustic encore. What a treat!
About half of the performance was from the Ultraspontane album, which I immediately sought out. Score two! Every number on it is great. My favorite gems were "El Camino de Che," "Swingapore," "Lucky Sevens" (Jorgenson on clarinet for this one), "Bossa Orpheum," "Ghost Dance" (devilishly fast-paced), and "La Journee des Tziganes" (The Day of the Gypsies).
These all are in the idiom of Django Reinhardt/Stephane Grapelli, enlivened with a variety of influences from oriental to Latin American. This gives freshness to every selection. Highly recommended for lovers of almost any genre. Enjoy!"