Django in June

We are honored and pleased to have the Robin Nolan Trio rejoin us for this, our fifth anniversary. After all, it was Robin who helped us get this event off the ground in 2004, our inaugural year.  As those of you who attended that performance know first hand, Robin's playing is full of warmth, elegance, and humor. Now in its second decade, his Amsterdam-based Trio has performed the world over at prestigious events, including the annual Django tribute at Samois-sur-Seine, the Montreal, Barcelona, and North Sea Jazz Festivals, and the Lincoln Center Django Festival. While Django is always at the heart of the Robin Nolan Trio sound, they also find inspiration in Latin rhythms and the great American composers of the 20th century, drawing on Ellington, Gershwin, and even the Beatles to produce a Gypsy Jazz that's decidedly contemporary and forward-looking.  To top it off, Robin is a world-class composer whose original tunes have quickly become popular among gypsy jazz musicians.  Please join us in welcoming the Robin Nolan Trio back to Northampton in 2008!

Travel expenses for RNT courtesy of DjangoFest San Francisco/Mill Valley. Become a member!

For musicians, the international Django festival held in Samois-sur-Seine every year is as much (or more) about what happens in the campgrounds as what happens on the mainstage. The first time I attended, I spent a good deal of time hanging around the campsite of Mathieu Chatelain, a well-known French rhythm guitarist. That little piece of turf was the site of many, many exciting jam sessions over the course of the week as a constant stream of superb musicians stopped by to play with Mathieu.

The one player who created the most buzz that week was a teenager that almost nobody had ever seen or heard before by the name of Adrien Moignard. After the words, "Mon dieu", I couldn't understand much of the French commentary, but in English this kid's playing ability could be fairly described as "scary good". And by Samois' standards that is saying something, no matter what language you say it in.

Five years later, it will be our turn—and our great pleasure—to play host to Mathieu and Adrien on the first US tour of L'Ensemble Zaiti. With Mathieu on rhythm guitar and Adrien on lead, the Ensemble also includes Jeremiah Arranger on bass and Cedric Ricard on saxophone.  The group's approach to Jazz Manouche melds the Django style of jazz guitar with elements of bebop and experimental jazz, resulting in a sound all their own that is both rooted in and expands the Gypsy Jazz tradition. These are among the best young musicians playing this music in Europe today. Join us in welcoming them for what promises to be an exciting and memorable evening.

Travel expenses for Ensemble Zaiti courtesy of DjangoFest San Francisco/Mill Valley. Become a member!