Tatiana Eva-Marie is the newest artist on the GroundUP Music roster and she brings one of the oldest music styles, manouche jazz or hot club music, to the label. It is one of the only music genres, jazz or otherwise, that is nearly universally attributed to one person, namely Django Reinhardt, a Romani born, French guitarist. He and his group, Quintette du Hot Club de France, featuring Stephane Grapelli on violin, were the delight of pre-WWII Paris.
Hot club music featured primarily string instruments, guitar, violin, bass and no percussion other than rhythm guitar and was a predecessor of swing. After fading for a while, it experienced a resurgence in the 1990s including the formation of several Hot Club bands in major U.S. cities. I’d been a fan of these bands for many years so when I saw the GroundUP music announcement about this album, my interest peaked.
Tatiana Eva-Marie grew up in Paris, of Romani descent and Djangology grew out of her appreciation for Django and the hot club jazz style. As noted in the call out, Tatiana wrote all the lyrics to the instrumental tunes bringing new life and meaning to each song. The lyrics are sung in French, English, and Rromanes (the Gypsy language) set to her original arrangements and sound fantastic even if I don’t understand most of the words. The accompanying musicians are also amazing as would be necessary on any true hot club compilation, and production values are incredible. Sit back and enjoy this album with a good set of headphones, perhaps a cup of coffee or a sherry, close your eyes and you’ll be in Paris in no time, no matter where you are.
“I grew up in the jazz Manouche circles, which are dominated by swarms of guitarists – it’s not always easy to fit in as a singer! Most of the music has no lyrics, and the melodies are often too guitaristique to be sung. The microcosm fascinated me and I too wanted to participate in the Django repertoire… I saw only one option: I had to write my own lyrics, tell my own stories, reinvent his music in my own image.”
–Tatiana Eva-Marie @ GroundUPMusic.net
Douce Ambiance translates to “soft ambiance” which this one certainly has throughout. Tatiana’s voice is instantly as smooth as aloe on the skin. After the main chorus, there’s two terrific solos from the lead guitar and then the violin. All the while, the rhythm guitar and bass keep time. The video of the sped up boat ride is a fantastic contrast between the hot playing of the instruments and the delicateness of her voice. Magnifique!
Nuages are “Clouds” in English and this tune immediately caresses the listener like a warm comforter. It’s just Tatiana and guitar for the most part at the beginning, later melded with a lovely violin serenade. It’s terrific how Tatiana wove the vocals in while remaining true enough to the original instrumental arrangements.
Swing 39 is a bit more modern feeling than some of the other tunes. The only lyric I recognize is “je t’aime”, or “I love you” and that’s enough. Again, the musicality, including another swinging violin + bass jam is more than enough to make it a winner. Naturally, there’s a lead guitar solo, before the C-section lyrics come back.
Dinette has a full video which I would love to see eventually for the whole album. Tatiana shines on this love song as she always does but the video adds to the appreciation for the band. Its simple configuration, with the incredible ability to set the mood and play perfectly is spectacular.
Rêverie is a showcase for Tatiana with minimal accompaniment from guitar and violin as more accent pieces for the A-section. There’s a guitar and violin bridge to build a dreamlike setting. Tatiana is enchanting and I hope that she’ll be on tour to support this album soon.
Caravan is a classic Duke Ellington tune. Tatiana’s lyrics here are perfect. I’m so glad that this one is in English. It’s a melody that I know very well and to hear this rendition is so satisfying. It’s got that ultimate Manouche feel, klezmer-like in a way. The speed of the instruments against the sultry voice from Tatiana is wonderful. The violin solo is super fast and exciting. Definitely an album fave for me.
Troublant Boléro has a Spanish flair and brilliant melody + rhythm guitar B-section duo. Tatiana and violin rejoin for the second stanza. The mix is excellent with instruments split left and right and Tatiana mostly center.
Porto Cabello begins with a mysterious, gusty wind section between guitar and violin. The mood is serene with an terrific violin solo as a fitting homage to Grapelli.
Swing 42 is an exceptionally fun tune sung in English first half and French second half. It’s simply about the great feeling of swing music and has that classic percussive, bouncy feel. The midsection has violin lead, followed by guitar and the bass + rhythm guitar laying the groundwork. And it has a nifty pizzicato ending!
Insensiblement (Insensibly) has a dreamy love story feel. At first, it’s just Tatiana with guitar accompaniment which I could envision happening in a riverboat (like the Douce Ambiance video but at a much slower pace). Midway, the bass joins and duets with the guitar. One of the great qualities of the album is the balance between voice and instruments to retain a part of the originals while still letting Tatiana shine.
Sweet Chorus sings of a late night soiree and a connection with a piano player. There’s desire to create some musical harmony. It ends up being a connection until dawn, a “Sweet Chorus.
Lady Be Good is a real bass groove with some hints of Ella Fitzgerald in Tatiana. This tune, by George and Iro Gershwin is more modern than some of the previous tunes. The bass-guitar-violin section and the guitar solo are top shelf.
Fleur D’ennui has the coolest guitar chord strum start with Tatiana’s song about “Flower of Boredome”? As the strum continues, the lead guitar plays the guitar mimicing Tatiana. In the second half, Tatiana and guitar play call and response for a bit to great effect. This is followed by a clever violin and guitar call and response. It gets increasingly more rapid and intricate right up to the end.
Brick Top flys out of the gate with the two guitars and pizzicato violin. Tatiana matches the proceedings with what could be described as an absolute hopping dance party. It’s a helluva toe-tapper to close the album
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