Gypsy Unity

Born to a caravan-dwelling, Romani Manouche family, Angelo Debarre grew up with the music of Django Reinhardt. He began learning to play guitar aged eight and is now considered one of France's leading Gypsy jazz guitarists. Marius Apostol is also a French Romani, although violin is his chosen instrument. I imagine he and Debarre have played together often over the years, as the Gypsy jazz scene is a tight one. They certainly sound comfortable playing together on this album, backed by a fine trio of guitar, double bass and drums. Gypsy jazz is a conservative medium – as evinced by three of the 12 numbers on this album being Reinhardt compositions, albeit alongside several excellent originals – but when played with the joy and passion as evident here, it's near impossible to wish they would try to extend the medium. Whether playing fast numbers like ‘Double Scotch’ with a swing rhythm that suits dancers, more complex fusions like ‘Complicité’, gentle, old-fashioned Hot Club de Paris-style numbers like ‘Swing for You’ or the beautifully slow and elegiac ‘Anouman’, Debarre and Apostol create very evocative music.