Yerba Buena Bounce

The Hot Club of San Francisco is more than a tribute band re-creating the recordings of Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli and the Quintette du Hot Club de France. The group covers pieces from many different eras never performed by the group which inspired them.

On their tenth album, Yerba Buena Bounce, the Hot Club of San Francisco, which has identical instrumentation to the French group (lead guitar, violin, two rhythm guitars and a bass), leader Paul Mehling, violinist Evan Price and the rhythm section swing like mad in their updated treatment of the QHCF's speeding locomotive represented by "Mystery Pacific" and the brisk, chugging "Black and White."

But they also successfully convert modern pop songs into gypsy swing material, such as the Beatles' ballad "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" (adding Seth Asarnow on bandoneon) and Norman Gimbel's "Sway" (which adds mandolin master David Grisman).

Mehling proves himself as a composer as well, contributing the upbeat "Number Two" and the tender "Lullaby" (the latter adding both Asarnow and Grisman). If that's not enough, Mehling adds campy vocals to "Gong Oh" and "Some of These Days."

Fans of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli owe it to themselves to investigate these swinging, beautifully recorded sessions by the Hot Club of San Francisco. Gypsy swing is very much alive in their hands!

Yerba Buena Bounce is the Hot Club of San Francisco’s tenth disc of Parisian-style swing, and like its predecessor, Postcards From Gypsyland, it is a tribute to the music Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli made famous more than 70 years ago. It is also a reminder that this joyous style of music is timeless and, in the right hands, exciting and fresh. Guitarist Paul Mehling has obviously studied Reinhardt’s solos carefully, but he doesn’t merely echo his inspirer, even on the four Reinhardt tunes the group covers here. He carries Django’s musical legacy forward by bringing his own ideas to it and by choosing interesting material, such as the Beatles’ "I’m Happy Just to Dance With You."

Mehling calls the music "Gypsy Jazz" and helps keep it alive by writing tunes to add to its tradition. But it is as an improviser that he leaves his strongest impression. His solos are dazzling and quick, yet he plays ballads with a delicate touch. The band’s violinist, Evan Price, matches Mehling for virtuosity and inventiveness, as does mandolin great David Grisman, who guests on two tunes.

The liner notes to Yerba Buena Bounce include two pages of recording details by the album’s engineer, Keith O. Johnson. His hard work paid off. The instruments are clearly defined in the soundstage, they resonate warmly in the room where they were recorded, and you can hear each instrument’s distinctive tone. Yerba Buena Bounce is an impressive addition to the Hot Club of San Francisco’s 15-year history.

Which audience will enjoy Yerba Buena Bounce more? Fans of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli or devotees of David Grisman’s “dawg” music? It’s a tossup, no doubt, but certainly mandolinist Grisman’s two cameos here should be enough to entice some of his followers to explore what the latest release by the Hot Club of San Francisco holds.

No matter. Even before Grisman makes his first appearance, adding some Mediterranean zest to “Sway,” the Hot Club has already moved from a propulsive arrangement of Reinhardt and Grappelli’s “Mystery Pacific” to an Argentine-tinted take on Lennon and McCartney’s “I’m Happy Just to Dance With You” that features Seth Asamo on bandoneón.

Grisman returns several tracks later, along with Asamo, to lend a melancholy air to “Lullabye,” a ballad composed by Hot Club guitarist Paul Mehling. Most of the tunes, however, stem from the swing era, and Mehling’s affinity for Django’s touch and repertoire couldn’t be more obvious on the pieces written or co-written by the late guitarist, which include “Black and White,” “Improvisation #2” and “Rhythme Futur,” also a terrific showcase for violinist Evan Price.

The Hot Club’s guitar triumvirate-Mehling on lead, and Jeff Magidson and Jason Vanderford on rhythm-and bassist Ari Munkres make for a formidable juggernaut, unless they’re in a mellow mood, as when infusing “Stardust” with a soft glow. Capping the session are two bonus tracks that find the Hot Club, with Mehling on vocals, collaborating in a Dixieland setting with clarinetist Bill Carter, Marc Caprone and trombonist-tubist Clint Baker.