| Jazz |
Formed in 2011, the group brought together local musicians with diverse backgrounds in country, jazz, pop, folk, rock, blues, and world music. The current lineup, which includes founding members drummer Jim Doyle and accordionist/ pianist Carl Byron, as well as bassist Paul Eckman and acoustic guitar masters Josh Workman and Jake Bluenote, draws from eclectic experience and taste, offering a unique and modern approach to the iconic “Hot Club” sound.
The Hot Club of Los Angeles draws inspiration not only from Cuban music but also from the atmosphere of the 1950s Parisian Hot Club. The blending of its musical styles makes for an enjoyable album. Personally, I’ve never liked Django Reinhardt’s guitar style, finding it too technical and uninspired. Traces of that style can be found in this album, but the arrangements manage to overcome those impressions.
Appreciated for its Monday night residency at the Cinema Bar in Culver City since 2011, HCLA was also the resident band for Jackson Browne’s Artists for Peace and Justice charity concerts in 2017-18. They accompanied Jeff Bridges, Adam Sandler, Gaby Moreno, Jack Black, T-Bone Burnett, Petra Haden, and other major stars. The group hosted Browne for mini-concerts at the Cinema Bar, accompanied Devo’s Gerald Casale, and regularly invited luminaries from traditional jazz and gypsy jazz to join them on stage. HCLA has enchanted audiences at venues such as Clifton’s Brookdale Ballroom, DjangoFest in Las Vegas, the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts, Jazzville in Palm Springs, and many more.
Primarily, it’s a festive album – the kind of music that’s meant for dancing more than just listening. The rhythmic beats compel you to unleash on the dance floor. In this sense, the album is a success, but it may not stand the test of time. The compositions lean more towards being popular works than timeless pieces. For Bayou Blue Radio and Paris-Move, it’s a “favorite” for dancing until the end of the night and nothing more – which is already quite good for this kind of album.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, January 9th 2024
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https://youtu.be/-N3z5hpuJts
TRACK LISTING:
1. Château 22 (Carl Byron) 3:41
2. Čaje Šukarije (trad. arr. HCLA) 3:33
3. Bossa Lola (Joshua C. Workman) 4:07
4. Valselona (Carl Byron) 4:07
5. Raincloud Two-Step (Jake Bluenote) 3:16
6. Que Reste-t-il de Nos Amours
(Léo Chauliac/Charles Trénet) 4:05
7. Belleville (Jean “Django” Reinhardt) 2:32
8. Inference (Carl Byron) 3:42
9. Swing 42 (Jean “Django” Reinhardt) 3:32
10. Pompedale (Carl Byron) 3:02
11. Made In France (Biréli Lagrène) 3:44
12. Les Feuilles Mortes (Jacques Prévert/ Joseph Kosma/ Johnny Mercer) 3:24
13. Django (John Lewis) 4:31
14. The Old Kingfisher (Jake Bluenote) 2:46
15. Carlotta’s Galop (Nino Rota) 2:48