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Hot Club of Philadelphia: Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams

By Wade Luquet
March 1, 2014
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Hot Club of Philadelphia: Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams

Gypsy jazz has had a resurgence of late with Hot Club bands and Django Reinhardt-style guitar strummers and pickers popping up in major cities world-wide. Philadelphia boasts one of the hottest of these bands—

Hot Club of Philadelphia

band / ensemble / orchestra
b.2001

" data-original-title="" title="">Hot Club of Philadelphia. More than a Django cover band, this group adds a gypsy twist to a multitude of tunes including those from the Great American Songbook on their CD Wrap Your Trouble In Dreams.

Led by a master of the genre, guitarist

Barry Wahrhaftig

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Barry Wahrhaftig, this band pulls from many talented Philadelphia area musicians including

Joe Ellis

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Ellis playing pleasing percussive guitar rhythms behind Wahrhaftig's blazing notes.

Joe Arnold

drums
b.1973

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Arnold on violin and

Bob Butryn

" data-original-title="" title="">Bob Butryn on clarinet round out the gypsy style with

Jim Stager

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Jim Stager's bass keeping time.

Wahrhaftig is a master at his craft. Playing on a reproduction of Django's Manouche guitar manufactured by English guitar maker Belleville, he glides seamlessly along the fret board making his playing seem effortless. Yet playing that many notes in a measure is anything but effortless; rather it is the mark of an experienced, well-practiced and well-studied musician who has a deep love for this music.

Highlights on this CD include

Denise King

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Denise King's beautiful, clear voice on the standards "Someone To Watch Over Me," "Nature Boy," and the title song "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams." The Reinhardt tune "Nuages" is passionately sung by

Phyllis Chapell

guitar and vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Phyllis Chapell and the band faithfully waltzes through Reinhardt's "Chez Jacquet."

In a tribute to one of his guitar heroes,

Wes Montgomery

guitar
1923 - 1968

" data-original-title="" title="">Wes Montgomery, Wahrhaftig ends the CD with a beautiful solo of the standard "While We Were Young." based on a Montgomery arrangement. It is a fitting ending to a highly listenable CD highlighting multiple talented musicians from the Philadelphia jazz scene.

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Track Listing

Song d��Automne; Exactly Like You; La Gitane; Someone to Watch Over Me; Tchavolo Swing; Nuages; Nature Boy; You��d Be So Nice to Come Home To; Chez Jacquet; Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams; While We��re Young

Personnel

Hot Club of Philadelphia

band / ensemble / orchestra

Joe Ellis, guitar; Bob Butryn, clarinet; Jim Stager, bass; Barry Wahrhaftig, guitar; Joe Arnold, violin; John Matulis, accordion, Howard Alden, guitar; Denise King, vocals; Alex Siniavski, guitar; Phyllis Chapell, vocals; Rick Yescalis, guitar; Carlos Rubio, flamenco guitar; Bob Butryn, flute; George Manney, conga; Stan Slotter, trumpet; Dave Cianci, trombone

Album information

Title: Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Self Produced

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