The
Rosenberg Trio was introduced to an international jazz audience by sharing the spotlight with violinist
Stéphane Grappelli on a live recording celebrating his 85th birthday. Since then, the three musicians have continued to explore Gypsy swing on their own, revisiting many of the standards and original compositions first popularized by
Grappelli and guitarist
Django Reinhardt when they co-led the
Quintet of the Hot Club of France. Recorded at an outdoor concert in
Reinhardt's birthplace (Samois, Belgium),
Stochelo Rosenberg plays lead guitar, with
Nous'che Rosenberg on rhythm guitar, and Nonnie Rosenberg on bass. Since the latter two stick pretty much to supporting roles,
Stochelo's energetic
Reinhardt-influenced solos are the star attraction and without a second lead instrument, most of the performances run between three and five minutes. While the trio doesn't bring anything new to these timeless works, they succeed in keeping the Gypsy swing tradition alive. Among the highlights are the lively medley of "Nuages" and a rapid-fire "Daphne" (frequently favored by
Grappelli during his post-
Reinhardt career), a tantalizing "Minor Swing," and an ridiculously uptempo rendition of "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)." Recommended. ~ Ken Dryden