Jorgenson Quintet and All That Jazz

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John Jorgenson Quintet

The second half of Boulevard Music’s Summer Music Festival in the Dale Jones Courtyard at City Hall starts this gypsy jazz evening at 7 when producer Gary Mandell introduces the John Jorgenson Quintet.

Gypsy jazz, of course, is the fare for the concert that is free. There also is free parking in City Hall’s underground garage.

The Jorgenson Quintet creates a unique experience that enthralls the most discerning and the most casual music fan.

Organized in 2004, the group’s style has been called gypsy jazz after the dynamic string-driven swing created by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli in 1930s Paris,

However, Mr. Jorgenson’s compositions draw in elements from Latin, Romanian, classical, rock and Greek music.

Because of that diversity, perhaps 21st Century World Music is a more apt description.

The John Jorgenson Quintet is the only American act to ever headline the prestigious Django Reinhardt Memorial Festival in France.

The Quintet has been featured at other Djangofests in the U.S., UK, Germany and Canada.

For the films “Gattica” and “Head in the Clouds,” Mr. Jorgenson was tapped to recreate Django’s music.

In Head in the Clouds, he even appeared onscreen as Django with stars Charlize Theron and Penelope Cruz.

The John Jorgenson Quintet Band current members playing along with Mr. Jorgenson include:

  • Jason Anick, a prodigious jazz violinist and one of the youngest instructors at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, a rising star in the world of jazz violin. and mandolin.
  • Max O’Rourke, a composer, arranger and jazz guitarist, 19 years old and  the winner of the 2015 Saga Djangofest Award for outstanding young musicianship in the genre of gypsy jazz.
  • Simon Planting, a Dutch bassist, has performed in concerts and festivals around the world, compiling an impressive discography with artists like Mathilde Santing, Fapy Lafertin, Jimmy Rosenberg and Stephane Wrembel..
  • Rick Reed, a veteran percussionist, renowned for his intricate brushwork and swinging drive, received a “Best Drummer of the Year” nomination at the Martin Reggae Music Awards.

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