Pearl Django
Pearl Django is a jazz group established in 1994 in Tacoma, Washington by guitarists Neil Andersson and Dudley Hill[1] and bassist David "Pope" Firman. The group melds the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli with American Swing. Initially a trio, they have changed and added members over the years and are now a quintet. Based in Seattle, they have played around the United States, as well as in France and Iceland.
Pearl Django | |
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Background information | |
Genres | Gypsy swing, swing revival |
Years active | 1994-present |
Labels | Modern Hot Records |
Members | Tim Lerch Michael Gray Rick Leppanen David Lange Jim Char |
Past members | Neil Andersson Troy Chapman Ron Peters Greg Ruby Pete Krebs Dudley Hill Shelley D. Park David Firman Ryan Hoffman |
The band has performed at the prestigious Festival Django Reinhardt in Samois-sur-Seine and at Juan de Fuca Festival.[2] They have played with Martin Taylor,[3] Bucky Pizzarelli,[4] and Gail Pettis, a two-time recipient of the Earshot Jazz 'Jazz Vocalist Of The Year' award.[5] The British virtuoso Taylor turns up on three tracks of their 2011 album Eleven. On their twelfth album, Time Flies, released in 2015, all tracks are their own compositions except for one classic bossa nova.[6]
Discography
Released | Title | Label | Notes |
1995 | Le Jazz Hot | Modern Hot Records | |
1997 | New Metropolitan Swing | Modern Hot Records | |
1999 | Mystery Pacific | Modern Hot Records | |
1999 | Souvenirs | Modern Hot Records | |
2000 | Avalon | Modern Hot Records | |
2002 | Under Paris Skies | Modern Hot Records | |
2003 | Swing 48 | Modern Hot Records | |
2005 | Chasing Shadows | Modern Hot Records | |
2007 | Modern Times | Modern Hot Records | |
2010 | Hotel New Yorker | Modern Hot Records | Compilation from 1995 to 1999 releases |
2010 | Système D | Modern Hot Records | |
2012 | Eleven | Modern Hot Records | |
2015 | Time Flies | Modern Hot Records | |
2017 | With Friends Like These | Modern Hot Records | All original compositions |
2019 | Pearl Django Live | Modern Hot Records | |
2020 | Simplicity | Modern Hot Records | All original compositions |
References
- Seattle Times: Dudley Hill, who started popular band Pearl Django, dies at 56 01/20/2005
- "JFF 2014 Festival Line Up: Pearl Django". Juan de Fuca Foundation of the Arts. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
- "Martin Taylor With Pearl Django: Gypsy Jazz". National Public Radio. 13 January 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
- David Lange (5 Jan 2014). "Bucky Pizzarelli and Pearl Django playing Avalon". Vimeo. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
- "Pearl Django profile at KPLU". KPLU News for Seattle and the Northwest. Archived from the original on 20 October 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
- Paul de Barros, jazz critic (24 April 2015). "Pearl Django, 'Time Flies' (Modern Hot)". Seattle Times. Retrieved 13 September 2015.