Ismael Reinhardt

With a style that gets your foot tapping a mile a minute, this is gypsy roots music at its finest. As Ismael’s name suggests, he comes from a family musical tradition rich in gypsy guitar. It’s no surprise then that the music of relative Django Reinhardt is a big influence on his jazz style that mixes equal parts of gypsy music with swing and old-time standards to create the perfect sampling of sounds. As he says in the liner notes, "my heart burns for the music of Django Reinhardt, and always will — this is my identity.” While Django’s muse is what guides Ismael, the talented young violinist and guitarist showcases his own unique style on Gypsy Swing by covering a variety of classic artists from the early 20th century: from George Gershwin ("Fascinating Rhythm”) to Cole Porter ("Night and Day”). The highpoint though is Ismael’s invigorating tribute to the swing king Frank Sinatra, by playing and singing "It Had to Be You.” Ismael reinvents this classic with a double dose of gypsy soul. Overall, Ismael, along with his tight trio of backing musicians, turn back the musical clock by offering a brand of music that was popular in Europe in the late 1920s and he reinvigorates it with modern conventions to bring this jazz style to a whole new audience.