CD Review: Texas Gypsies Café du Swing

by Ovidio Hinojosa

The Texas Gypsies are transplants from a bygone era, a time when the electric guitar was a new concept. Although their latest release is called Café du Swing, the album itself is a smörgåsbord of different genres including country, Latin, and jazz. Their persistent love of Django Reinhardt permeates this album, particularly their cover of Reinhardt’s “Manior De Mes Reves” and the closing track “The Hot Club,” named after the famed guitarist’s quintet.

Steve Curry, the lead guitarist of the Gypsies, seeks to astonish the listener with his Olympic level guitar gymnastics, and he succeeds admirably on “Maxwell Swing” and “Flapperjack.” The violinist Mark Menikos tinges every song with a bluegrass feel, adding the Texas to the band’s name. When the band decides to slow down, they bring in their bassist John Hewitt to croon, as he evokes Tin Pan Alley on "The Finer Things" or gets romantic on the timeless Mexican standard "Besame Mucho."

While the band will say that they are not for jazz purists, it’s hard to imagine that any jazz purist would not appreciate their virtuosity. That said, like any decent jazz band, these men have a clear and passionate love for the music they make, and that translates into a fun and exciting experience for the listener.