Taking in a concert with guitarist Stephane Wrembel is always a double treat.
Not only did the packed house at The Grape Ventura get treated to some of the most swinging and lyrical music on the planet, but Wrembel always adds the added dimension of giving a musical history lesson of the importance of the Belgian gypsy guitarst Django Reinhardt.
During the 75 minute opening set, Wrembel delivered stories of Reinhardt’s musical career and musical progression, both in band and solo format. For the latter, Wrembel’s interpretations of Renhardt’s “Preludes 1 and 2” mixed folk formats with harmonies of Ravel, while “Echoes of Spain” was a melodic journey into another world and another time, as the guitarists deft digits daintily danced on the strings.
Joined by the team of Josh Kaye/g, Ari Folman-Cohen/b and Nick Anderson/dr , Wremble ramped up the butanes and waltzed through an evocative “Montagne Ste Genevieve”, with the facile style of the man on the flying trapeze swinging on “Gin Gin”, with Anderson’s brushes as suave as Astaire. Bass and drums then dug in deeper as Wrembel shifted gears on the grooved “Indifference”and then displayed his frenetic phalanges on a ‘hotcha” read of “Tiger Rag”.
Reinhardt’s most famous piece, “Nuages” was caressed by Wrembel on a lazy jaunt, with the fingers caressing the frets before the clutch was popped and put into overdrive on the closing “Minor Blues” with Wrembel’s hands looking like hyper-caffeinated tarantulas dancing over the guitar neck.
With the audience heaving a collective gasp, a lady in the back asked Wrembel, “don’t you need to give your hands a rest?”
“Tired? My fingers are just warming up!”
The hand was definitely quicker than the eye Thursday at the Grape.
Upcoming shows at The Grape Ventura include Brian Charette 01/26-27, Ronnie Foster/02-10, Danny Jonokuchi 02/15, Brian Bromberg 02/23 and Alphonso Johnson 02/24