Caravan Gypsy Swing Ensemble guitarists Chris Ruppenthal and Ed Fila skiffle and swing on the song "Jen e Sais Quoi," a straightforward nod to Django Reinhardt and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France. A Ruppenthal original from their new self-titled album, it's zesty enough to brighten the murkiest fall afternoon, and thanks to Kevin Tipple's aggressive approach to his upright bass, it also has enough drive to serve as dance music.
Guest violinist Chris Wagoner offers a dancing, carefree solo that's far more carefree than the guitarists' more studied jazz work, but that's hardly a problem. A spoonful of sugar is obviously just what Ruppenthal's charming original requires.
An MP3 of the track are available in the related downloads at right. More music by the group is available at its MySpace page. Caravan Gypsy Swing Ensemble has a busy concert schedule over the next couple of months. They're playing at the Concourse Hotel on Friday, October 12 before a trip to the U.P. in Menominee, Michigan on Saturday. They'll be back on stage in Madison the following weekend, with one show at Restaurant Magnus and another a week later at the Brink Lounge. Then they have twice as many slated through November, guaranteeing fans plenty of opportunities to see the jazz trio and their friends.
MadTracks highlights and provides MP3s of songs performed by local musicians. All tracks here are provided with permission of the artist. If you are a musician based in the Madison metro area and are interested in sharing your work as a MadTrack, please send a message.