Hot Gypsy Swing (With a Twist)

Hot Club Faux Gitane is an acoustic swing band based in Modesto, Cal­i­for­nia, that plays in the Gypsy jazz tra­di­tion of Django Rein­hardt and his Quin­tette du Hot Club de France. Django was a Belgian-​born Gypsy gui­tarist who came to promi­nence in France in the 1930s. He and his Quin­tette mixed Parisian dance-​hall musette, tra­di­tional gypsy music, and the Amer­i­can jazz of Louis Arm­strong and Duke Elling­ton to cre­ate a new genre, known today sim­ply as “Gypsy jazz” or “Gypsy swing.”

Hot Club Faux Gitane employs the rhythm and lead gui­tars and acoustic bass typ­i­cal of Gypsy swing, and adds to them man­dolin, bas­soon, clar­inet, and the occa­sional melod­ica. This unique col­lec­tion of instru­ments allows the group to cap­ture a vital­ity and fresh­ness that makes this music new all over again. Sim­i­larly, Hot Club Faux Gitane aug­ments the tra­di­tional Gypsy reper­toire with jazz stan­dards, Latin tunes, and orig­i­nal com­po­si­tions — all played in the Gypsy jazz style.

From fes­ti­vals to cafes to par­ties, this band’s upbeat “hot” swing will brighten your day and make your event!

A small selection of our repertoire: