Story last updated at 7/28/2010 - 12:12 pm
JUNEAU - Pearl Django performed to a full house at the Juneau Jazz and Classics last year, and you may remember them from Alaska Folk Festival. On Thursday, July 29 at 7:30 p.m., they'll be back in Juneau to perform at the Centennial Hall.
The concert concludes a four-day stay during which members of the group will teach local musicians Gypsy jazz techniques at the Django Camps for Kids and Adults. The Django Camps run July 26-29 at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center.
Pearl Django, one of America's most respected and busiest "Hot Club"-style groups, combines the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli with American swing music in an irresistible melange of nimble, clean, intricate picking, "world music" with French and Gypsy accents and hot jazz overtones. Their music reaches out across the divides of taste to a wide variety of audiences. The band's fervent followers include Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli fans, guitar enthusiasts (and guitarists), lovers of string music (including bluegrass devotees), "world music" fans, plus jazz buffs and aficionados of the new swing music.
The group's inception was as a trio in Tacoma, Wash., in 1994. The focus of Pearl Django was, and is, to incorporate the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli with American swing music. They quickly expanded to a quintet, adding a violinist and a third guitarist. An interview on NPR's "All Things Considered" in 2001 brought the group to national attention. In June 2002, Pearl Django performed at the prestigious Festival Django Reinhardt in Samois sur Seine, just outside of Paris. All of the members are contributing original compositions to the band's expansive repertoire. They have released nine CDs to date.
Tickets to the concert are $18 for adults, $13 for students and seniors and $5 for kids ages 5 and younger. An additional $2 per ticket is charged at the door.
Advance purchase is available at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center (JACC), online at www.jahc.org, and at the Hearthside Book stores. Membership discounts and group discounts are available only at the JACC.
