Stanley Rosenberg Der Selbstheilungsnerv

Any time the likes of Stanley Clarke, Al DiMeola and Jean-Luc Ponty are assembled, there is a good chance the results are going to be impressive. Clarke and DiMeola had played together in the legendary Return to Forever, producing some of the most intense playing in all of fusion; Jean-Luc Ponty had also made several excellent, very diverse recordings…

For their tribute to Django on the occasion of his 100th birthday, the Rosenbergs unite with Biréli Lagrène, probably the greatest and most original solo guitarist coming out of the Gypsy Jazz school. "Biréli is a hero to me," says Stochelo Rosenberg about his guest who shares the soloist’s role with Stochelo on four tunes and is featured on electric bass on another one. Rather than putting the focus on Django's most famous compositions, "Djangologists" - the Rosenberg Trio's fifteenth album - hails the spirit that has guided Django's work, digging into the less known, the unexpected and the unpredictable. It is a tribute to the master - paid by masters.

On Roots, the Rosenberg Trio join up with fellow Dutchman, clarinettist Bernard Berkhout, for a seriously swinging set of jazz standards, Django Reinhardt compositions, Stochelo Rosenberg originals and even Grieg’s Danse Norvégienne. Even though Stochelo, the lead guitarist, came to his instrument late by Gypsy standards (aged 10), he soon became one of this era’s great Manouche guitarists. The two brothers and a cousin of the group have been playing together since then, sounding like one big instrument, first only in churches and at Gypsy camps, then to the greater world. With the addition of Berkhout’s clarinet, this makes this, their 13th album, stand out amongst the plethora of Gypsy Jazz releases.

The Rosenberg Trio continues the tradition of the Gypsy swing of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, though in a stripped-down format consisting of lead guitar (Stochelo Rosenberg), rhythm guitar (Nous'che Rosenberg), and bass (Nonnie Rosenberg). While the trio successfully delves into the 1930s repertoire of Stéphane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt, including a vigorous workout of their "Minor Swing" and a lyrical setting of "Nuages," along with swing tunes from the era, they are very open to other styles. Their rapid-fire take of Sonny Rollins' "Pent-Up House" (a favorite of Grappelli during the 1970s) and an engaging take of Kenny Dorham's "Blue Bossa" demonstrate their ability to convert bop vehicles into Gypsy swing, something they accomplish equally well with the music of Chick Corea…