It's not often we review gypsy jazz, the hugely loved swinging style associated with Django Reinhardt, because even though of course we like it and have even attended the spiritual home of the style in London, a nice spot called LeQuecumbar in Battersea, the site doesn't always encounter the kind of trad-jazz as accomplished as the prolific Marbin that is worth detouring to write about much. (Last time we were blown away in the idiom was watching the Tcha Limberger film A Magyar Nóta: Belga Mestere in 2019.) Perusing the Marbin Wikipedia page just now (that's what you call deep research) we read how the band's founders Chicago bound Israeli saxophonist Danny Markovitch and guitarist Dani Rabin have played with the Methenyians Paul Wertico and Steve Rodby. They also released the very different Shreddin' at Sweetwater earlier this year. So this is a reverie and perhaps a shock to their fans. But why not. Completing the trio on Fernweh is double bassist Jon Nadel: The whole thing just flies. I'm reluctant to pick out top tracks but listen from first to last and press replay and begin again. By 'Dark Eyes,' aka 'les yeux noirs', I'll guarantee that you will be hooked.
The toe tapping 'Minor Swing' is a dream and as ever hearing 'Nuages' you just have to bow down to Django because it is one of the greatest pieces of music to have appeared in the 20th century and still is as inspirational as ever. What a lovely line from Rabin in the Marbin treatment. Two words to finish: a pleasure. SG. Out on 2 July. Link to the Marbin site
Tags: