Just The Way You Are

Guitarist Bireli Lagrene has long built upon the tradition that began with the Gypsy swing of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France with virtuoso guitarist Django Reinhardt. On this outing, Lagrene continues in the tradition while changing the instrumentation, incorporating drums, sax, and occasionally piano, but he also expands the repertoire to include modern songs written after Django's death. "After You've Gone" and "I'll See You in My Dreams" all fit like a comfortable pair of well-worn shoes, while Lagrene adds a friendly vocal to "All of Me" and digs up an old Reinhardt original ("Feerie") that gives the leader a chance to show off his chops. Lagrene also arranged several strong originals written by his musicians. His swinging treatment of George Benson's "Before You Go" features tenorist Franck Wolf in a breezy arrangement, while Lagrene switches to electric guitar for a laid-back setting of "Flamingo." Even Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender" is successfully transformed into swing, though Lagrene's loungy "Tim and Zoe" features electric guitar and synthesizer in the style of George Benson's crossover recordings, a total misfit at the end of an otherwise flawless CD.