Stephane Wrembel "Barbes-Brooklyn" ***** EXCELLENT

Phil · March 2007

Stephane Wrembel's new CD "Barbes-Brooklyn" is fantastic - with some superb guitar playing. Tracks include jazz standards: "Night in Tunisia", "Afro Blue", there's also many fine original compositions - the disc has a great feel and mood to it, incuding some gypsy swing, ballads, raga-influenced numbers. There's also a blazing version of Django's "Fleche d'or". It's a wonderfully varied CD - and I give it a 5 star rating! It will fit nicely on my shelf along side, Romane's 'French Guitar', Ferre Brothers 'Rainbow of Life' and Robin Nolan's 'Travels' CDs.

Craig Bumgarner · March 2007

Yep, all the above. One on the best new CDs out there. Expands the genre by whole steps.

Craig

sockeye · March 2007

raga-influenced numbers. There's also a blazing version of Django's "Fleche d'or".

I like it a lot too -- but I find it amusing that you mention raga and "fleche d'or" so close together. His guitar on that track really sounds like a sitar -- and not in a good way. He's such a good player, but the tone of his guitar really gets to me. Is it just me?

John

Michael Bauer · March 2007

John, I think he might have used a special sustaining guitar for that one. I think I saw a couple of clips of him trying it on You-tube. I'm back from the wedding, so should be having a lesson soon. I'll try to remember to ask.

I really love the CD. Look, I'll be lucky to do respectable amateur versions of a handful a GJ standards someday, but I really do appreciate that Stephane and a couple of other people (Robin Nolan, Birelli,etc.) aren't just banging out the 10,000th version of Minor Swing with each new CD. Django is still there, but he takes him somewhere else, somewhere I think Django would have been very happy to go.

Jack · May 2007

Hi all,

I played a gig last night in Hartford, at a venue Stephane played a couple of months ago, and when we went for a break they started playing this disc, which they'd picked up at his gig. I ended up just standing there for most of the break, digging it. It's great and varied stuff, and I don't know why I haven't gotten it yet...and has anyone heard his latest thing, Camarade Soleil? The man keeps moving, no doubt...

best,
Jack.