Texas Gypsies Wow Audience

February 16, 2009

By Stephanie Pham, News Writing Student

The Texas Gypsies blew in with the tumbleweeds to offer a night of hot jazz and Texas swing on Feb. 17 in the Bruce Owen Theater. The concert was part of the college’s Cultural Arts Series.

When the five musicians first appeared on stage, guitarist Steve Curry played a Flamenco, or Spanish styled, melody.

It was as if the audience was transported to Spain in a matter of minutes. After some quick short Apelle-styled guitar strums (foot stomps in Flamenco dance), the band started playing an upbeat jazzy tune with a kick of Texas swing.

The night was filled with many sizzling jams like “Avalon,” “Nothing to Worry About,” and “Dallas and Fort Worth.”

Guitarist and lead vocalist Erik Swanson made each song as toe-tapping and pleasing as any king of swing would.

Curry’s European finesse added a dash of spice and what essentially was the “Gypsy jazz” component. His guitar riffs earned style points, and his versatility kicked the musicianship up a notch.

With songs like “Besame Mucho,” “Sway,” and the “The Finer Things in Life,” bassist John Hewitt lent his Nat King Cole styled vocals and gave the impression that one was in a quaint little European café, either dancing a slow and seasoned romantic rumba or sipping on a soothing cup of coffee.

“Django’s Castle” smoothed the night out, and gave the audience a taste of its Gypsy jazz origins.

Suspenseful. Fun. Excitement. That describes the evening’s highlight with the familiar song of “Minnie the Moochers.” The “call and answer” sections, mixed with Andrew Griffith’s danceable drumming, made the crowd go wild. Of course, the comedic ending helped too.

Filling the night with laughter, violinist Mark Menikos showed off his skills by playing a mixture of fiddle and violin, and dancing “interpretive dances.” His playing gave the music its sweet “Texas Honey” taste.

Earlier in the day, the band gave a seminar in the theater, explaining the music’s origins, beginning with Stéphane Grapelli and Django Reinhardt. Curry told the audience how Reinhardt, a true Gyspy who lived in France, pioneered the Gypsy jazz movement.

“Reinhardt was an incredible musician,” Curry said, suggesting he belongs to the ranks of Mozart and Beethoven.

Curry also shared the story of how, when Reinhardt was 18, he was burned in a fire.

Spending much time hospitalized, he said he played a lot of difficult guitar chords with just two fingers, something most guitarists think is challenging.

Reinhardt and Grapelli combined forces, eventually starting the Quintet Hot Club of France, the starting point of Gypsy jazz.

Swanson explained what inspired the Texas Gypsies to add their twist to this music.

“It’s the nature of creativity,” he said. “As much as you want to imitate the great influences of this music, you have to combine those influences and add your own flair.”

Swanson talked a lot about the history of how Western swing evolved, and how Bill Wills was one of the creators of that genre.

Menikos added that audiences appreciate their lively performances.

“Even if you mess up on stage, as long as the audience sees you having fun, they’ll have fun too.,” Menikos said.

So, what did the audience think of the evening’s offerings?

“I love the mixture of the two genres of Gypsies jazz and Western swing,” said Kalani Moniz-Bray, sophomore. “The combination of two was at its finest.”

Diversified Studies soph-omore Jennifer Phan said she enjoyed the performance.

“They played a lot of familiar stuff I knew, really influenced by Sinatra,” Phan said.

By the finale, the audience was shouting and applauding the award-winning musicianship.

Swanson was impressed.

“I think after tonight, we’re renaming ourselves to the Oklahoma Gypsies,” he said.

The remark was quickly followed by whistles and more applause.

After a standing ovation while the band took its bows, Swanson thanked the audience “gypsy-swing style.” He turned over his guitar, revealing the phrase “Merci Beaucoup.”

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