A few weeks ago, Cédric from Québec pointed me to a Youtube video of The Lost Fingers. These guys are Gipsy Jazz musicians who are making their mark by reinterpreting not the classic Django repertoire (or not only that repertoire) but mostly covers of 80s pop songs. Yep, that's right. Their first CD Lost in the 80s features songs that were originally made famous by Samantha Fox, Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi, AC/DC or Technotronic. They are rearranged in Gipsy Swing style with a jazzier, gruff style of singing.
And it works.
The opener, Pump up the Jam sets the tone and is - to me - the best track on the record. Injecting such a groovy Swing to a song that was originally driven by a mechanical beat is no mean feat. It's fun and good at the same time, not to mention musical. Other highlights of the record include Billie Jean, where the vocals are an excellent cover of Michael Jackson's vocal mannerisms (only a couple of octaves lower!) and Tainted Love which is turned into a jumpy joyous thing with corny backing vocals that make me smile everytime.
Overall, this is neither serious music, nor serious jazz. If you're a collector of Django's works and you get your pleasure out of finding lost gems on 78s, maybe this irreverant hommage to the genre he spearheaded is not for you. If you like your jazz to be deeply thought out and experimental, again, probably not your bag. But if you enjoy jazz covers both because they're musically interesting and because they are fun, and if you enjoy the occasional Gipsy Jazz, then you probably will love this.
Well, the easiest way to check is for you to try out the video here. This is a medley of Touch Me > You Give Love a Bad Name > Pump up the Jam. It starts at 1:20.
I'm glad you enjoy this album, 'cause it's a delicious surprise for me too.
Lost Fingers are now played on a lot of radios in Montréal, that's great for them.
They will be on stage for the Jazz Festival of Montréal.
They will give a free show everyday. I'll be there.
Cédric
Posted by: Cédric Ferrand | June 11, 2008 at 02:07 AM