The Hot Club of Detroit

The Hot Club of Detroit is a six member jazz ensemble based in Detroit, Michigan. The group specializes in performing the repertoire of Django Reinhardt in the Manush 'Gypsy' string-band jazz style. Founded by guitarist/leader, Evan Perri, the group includes Julian Labro on button accordion, Shannon Wade on bass, rhythm guitarist Paul Brady, and Carl Cafagna switching from sax to clarinet. Winners of the 2006 Metro Times Best Traditional Jazz Band category. Winners of 2006 Detroit Music Awards (Best Traditional Jazz). 4 Time winner of 2007 Detroit Music Awards: Best Traditional Jazz Group / Best new release on an independent label / Best New Music Video "Swing One" / Best Jazz Instrumentalist (Evan Perri on Lead Guitar). The group is signed to Mack Avenue Records. Tracking for their debut CD was produced by Al Pryor and engineered by Grammy Award winner, Todd Whitelock, at Detroit's famous White Room Studios. Additional production, mix down, and mastering took place at Sony Studios, NYC. In November 2006 the group produced a music video in support of the CD with Anthony Garth directing. The Hot Club of Detroit produces an annual Django Festival in Detroit in February.

Evan Perri Bio:

Although he claims to have no Gypsy blood in him, Hot Club founder Evan Perri spent nearly six years roaming the campuses of five different colleges in search of new music. He studied jazz at Berkelee College of Music, Smith McNally School of Music in Minneapolis, and Western Michigan before settling in at Wayne State University in Detroit. He is the son of a jazz guitarist, but Evan did not pick up a guitar until age 17 and never heard a Django Reinhardt recording until his twenties. However, while still a fan of greats like Joe Pass, Pat Martino, Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell, he vividly remembers hearing Django for the first time and thinking, “This is it. This is what I’ve been looking for.” The HCOD was born out of his desire to recreate the sound he describes as “Parisian Café 1936. A dedicated student of Reinhardt and the gypsy guitar tradition, Evan plays on a “Jimmy Rosenberg” model guitar made by Dell Arte, and a “petite bouche” handmade guitar made by Maurice Dupont (Cognac, France).