Outstanding performance delights this knowledgeable audience

Transatlantic Hot Club: Adrien Chevalier, Ashley John Long and Ben Creighton Griffiths. Photo © Frederic Landes.

The Transatlantic Hot Club at The Cidermill Theatre, Chipping Camden, Saturday 18 April..

Review by Charles Essex

Probably the most renowned proponents of French chanson and swing and Latin jazz were Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli but the very accomplished quartet of the Transatlantic Hot Club (THC) delighted this knowledgeable audience with music styles by a range of musicians.

Two members of THC were French, accordionist Jeremy Lohier from Corsica and violinist Adrien Chevalier, while double bassist Ashley John Long and harpist Ben Creighton Griffiths were Welsh.  Ben’s beautiful glossy red and cream full-size harp gave the additional breadth of, in effect, a grand piano.

Starting their set with the well-known Reinhardt piece Swing 42, we were transported to the smoky bars of Marseille with French violinist Jeremy’s sultry singing of the first of several songs, J’attendrai.  There is a strong gypsy influence to this genre and THC followed with Mimosa, with its faster tempo and strong bass elements.  Yesterdays by Jerome Kern started with a calmer beat with a gentle interplay between violin and harp before they were joined by accordion and bass.

In a style reminiscent of a relaxed jazz lounge, Adrien again enchanted us with You’re driving me crazy.  Ben’s mournful opening on the harp of the cleverly titled The I'm not supposed to be blue Blues by Errol Garner captured regret and melancholy, with the slower paced backing melody adding wistfulness that reached into the listener’s core.  Our mood was lifted by the upbeat rhythms and pace of Honeysuckle Rose by Fats Waller.  In the final piece of the first half, Made in France by Biréli Lagrène was an energetic piece as each instrument came to the fore in turn, whilst the other three players gave gentle backing melodies.

Adrien Chevalier, Ashley John Long and Ben Creighton Griffiths. Photo credit Julia Essex.

The second set started with Swing Gitan, a well-known Reinhardt piece.  Its slow opening led us into a cheeky fast-paced foot-tapping rhythm with Ashley giving a superb bass solo.  In contrast, this was followed by Bossa Dorado written by Dorado Schmitt, a classical gypsy jazz piece with a rhythm so evocative that bossa nova dancers on stage could have accompanied it, before it gently faded out.

Adrien sang wonderfully again with September in the Rain, a delightful romantic ballad that one could envisage Gene Kelly dancing to.  Each player was given the opportunity to further highlight their obvious talent with the staple of the Reinhardt and Grappelli oeuvre Minor Swing.  La Foule by Angel Cabral was popularised by Edith Piaf and Jeremy’s strong accordion transported us to the streets of Montmartre.  Adrien treated us to another Edith Piaf song La Vie en Rose as an encore.

THC gave a flawless high energy performance.  There was terrific joyous chemistry between all the members.  It was a tribute to the THC that the evening passed so quickly as their varied programme hit all the right spots and it was clear from overheard comments afterwards that this audience went away more than satisfied.