Considered Scotland’s top Gypsy Jazz group, Rose Room has been together for 15 years. Led by violinist and singer Seonaid Aitken, the current version of the quartet also includes solo guitarist Conor Smith (the unit’s newest member who joined five years ago), rhythm guitarist Tam Gallagher, and bassist Jimmy Moon. Surprisingly the group’s fourth album It’s Been a Long, Long Time is Rose Room’s first CD in ten years.
Any group performing Gypsy Jazz owes a large musical debt to Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, and Rose Room is no exception. But while Smith sometimes sounds a bit like Django and Aitken hints at Grappelli, they both have their own solo styles and musical personalities within the swing tradition. On It’s Been A Long, Long Time, in addition to two Django compositions and such swing standards as “On The Alamo,” “I Found A New Baby” and “Lady Be Good,” Rose Room performs several numbers that Reinhardt never had an opportunity to record including “I Wish You Love,” Fats Waller’s “I’ve Got A Feelin’ I’m Fallin,” “Everybody Wants To Be A Cat,” and “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?”
Four of the songs have a string quartet tastefully arranged by Seonaid Aitken, accordionist Artek Siwak adds charm to “I Wish You Love,” and vibraphonist Owen Gunnell is an asset on two numbers. Best is the addition of violinist Bryan Gear on a swinging “Lady Be Good” where he contributes fire and interacts winningly with Ms. Aitken. They should record together much more extensively.
It’s Been A Long, Long Time will be enjoyed by anyone who loves the Gypsy Jazz of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. It makes me want to search for Rose Room’s first three albums.
It’s Been A Long, Long Time
Rose Room RR004
www.roseroom.co.uk and facebook.com/RoseRoomBankUK
Since 1975 Scott Yanow has been a regular reviewer of albums in many jazz styles. He has written for many jazz and arts magazines, including JazzTimes, Jazziz, Down Beat, Cadence, CODA, and the Los Angeles Jazz Scene, and was the jazz editor for Record Review. He has written an in-depth biography on Dizzy Gillespie for AllMusic.com. He has authored 11 books on jazz, over 900 liner notes for CDs and over 20,000 reviews of jazz recordings.
Yanow was a contributor to and co-editor of the third edition of the All Music Guide to Jazz. He continues to write for Downbeat, Jazziz, the Los Angeles Jazz Scene, the Jazz Rag, the New York City Jazz Record and other publications.
