The Black Market Trust: Gypsy Jazz and Then Some

Imagine Django Reinhardt jamming with Frank Sinatra. That’s not too much of a stretch in describing The Black Market Trust, a fast-rising quintet out of Los Angeles who combine the sounds of legendary crooners and vocal groups with the fire and energy of gypsy jazz guitarist Jean “Django” Reinhardt. Playing multiple instruments while vocalizing in four-part harmony, they are a throwback to a bygone era, with modern tones and updated beats, along with a dash of Rat Pack-style comedy, creating, as one observer noted, “two distinctly different vibes—one of a gypsy campfire, the other a slick metropolitan nightclub—into a cohesive, stylish sound.” The group draws heavily from the Great American Songbook and appropriately pay tribute to such vocal icons as Sinatra, the Beach Boys, Mills Brothers and the Beatles, along with a bit of Western Swing. The current lineup consists of Jeffrey Scott Radaich, lead guitar; Nick Coventry, violin; Brian Netzley, bass; Brandon Laws, drums; and Kale Stiles, rhythm guitar, saxophone, and clarinet. Radaich and Netzley grew up in Southern California, listening to and playing rock & roll. In 2006, someone gave Radaich a gypsy jazz album. Meanwhile, Netzley had been playing jazz standards with a musician from France who introduced him to Django Reinhardt. The two immediately fell in love with the gypsy style of jazz. According to