Nationally recognized quintet plays an exhilarating blend of gypsy swing, jazz and world music that enraptures the listener with a lightning fast, complex acoustic sound, rounded by sultry smooth vocals reminiscent of the first era of swing! Featuring Eli Bishop, Brett Feldman, Jeremy Frantz, Jeff Feldman and Erick Cifuentes.
Occidental Gypsy plays an exhilarating blend of gypsy swing, jazz and world music that enraptures the listener with a lightning fast, complex acoustic sound, rounded by sultry smooth vocals reminiscent of the first era of swing.
Nationally recognized Occidental Gypsy plays a dynamic, multi-genre mix of original vocal and instrumental pieces; as well as notable covers like a “gypsyfied” take on Michael Jackson’s Thriller. The Boston Globe has named them a “Best Bet for Weekend Entertainment,” and musician David Bromberg said of the group, “great singing, fantastic guitar and violin work, with high energy originals that leave the crowd crazy. An awesome band.”
“As it journeys from venue to venue throughout the United States, Occidental Gypsy, a red-hot, Django Reinhardt-inspired, gypsy swing and fusion band, loves to encourage rapt listeners to get up on their feet and dance to its classically retro yet forever young sounds…” Hartford Courant (February 2015)
Well known as capable heirs and nouveau pioneers of the music of Django Reinhardt, Occidental Gypsy was featured at the 2015 DjangoFest in Mill Valley, California. The band has also sold out legendary venues such as Nighttown in Cleveland, and played at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, The Ark in Ann Arbor, The Triple Door in Seattle and many other notable spots in over 27 states. The band has shared the stage with greats like Rikki Lee Jones, Jorma Kaukenen, Stanley Jordan, Joe Sample, Tony Rice, and David Bromberg. Band members have also participated in side projects that have brought them around the world alongside legends.
The band features Eli Bishop, a 23 year old Nashville prodigy who recently won 1st Place in the Mississippi Fiddle Championships. Bishop has played with Wynton Marsalis and regularly performs at Jazz at Lincoln Center. He routinely stuns crowds with his lightning-fast, passionate violin. Lead guitarist and composer Brett Feldman drives the sound with wild gypsy swing guitar. Jeremy Frantz — a protegé of legendary jazz guitarist Joe Negri— brings sultry, “retro” vocals and expert jazz guitar to the front line, and serves as an exquisite counterpoint to the down-and-dirty driving sound brought by Brett. Guatemalan percussionist Erick “Banny” Cifuentes and bassist Jeff Feldman fill out the band’s rich sound with complex world rhythms that make audiences keep coming back for more.
Occidental Gypsy’s sound is appealing to a wide spectrum of people, and their shows consistently attract enthusiastic audiences at colleges, arts centers, festivals, concert halls and clubs. Their fans include musicians who enjoy the sophisticated compositions and masterful play, but most folks just come to enjoy the music. The band has found a unique beat and brings to the stage a dynamic mix of original vocal and instrumental pieces– and a few memorable standards– in exhilarating performances. Occidental Gypsy’s music cannot be easily classified; a cycle of jazz, a catchy strain of pop, a seismic swing experience, and “a whole lotta’ gypsified groove…”
Join us at “Jazz Central,” BLU Jazz+, as we welcome this red-hot, Django-inspired, gypsy jazz group in their Rubber City debut!