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Combining cool, modern
harmonies with the hot drive of an earlier era,
the French Café Quartet swings with a step that's buoyant
and deep.
Their warm, acoustic sound is both sophisticated and light-hearted,
laid-back and cosmopolitan. With the easy, articulate alto of
vocalist Mitzi Zilka blending with Eddie Parente's woody violin
up front, these accomplished jazz players don't need a drum set
to generate danceable grooves.
Following the example of Django Reinhardt's gypsy jazz, they let
the
hot rhythm of Mike Doolin's guitar and John Keyser's bass do the
driving.
In fact, they designed
their book with dancers in mind. Presenting
classic swing, blues and ballads, they've calibrated their music
for
steps like West Coast Swing, Lindy hop, Nightclub Two Step, Salsa,
and the Waltz. No matter the beat, though, Zilka, Doolin, Parente
and
Keyser play with an easy swing feel. Whether you're young or young
at
heart, the French Café Quartet will make your step light
and lilting.
Listen to their swinging
version of "It's Gotta Be This or That." Zilka
sounds relaxed while smoothly propelling the lyric forward. Parente's
elegant obbligatos weave around the voice, then extend into one
of his
beautifully constructed solos. Doolin's solid comping provides
the
drive. On "What a Difference a Day Makes," his clean
single-note lines
speak with soft authority as he and Zilka turn the pop ballad
into a
bluesy duet with refreshing swing. The distinctive texture of
her
understated alto lends depth to the generally upbeat lyrics, and
Parente's violin always speaks with character.
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