Hurlak ~ 40 Degrees ~ CD

Drawing on traditional French and Spanish musics, Jazz, music of the Balkans..., this brilliant ensemble continues its exploration of the paths taken by the Roma through the centuries, ranging on this recording from Central Europe to Andalucia.The four members of this group instrumentally make up a traditional Django-style Gipsy jazz quartet (two guitars, upright bass, and violin), but their music stretches way beyond that genre in all kinds of cool directions. There is a strong Balkan flavor in most of the music, some of it is very Turkish, there is a frenetic Gipsy energy throughout, the guitar playing is surprising for its wild technique and musical intensity....