Parisian gypsy jazz outfit Caravan Palace is a wonder to behold. The band is setting up down the hall to tape a session that will air during DJ Tom Schnabel’s show and it is impossible not to tap your toes and swing your hips while listening to them, even during a soundcheck! I read that they do for swing what Gotan Project do for tango and from what I can tell, that is very true. They are like electronica-fied Django Reinhardt with two scat singers – a female with operatic sass and a male with a bit of a growl. They also make some pretty cool videos.
I’m embarrassed to say I never knew about Django until we taped a Guest DJ set with director/actor Jon Favreau. I was aware of his music (thanks, in part, to the movie “Swingers!”) but not the man. It’s great to see a band like Caravan Palace updating that sound and bringing it back around.
Stay tuned for details on when the performance will air and go see them for free tonight as part of Grand Performances! The session with be the band’s live U.S. radio debut!