The Hot Club of Detroit to Heat Things Up at Centenary Stage, 1/26

Related: Hot Club of Detroit, Centenary Stage Company

It's been nearly 70 years since legendary guitarist Django Reinhardt first fused together a mixture of gypsy guitar with the jazz of his day. Drawing inspiration from the renowned Quintette du Hot Club de France of the 1930's lead by Reinhardt and violinist Stéphane Grappelli, The Hot Club Of Detroit is an ensemble jazz band that creates a sound that harkens back to those gypsy jazz greats with a modern spin.

Using modern swing fused with the gypsy jazz style that tore through Paris and the world in the 1930's, the Hot Club Of Detroit brings an original blend of music from their home town of Detroit. Their sound has been described as "a smorgasbord of exciting music" that also incorporates modern day influences with both acoustic and electric instrumentation. The Detroit Free Press describes the members of The Hot Club Of Detroit as "virtuosos" with their " lickety-split improvisations" and "an occasional riff cribbed from rock guitarists."

Centenary Stage Company is hosting this up-and-coming band for the January Jazz Fest's grand Finale on Saturday, January 26th at the David and Carol Lackland Center. Band founder and lead guitarist Evan Perri claims, "People say you catch the Django bug and never get rid of it." Following in the footsteps of luminaries like Django and Gripelli, these accomplished young musicians include Perri on guitar, Julien Labro on the button accordion, Jon Irabagon on sax, Paul Brady on rhythm guitar and Kells Nollenberger on bass.

The Hot Club Of Detroit will be performing on Saturday, January 26th at 8:00 p.m. in the Sitnik Theatre at the Lackaland Center. Tickets are $30.00 at The Door and $25.00 in advance. To purchase tickets or to find more information on other performances in the 2012-2013 season, visit www.centenarystageco.org, or call (908) 979-0900.

The Centenary Stage Company is a not-for-profit professional equity theatre, in residence at Centenary College, dedicated to serving as a cultural resource for audiences of the Skylands Region with professional music, theatre and dance events and arts Education programs throughout the year. Performances at the Centenary Stage Company are made possible through the visionary support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the NJ State Council on the Arts, and CSC members, Friends and sponsors, including Premier Sponsor Heath Village and Silver Sponsors Hackettstown Regional Medical Center and The Holiday Inn in Mt. Olive.

Pictured: Hot Club of Detroit. Photo Credit: Cybelle Codish.