New Plans, 2017 Retrospective, Ultrafaux January Tour

I was changed forever the first time I heard Django Reinhardt's music. The more I listened the more I realized that Django achieved the impossible as an artist.  He was able to make harmonically complex music totally melodic and enjoyable.  He reinvented Jazz to fit the acoustic guitar and made it a music for stringed instruments with the help of violinist Stephane Grappelli. Both players were incredibly expressive, emulating the sounds of big band arrangements, drum beats, and horn riffs by bending notes, using tremolo, sweeps and flourishes. Like Charlie Parker and other Jazz legends, there was incredible instruction in their performances on how to play, how to swing, and how to be expressive on the instrument.


Each note Django played called me to become my own unique player by first emulating his sound then finding my own way to play. There is an inherent integrity to the style he created and its so fundamental to the way to play jazz on the guitar. You can argue that other guitarists were also amazing from that time, but not that many, and none quite like Django.
There is something extraordinary about Reinhardt and we all know it when we hear him play on those old recordings. He transcended so many limitations including use of only two fingers on his left hand for solos, cultural stigmas, antiquated audio equipment, wartime pressures, and on and on. All these challenges and yet he was totally free in his own mind and creativity. His playing conveys a spirit of liberation.
Django wrote and performed original music during a time when most musicians only played the standards of the day. I think his example shows us how crucial it is to write music and challenge the status quo.
Django may have conceived of what is commonly know as Gypsy Jazz in the city of Paris, but it was nurtured and brought up on the road and continues to resist settling down in any one place. After all, it found me and I live in Baltimore Maryland. Now I write music that clearly follows in the footsteps of Django even though I am not of his time or place. It's a music that transcends culture and location, yet it is rooted clearly in a certain area and has had a definite history of players who have continued in the tradition.    
Despite simple audio equipment and lack of amplification, Django made the acoustic guitar sing loudly and gave it a distinctive voice which stood out next to the horn bands and big bands of the day. Even musicians today, using tons of overdubs and high-end recording equipment, have a hard time sounding as fresh and exciting as those old recordings of Django. He was skilled, but improved on his abilities under adverse conditions and then he honed them to the highest art.
Players like Biréli Lagrène, Stochelo Rosenberg, Angelo Debarre, Tchavolo Schmitt, Moreno Winterstein, Waso Grunholtz, Fapy Lafertin and a handful of others continued the powerful legacy of Django Reinhardt. I remember speaking with guitarist Ted Gottsegen over many pints of Guinness at the Irish pub in Maplewood between workshops during Django-A-Gogo. Ted knows so many stories about the history of this music and the players who continued and expanded on the tradition. The pivotal Gipsy Project concert video by Biréli was a big moment that brought the Django-based style more into the limelight and it continues to be a huge draw for those first getting into this style. It was this same You Tube video that inspired me to self-produce a full length concert video of my own back when I was first really getting into this music in 2014.  
One of the best things to happen for me in 2017 was being asked to perform at the legendary Festival Django Reinhardt in France. The festival was held in Fontainebleau this year and featured Stephane Wrembel who grew up in that same area. I am pretty sure it was a big deal for Stephane to be performing there in his hometown. It was also huge for me to be performing on the luthier stage which featured some of the finest guitar players I have ever heard including guys I had jammed with earlier that week at the Samoreau campsite.  There is nothing like meeting a total stranger at a campsite, playing music, laughing, sharing a drink and then realize they are one of the top guitar players in the world! I can't explain in words how fortunate I felt to meet all these musicians.
I am sure many feel the same way I did when I first entered the world of authentic gypsy jazz. It is an inspiring scene of guitar based jazz that just does not exist anywhere else. The legacy of Django Reinhardt is real in this region and there is a strong feeling for the music in the community which includes musicians and fans from all over Europe and the world. 
Many of the old timers, and even some younger players who started coming to the festival years ago, say "it used to be better then."  They lament the early years when the festival was held in the mythical Samois sur seine area where Django spent his later years, and where exceptional players like Angelo Debarre live and play music steeped in this tradition. Some say there was a playfulness that is lacking today and that many modern players are too serious and competitive. I don't really see that but I don't have much to compare it to.  It was my first time and I met a lot of great people and felt a good spirit of fun throughout the camp.  Still, I wished it was set in the village of Samois sur seine like it had been in the past based on all the stories I have heard and video I have seen from earlier years.
Samois and Samoreau are very unique places with a special history so I was genuinely excited to be there. I wanted to meet fellow musicians, not just as players, but as people. I like the social aspect of this music and the camaraderie everyone shares from all over the world. Sure, it's serious, but it's also about having a drink and a laugh while playing some tunes. It's a mix of child-like play and brilliant musicianship and you have to have both in my opinion to get to the heart of this music. Django exudes both in his playing.  You can hear this whimsical, playful feeling mixed with absolute brilliance and bold creativity.  
I first heard about the Django festival from Sami Arefin who plays with me in Ultrafaux. Sami has often shared stories about the mythical Samois and I always listened wide-eyed whenever he spoke about the festival. I was entranced by stories of the campsite and hoped to someday meet the authentic players of this style. Like Ted, Sami is a wealth of information about the traditional players and history of the music. 
When I finally arrived at the festival, it was bittersweet. Sami could not attend with me and my girlfriend had to return home after touring Europe with me up until then. I made the best of it and quickly found myself meeting all kinds of players from all over the world. Fortunately luthier Cyril Gaffiero, who I met at Django-A-Gogo gave me a tent to use while I was at the campsite so I was set.
It was hot when I arrived in Samoreau and I did not pack the correct clothing so I was stuck wearing my jeans and wrong shoes the entire time. I am not a savvy camper either so I was a bit challenged right off the bat. I did manage to spend most of my time jamming with the players there and meeting lots of new people.  One of my first campfire jams happened to be next to a favorite guitarist, Wawau Adler. I played a tune or two with him before realizing who he was. That's what its like there. Everyone has an air of anonymity. You meet other players through the music and through the good times first, then you realize who they are later.
We will be performing and jamming in Asheville the entire weekend Jan. 26 - 28.  I strongly recommend getting an Air BnB and enjoying the entire weekend there with us. Its going to be a blast. Plus it's an incredible city with plenty to do from bars, music, to hiking and zip-lining in the mountains nearby.
I hope to see you out on the road soon!
Kind regards,








It seems like yesterday, but its really been a huge learning experience since then. I learned quickly by sitting next to guys like Sebastien Giniaux, Olivier Kikteff, Samson Schmitt, Tcha Limberger, and other extraordinary players at Django In June every year.  Jamming with guys who were better, faster, and more experienced than myself.  I even completely changed my right hand picking style to get a more authentic sound by using more rest stroke picking the way Django did to play those big arpeggios and diminished riffs. Rhythm guitar is no different.  Its a skill that takes time and experience to develop. It has taken years to get the right feel on "le pompe," the French name used for the driving rhythm guitar sound so popular in the hot jazz of Django's time. I feel like I only recently started getting it when I was playing for hours at the Samoreau campsite next to guys like Arsène Charry, Adrian Marco, Adrien Tarraga, and Justin Geisler to name a few. There is a certain sound you want, but it is also very individual. Every rhythm guitarist has their own feel and nobody is exactly the same even though we are all playing the same basic rhythmic accompaniment. I probably learned the most about accompaniment from Tcha Limberger whose harmonic sense is unparalleled.

Mathieu Chatelain, the talent coordinator for Festival Django Reinhardt, and the well known rhythm guitarist for top players like Adrien Moignard, asked me my preferred date to play and I instinctively chose July 7th at 9pm which just so happened to be right before the headliner Stochelo Rosenberg.  I was ecstatic when I heard the lineup! We performed for a large crowd who stood most of the set or gathered at picnic tables in the field. Some fans danced wildly to our music. It was quite a scene.  Here is You Tube video of one of our songs with special guests Brad Brose, Lisa Liu, and bassist Deborah Lartilleux!  When we were done, we ran over to see Stochelo perform a flawless and spirited set.

2017 started off with Ultrafaux performing Charm City Django Jazzfest alongside Leah Zeger, Anouman, and Russell Welch Hot Quartet from New Orleans. Then I left right away to perform at Django-A-Gogo up in New Jersey at Barbès in Brooklyn NY and lead a week of workshop jam sessions. Even got to jam with Stochelo in the bar area before our set at Barbès! Here is a video of one of our songs.  (Notice the perma-grin I have, the direct result of being in the presence my guitar hero) Big thanks to Irene Ypenburg from Amsterdam for shooting the video.  

The European Tour was a major highlight of 2017 as I made my way across Europe with my girlfriend Julia, stopping in Wales, London, Brussels, Lyon, Paris, Fontainebleau and Samoreau to perform. I had arranged shows with various guest artists along the way and all of them were an absolute blast. The first shows in the U.K. were with Lewis Dickenson and bassist Pete Thomas which included an absolutely cool show in Wales and the legendary Le Quecum Bar in London. Then we took a train to Brussels to perform with the fantastic Alexandre Tripodi on violin and Renaud Dardenne, a fabulous guitarist well versed in the Django style.  I did a show with guitarist Brad Brose in France including Festival Django Reinhardt where we were joined by Lisa Liu and the outstanding bassist Deborah Lartilleux, daughter of guitarist Christophe Lartilleux who I had met while at Django in June. The shows were well-attended and exciting. The crowds, attentive and receptive.  I sold all of my merch too which really helped pay our way while traveling through the area.  

I met so many amazing musicians along the way that I have decided to include many of them as guest artists on upcoming recording sessions. I find that each player brings out different aspects of the music and also different characteristics in my own playing. Its also a lot of fun playing with different musicians which reflects the sense of community which is such a strong characteristic of this music.  

Looking ahead, Ultrafaux is set to tour the Southern U.S. in January, performing for Djangoary Festival in Glen Allen, VA and opening for Stephane Wrembel at the Django Birthday Festival in Asheville North Carolina with a lot of shows along the way.



Michael 

WTMD! CD Release shows! 3 Big Festivals!

We were so happy to perform on WTMD this past Saturday. We've done two live interviews on the station and they consistently play our music on shows like Paul Hartman's Detours among others. They've been really supportive and it means a lot considering we are an instrumental Django Reinhardt-inspired jazz trio. We are really looking forward to the Ultrafaux CD Release Show at Ottobar on May 4th which happens after the WTMD first Thursday.  Its going to be a great after-party capping off a big day of awesome music.  

Radio host Sam Gallant asked me a rather awkward question after the show. He said, "are you guys good?, I mean, in the genre. I know you're good musicians, but are you good compared to the best of this style?"  

It was a strange feeling to be put on the spot like that, but it was an honest question from a person who likes our music but is not 100% familiar with gypsy jazz. I thought for a moment and  said, "Yes, we are good. We can hang with the best in the world!" 

We've hung out with some the best guitarists at places like Django In June or while on tour. These guys are amazing, often playing at a very high level since they were young boys. Antoine Boyer, Sébastien Giniaux, Samson Schmitt, Olivier Kikteff, Adrien Moignard, Stephane Wrembel, Stochelo Rosenberg, Angelo Debarre, and many more have shown us the path. Teachers like Denis Chang really keep the authenticity of the style intact for new students of the style.  It's an amazing learning experience, often brutal and deflating but mostly inspiring and supportive. Gypsy jazz is a culture and a family, not just a musical style. 

After a few years of hard work, and composing over 34 songs, I can say we're finally hitting our stride. It's no mistake that we've been featured at the top gypsy jazz festivals in the world in 2015 & 2016 and that we're about to play the biggest Django Jazzfest in Fontainebleau, France in July. It's no fluke that we were the first gypsy jazz band to ever play Napa Valley Jazz Society. We sold out NVJS at Silo's in Napa and they said we were the best show ever featured in any style, bar none!  Now we are in the process of lining up another southern tour in January to perform at the big Django Birthday festival in Asheville NC and Djanguary Festival in Richmond Virginia. We will be putting together more shows in NC, SC, GA, etc.. during that time.  Also in the works is a tour of Northern California in 2018, probably in the Summer.  Stay tuned!  

Yes I can finally put my perfectionism aside for a moment and say we're doing pretty well, however, we all know it's sink or swim in the music business. We all have to constantly practice to stay at the top of your game. There's so much to learn and new challenges every day. Everything becomes way more intense when you make your goal to be at the top of your game.  The important thing is we have fun and we keep the spontaneity in the music.  Audiences will always be treated to a totally unique experience at every show.  It won't be scripted or formulaic and I always enjoy adding a few surprises to every show.  Something unexpected is always in the works!  

Its a big day for me because my daughter turns 9 today!  I am so happy for her.  She's learned so much more than me when I was her age including violin, piano, mandolin and some harp!

Enjoy the music and keep swingin'  

Michael - composer/guitarist 

Festivals - Tours - 2 new CDs - and Europe!

2016 was a busy year of new opportunities and the opening up of new possibilities.  Highlights include: Performing at Django By The Sea alongside Rhythm Future Quartet for the final day of the sold-out festival in Kittery Maine.  Performing at Midwest Gypsy Swing Festival with The Russell Welch Hot Quartet, who I liked so much I asked them to play our Charm City Django Jazzfest coming up Feb.24/25.  The other featured bands include Anouman who I met through an awesome rhythm guitarist I play with in NYC named Josh Kaye.  Anouman features lead guitarist Koran Agan who taught at Django in June in 2016.  Violinist extraordinaire Leah Zeger will also perform in Charm City at the festival and I will have the honor of backing her up along with Josh Kaye and the bassist Eduardo from Anouman.  This is going to be a blast!  

We also got the chance to go on three nice tours this year.  We played for a sold out audience at Napa Valley Jazz Society's main event at Silo's in Napa, plus did a bunch of cool gigs in Northern California and the bay area. We went up to Montreal and Quebec City to visit friends and play concerts all through the Northeast. We met so many wonderful people along the way. Then we did a tour down South to some of our favorite places like Asheville, Atlanta, Athens, Columbia, and Nashville before heading down to NOLA via Mobile Alabama where we performed an epic brunch after driving all night and getting about an hour of sleep in the car.  NOLA was gorgeous this time of year and the folks there were super friendly.  I think the most fun we had was jamming all night at Kala's house in Biwater near Marigny where we would later play our concert with Russell Welch and Connor Stewart.  

The seeds were planted for two new CDs in the fall of 2016 and those seeds sprouted finally in the winter of 2017, fertilized by our successful Kickstarter during that time.  As usual I proposed doing the impossible which was to complete two new full-length CDs in two months time.  The hardest part was rehearsing the challenging Ultrafaux original music, but we came together as a band to make it happen.  The Hot Club of Baltimore music was challenging too, but not quite as intense because they were familiar songs we have played before many times on gigs together.  

It was fantastic to work with our new violinist Matt Andrews who moved to Baltimore right  about the same time our previous violinist Patrick McAvinue headed to Nashville where he got a job performing for Dailey and Vincent.  Matt plays on 5 songs on the new Hot Club CD Impromptu.  I think we both love the traditional sound of Django and Stephane but we also enjoy contemporary gypsy jazz so I felt like we really enjoyed the process of rehearsing and arranging these tunes together.  Alexis Tantau is the vocalist for Impromptu and she does some amazing work on La Foule, Like Someone in Love, Blue Drag, My Melancholy Baby, and Moon Ray.  Then we have two songs featuring the incredible horns of Sam King, Nico Sarbanes, and Clarence Ward - an all-star Baltimore cast of characters!  

Ultrafaux's new release is completely different from our previous releases except for the new arrangement of our song Latcho Dromo which is more like the way we play it live at shows since first recording it in 2014. The rest of the songs are influenced a lot by Balkan music, funk, and musette, plus there is a contemporary twist on songs like Xiphoid Process and North Avenue Stomp.  The melodies are some of the most complicated I have written and they demanded a lot of work before finally going to the studio to record.  

The possibility of touring Europe finally came up after a few years of wanting to do it. We were invited to Samois Festival Django Reinhardt in France last year but could not go.  This year we will tour from Wales to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam in late May, then hopefully we will perform at Samois in July.  These trips are super challenging to coordinate but they are coming together and some things recently fell in our favor.  Plus, I just got word that we are opening for Bebel Gilberto at Ram's Head Live so that will help us gain momentum.  

Be well everyone! Be your best!  See you at an upcoming show!  

Michael Joseph Harris 

Ultrafaux & Hot Club of Baltimore announce 2016 CD Tour & signs with Jazz Beyond Borders!

We are very pleased to be working with Jazz Beyond Borders and The Phillips Agency on a CD tour for 2016!  The tour will include shows in Bay area of California, a tour of the midwest highlighted by an appearance at The Midwest Gypsy Swing Festival in Madison, Wisconsin, and a tour of the Northeast all the way up to Quebec City Canada including a performance with Rhythm Future Quartet at Django By The Sea in Maine.  RFQ performed at our sold out Charm City Django Jazz Festival with us in February and we are excited to be performing with them once again.  

                                                            Ultrafaux @ Charm City Django Jazz Festival

                                                      Rhythm Future Quartet @ Charm City Django Jazz Festival

This is shaping up to be a really awesome year for Ultrafaux and for Hot Club of Baltimore.  Vocalist extraordinaire, Alexis Tantau will be featured on many of the tour dates in California as we visit her home town of Grass Valley and surrounding areas.  You can look up all those show dates here.

                                              Alexis Tantau, vocalist for Hot Club of Baltimore

Look for a recent interview to be published soon in All About Jazz called Take Five with Michael Joseph Harris, composer/guitarist for both bands. Baltimore Style Magazine will also feature an interview with Michael in May, and for those of you who missed the Baltimore Sun feature, you can access that here.   Ultrafaux's new CD Deuxième will be reviewed in this next edition of The Baltimore Jazz Alliance newsletter by Ken Avis.  You can find more information about BJA here.

We hope to see you at one of our upcoming performances!

Early Bird Orders for Hot Club's new CD "Coquette" are underway!!

Hello everyone!  Our new Hot Club CD "Coquette" will arrive in one week, way before the official release date of March 10.  Only Kickstarter backers will receive CDs during this time unless you take advantage of this special offer now.  "Coquette" is packed with 14 new songs, many of which feature the magnificent vocals of Alexis Tantau.  Newcomer vocalist Charlie Dolph is also included on two tracks along with many instrumentals.  Like Place de Brouckère, Coquette features the same 15 top musicians and a variety of configurations from the string trio and quintet all the way to 8 piece band.


This offer is only for shipping within United States.  We are not yet set up for international orders which will require additional shipping.  Please contact me at MJHMusic@gmail.com if you want me to send one overseas and we can work out a fair price.  For now, its FREE shipping for all U.S. orders!

Each CD is $15.  You can also donate as much as you want.  There is also a 4-CD option if you donate $50 or more.  Click below to order yours today!

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1 CD $15.00 USD 4 CDs $50.00 USD

PS and don't forget to order your tickets for our official CD release show at Germano's

2016 off to a good start!

The winter has been a lot of fun so far.  Aside from losing some weight and getting my health back in order, I have had some really amazing opportunities and shows.  Our Ultrafaux CD release at 8x10 was truly remarkable.  You can see some video footage here.  I also came up with the idea to do the 1st Annual Charm City Django Jazzfest and its actually happening!!  I proposed the idea to Josh at Creative Alliance and he ran with it!  I helped line up the talent and now we have really a world-class Djangofest scheduled for Feb.26 & 27.   Ultrafaux was also chosen by IMT to do a very cool show at Airshow Studios in Takoma Park MD.  See more here.  And we will start monthly shows in Brooklyn NY at the awesome Radegast Hall & Biergarten Monday Feb.29 8PM.

Already in 2016 I see lots of new challenges blossoming.  The main challenge is how to balance creative time as a guitarist with the busy office work of putting together shows and managing the band schedule. The biggest challenge I face currently is how to tour Europe.  I wanted to do it last year but it took so much planning and resources that I just gave up.  We were actually invited to Festival Django Reinhardt in Samois France, but we were not able to do it for various reason.  #1 it was very short notice and extremely expensive.  And now again I am faced with the same challenges and really at a loss for how to do it.  I am wondering how anyone can pull it off.  Fortunately bassist James Robbins in NYC and others have offered some advice and I look forward to taking them up on it.

It was difficult enough organizing three successful short tours of the Southeast here in the states.  I am now encountering the seemingly insurmountable task of traveling through countries with diverse languages without a car and managing a much larger budget with a lot more at stake.  The benefits do outweigh the risks however but the question is still "When?"  Its also been quite a task promoting our events, getting the word out to folks who would never ever hear about this stuff.  There are so many, thousands in Baltimore alone, who have no idea we are doing this unique music.  I am currently shopping for a PR firm to help us, but are quite pricey.  We shall see.

I may be biased, but I do think we are performing at a pretty high level especially for such a young group.  I may be older than Eddie and Sami by a long shot, but we are all collectively young as a band and fairly new to gypsy jazz style music.  Sami has the most experience of all of us when it comes to being well versed in the history of jazz manouche and Django…Admittedly, Sami has become my personal reference resource on all things Django, from who wrote songs and performed them to who taught who and how each style varies from lineage to lineage.  Its also through Sami that I first learned about Django In June, a camp devoted to the music of Django and hot jazz.  I have been two years so far and I have had really remarkable experiences there learning from the best in the world like Olivier Kikteff, Tcha Limberger, Samson Schmitt, Sebastien Giniaux and William Brunard.  These players have all influenced me in different ways as have many of the guitarists I currently listen to on a regular basis.  Aside from Django Reinhardt, Angelo Debarre might be the biggest influence on me at this moment in time, but my focus shifts according to how I feel.   Check him out for yourself.  



Arguably, what we do as Ultrafaux is not gypsy jazz per se, but it certainly fits that genre more than any other.  Its most definitely inspired by and informed by the music of Django Reinhardt, but it also has Latin, blues, Balkan, musette and funk elements.  I am personally kind of pleased that our music defies category.  Actually the entire genre of jazz is really going through a kind of facelift and renaissance in a way, and so called gypsy jazz will probably always fly a little under radar, staying out of the way of pop culture and fly-by-night trends.  Even though our music in Ultrafaux is original, it feels rooted in the tradition somehow and its this tradition that helps to stabilize it and give it depth of character.  I think there is a new appreciation happening for the older Jazz.  The new players are starting to realize how good those guys really were back in the day and how special Jazz really was when it first arrived on the scene.  Jazz is such an amazing legacy of inspired work to dip into and it compels us to be exceptional in our skills not only as a performer but also as an entertainer.  We create socially viable music, or maybe "socially valuable" is a better way of putting it.  There are fundamental qualities about the music that separate it from other current popular forms.  Qualities like acoustic, raw, authentic, improvised, created, original, and expressive.  Its challenging to play. Its moving, uplifting, entertaining, and familiar, yet always fresh and new every time.  I am very thankful to have found my way into this style of playing guitar.  I do miss playing with percussionists as I did in Bossalingo for many years.  I think about that from time to time and may even line up some shows with that format again using César Orozco or Arturo O'Farrill on piano.  I also want to do another recording using electric arch-top guitar at some point.  Maybe I can do both Latin jazz with electric guitar.  We will see!  I also have a secret project that I cannot reveal many details about, but it has to do with getting a pretty large Cuban style band together and performing some very traditional dance repertoire.  

   

On to current things!  I am proud to say that the new upcoming Hot Club of Baltimore CD "Coquette" will be my 4th CD in 2 years in the style of gypsy jazz.  (2 as Ultrafaux playing my original music, and 2 as Hot Club playing Django and traditional swing songs)  I have to say that singer Alexis Tantau is sounding remarkable as is violinist Patrick McAvinue.  We are so fortunate to be working with these great musicians!  They have both taught me a lot about being a bandleader and about how to get the most out of our studio time.  I feel that my playing is getting a lot better too, especially in the studio.  I thrive on playing live shows and its a real challenge playing this style of music in the studio without that energy from the audience.  Playing with headphones is a completely different feeling than playing acoustically and I have been working with recording engineers Evan Kornblum and Ben Frock to find the best sound and best vibe in the studio.  We will continue to try new things in order to get the most natural and alive sound we can.  I think you will like the results on Coquette.  The CD release will be March 10 at Germano's Cabaret.  Its truly a miracle it all came together so fast.  Big thanks to all of our kickstarter supporters who pre-ordered and allowed us to make our goal!  Look for a totally revamped website for Hot Club of Baltimore very soon!

New projects on the horizon include an album of traditional waltzes and a solo album featuring some of my favorite songs in the gypsy jazz repertoire.  These will both be recorded with various guest artists from Baltimore, New York and even Europe if I am lucky.  No solid plans as of yet, but just learning songs and figuring out which ones I want to record.  I am also writing new songs for Ultrafaux and hope to have another CD with that group by the end of 2016.  

God bless you all and thanks for checking out my blog.

Michael

Going South! Tour begins Nov.8 in Asheville NC

Hey everyone,  It's been a minute since I last wrote, but we have been very busy releasing 2 new CDs and getting our ducks in a row for this upcoming tour.  So we have a new Hot Club of Baltimore CD "Place de Brouckère" which features some great Django Reinhardt songs and vocal tunes with Alexis Tantau and Kerra Holtgren, plus about 12 other top notch musicians like pianist César Orozco & and fiddle player Patrick McAvinue !

At the very same time, Ultrafaux was busy rehearsing and recording 12 new originals titled Deuxième pronounced Doo-zee-M, which means "the second one."  Our official  CD release party is at the awesome 8x10 club in Baltimore on Friday Jan 8.   Make plans to catch that show because it will be one of the best local shows of the year.  We will be sharing the stage with Chris Pumphrey's band Mondawmen featuring John Dierker on sax and our good friend Zach Serleth's band Highland Hill Boys will be opening the night.  Tickets are already on sale for only $12 HERE

Highland Hill Boys

Chris Pumphrey & Mondawmen 

Our tour schedule for Ultrafaux takes us through North and South Carolina and into Georgia for some really fantastic venues.  Please tell all of your friends in those regions.  Here is our complete schedule 

Well, I hope to see you soon!  Check back with our blog for some funny posts from the road and please be sure to visit and like our Facebook page if you haven't already.  Its a great way to check in with what we are doing.  You may also be on our e-mailing list HERE.  

And now we have T-Shirts for SALE!!  Yay!  Go here to check those out!

Thanks a million!!  

Michael 

Hot Club of Baltimore Recording Sessions!

The Hot Club of Baltimore began a 4-day recording session this past Saturday. This will be our first album together and we are extremely excited. The recording will feature 13 of the most talented musicians in the Baltimore area and one from NYC. We were very fortunate to have extremely rare vintage guitars to use for the recording courtesy of Michael Bauer who traveled here from Chicago. Sami used a 1950's Di Mauro known as HH with the heart shaped sound hole. There is a cool story about this guitar. Craig Bumgarner, our favorite luthier who happens to be based in Solomon Island Maryland, studied this exact vintage Di Mauro and used those same specs to design his model Corazón. Sami loved the Corazón so much he decided to buy it for himself. So it was only fitting that he play the vintage model for part of our recording session playing this vintage Django Reinhardt music.

 

Our rhythm guitarist Robert Cuellari chose a very old 30's Selmer-Maccaferri model D-Hole that once may have been played by Django's brother Joseph, and possibly by Django himself.  I played a few different guitars during the sessions, all with completely unique tonal characteristics. At various points I switched between an amazing Selmer Petite Bouche that sounds exactly like what Django would have played in the early 40's, a 60's Favino with a very brash and bold sound, and a very nice Busato. All of these guitars were not only a delight to play, they also really informed our music and brought a distinct and vintage presence to the overall sound. The guitars also affected the way we played and literally inspired us to play in a way that mirrored the style of the 30's and 40's. We are so grateful for Michael for brining his rare and unique collection for us to use.

Day 1 & 2 focused on the early Django sound featuring three guitarists, upright bass, violinist Patrick McAvinue, percussionist Dan Cohan, and clarinetist John Dierker.  We also added the wonderful vocals of Kerra Holtgren and Alexis Tantau.  Pianist Cesar Orozco and accordionist Thomas King joined us late Sunday to add even more dimension to the overall sound.  

Day 3 & 4 will focus more on the late 40's Django sound and include trumpeter Joseph Brotherton, drummer Anders Eliasson, and John Dierker, along with Seth Kibel on clarinet and flute for the 4th session.  In the end, we will have to choose from over 20 songs to decide which will make the final cut.  I can tell you right now that is going to be a hard decision.

We already have at least 10 keepers and there are many more left to record.  We will be using our Craig Bumgarner guitars for the next two sessions and I will also be using my 70's Di Mauro with a Peche a la mouche pickup through a Tone King Falcon amplifier on a couple of songs.

I cannot say enough about our recording engineer Ben Frock.  What a talented and gracious person.  His studio is called Heartwood, named after the very dense wood in the center of a tree.  The studio is filled with vintage microphones, hand made baffles and the room smells of a cedar cigar box.  

There is a gorgeous piano in perfect tune and we were able to have sight lines to each other because the baffles have built in windows.  

Keep in touch.  The CD release date should be sometime early June. We are so excited to share this unique project with you!!  

Michael Joseph Harris 

 
   

Our two days with two French maestros - Oliver Kikteff & Marian Badoi, WYPR interview, Champignons, and more!

Its actually been my dream for years, since I was a teenager, to be able to host international players from other countries at my house and perform with them.  Well my dream finally came true.  Sometime in December of 2014, I noticed that one of my favorite guitarists in the world, Olivier Kikteff of Les Doigts de l'Homme, was going to be performing in NYC at Smalls with a phenomenal Romani accordionist named Marian Badoi in January.  Olivier and I had been talking to each other back and forth about a grant proposal I was going to do with him, so the lines of communication were already open.  I had also met him at Django in June that previous year.  Anyway, I felt I knew him well enough to ask him to be my guest here and to take part in a radio interview on WYPR in Baltimore.  I was excited to hear that he was interested!  But honestly I figured he would be pulled in many different directions once here in the States and exerted the fact that it may not happen at all.  To my surprise and elation, he accepted my offer to come!

He texted me on Tuesday to say that Marian also wanted to come visit which would turn out to be just an amazing bonus.  They made there way to Baltimore Penn Station by train on Wednesday and I had just enough time to pick them up and drop them off at my house while my daughter was at Girl Scouts.  I picked up my daughter and brought her to Grandmas so I could get back and help them settle in.  After getting them set up with places to sleep etc... we decided to go out to The Other Corner Charcuterie for some delicious Belgian inspired cooking and drinks.  I was surprised to find out that both of them were vegetarian.  They loved Jeff's special seasoned mushrooms and the risotto.

We immediately shared lots of smiles and laughs talking about everything under the sun while at dinner.  Sami and his girlfriend Kat finally joined us and the conversation got even better as we shared stories and laughs over Belgian beer and good wine.  Marian could not speak English really, but seemed to understand a lot.  He was just such a warm person in general.  Olivier spoke English really well so he was able to translate easily.  Sometimes they launched into these exuberant French jokes together and I loved hearing that language fill the walls of my favorite Baltimore bar.  Part of me just could not believe this was happening.  Here we all were with two of the best musicians on the planet, just hanging out like old friends.  It was extraordinary and totally ordinary at the same time.  I love the way music just transcends everything and people feel an instant camaraderie because of this shared passion we all have for performing.

Things just got better and better.  Many cigarettes were smoked.  Many glasses of wine and beer.  But the overriding constant was music.  Marian would play at any moment, anywhere anytime, and just amaze us all.  We went to a favorite spot where Sami and I played many times, WC Harlan, to see John Dierker play jazz.  Marian started jamming with them at one point on Caravan and it felt like it would go all night!  Of course, they are strict about stopping the music there so eventually we had to leave.  But how cool and totally welcome it would have been just to stay there all night into the morning jamming with these great musicians gathered.  Instead, we went to my house and continued the music into the night.  Olivier showed total mastery of his instrument at every turn, and both of them would jam in my living room at any moment night or day during their stay.  It was quite inspiring.  I joined in on occasion and they welcomed me warmly into their circle.  My favorite memory was playing with Marian late Wednesday in my kitchen.  We played a very typical Jazz Manouche chord progression together as my housemate lingered in the doorway to watch.  The sound was so sweet and clear.  At one point I stopped playing rhythm and sat mesmerized by Marian's music as he closed his eyes in a trance.  He evoked such imagery and emotion.  Every passage melting into the next with virtuosity and feeling.

The next day we had a radio interview at WYPR  where we played Joseph Joseph, Anniversary Song, and then Marian and Olivier played an original.  Click the link to see the video I took of them while in studio.  The show will air Feb.9 at 9:30AM but they will archive it so you can hear it anytime I believe.   Tom Hall was the host and he did a great job asking questions about gypsy jazz and our original music.   It was certainly Olivier's band Les Doigts d l'Homme that inspired me to compose original music and practice gypsy jazz in a more serious way.  Their video for the song Mumbo Jumbo really got my creative juices flowing.

That evening, both Marian and Olivier agreed to sit in on a show we were doing at Germano's.  I could not dream of a better way to end our time together.  I knew that Olivier was planning to sit in because we had spoken about it, but what a thrill to have Marian share the stage as well!  And all this was done for the love of the music.  No thought of compensation, no money, just for the pure love of music.  It was phenomenal to play two full sets of Jazz Manouche with these guys.  It was probably the most fun I have ever had playing rhythm guitar too.  I got to be the audience and the performer all at once.  It was also nerve-racking in a good way.  Intense to say the least.  I love the pressure of performing live though so I was enjoying every minute.  I only wish I was a little less starstruck and a little more relaxed!  I could hardly play my own solos at one point!!  Of course the tempos were so fast that all of our heads were spinning.  Suffice to say, Olivier has no problem playing at breakneck speeds.  I did manage some sweet solos on Nuages which, oddly enough, we played super slow.  I joked that it was probably the slowest Olivier had every played that tune.  He smiled warmly, then promptly launched into the next song with even greater ferocity.

Sami, Eddie, and I all hung in there and held our own alongside Marian and Olivier.  My favorite moment was probably playing Birelli's Made In France waltz because Olivier and I had played through it together earlier that day.  He just ripped it and gave us all ample time to solo as well.  He was very gracious and went out of his way to include everyone on solos.   Olivier was really impressed by Eddie on bass.  Of course who isn't?  The dude can play!

credited photos above by Jeffrey McMillan

After the show, we were all so high from the experience that we had to go sit down somewhere and just chill out.  I asked the guys where they wanted to go.  I said, "I will take you anywhere you want to go in Baltimore.  Where would you like to go?"  After Marian gave his usual answer, "somewhere I can get an omelette," they both agreed to go back to The Other Corner Charcuterie.  The mushrooms had made a deep impression!  We went there and sat for hours talking and laughing over delicious food and French red wine.  What an amazing night.  Fortunately Sami was thinking straight and he went online to get the bus tickets for Marian and Olivier.  We realized that they would have to leave fairly early if they were going to make their 7PM international flight our of JFK back to France.  We all went home for a few hours sleep and had to get up early to make it to the bus station by 8:30.  They had to meet Tanguy the bass player in Manhattan so it was best they left with hours to spare.  

I came home to my house and it was so quiet.  Those guys brought such life into my home, and into Baltimore in general.  What a cool thing to happen.  Very grateful things worked out the way they did.  

Michael Joseph Harris 

Our first HD concert video! Kennedy Center! Spring & Summer Tour

You know sometimes in life you just have to go for it, take a huge risk, and see what happens. Ultrafaux has embarked on a quick progression of such risk/reward scenarios. Every indication is that we are doing something right!  Our latest risk had to do with hiring videographer Harry Bechkes to shoot an entire two hour concert, our biggest show of he year right here in Baltimore city. The pressure was intense. Not only did we have a packed house, we had a huge repertoire, no sheet music, and 4 guest artists to feature. We were prepared though and we delivered!  We hope you agree that we are producing world class gypsy jazz you all can be proud of supporting. See the video here and please subscribe 

We have been getting a lot of good recognition by the press and great attendance at shows, but this is only the tip of the iceberg.  Our plan is to do another series of shows in the south, then a European stint in late June followed by a New England and Canadian tour in late summer. Oh and we have a ton of new music being tweaked and finished for another upcoming recording session. And if that's not enough, we also have solid plans to record a Hot Club of Baltimore album featuring all the amazing players we have been featuring all year long. Alexis Tantau - vocalist, Cesar Orozco - pianist, Joe Brotherton - trumpet, Dan Cohan - percussion, Seth Kibel - clarinet & flute, John Dierker - bass clarinet and many more.  Look for a kickstarter for those after the holidays.

Ultrafaux will be featured at Kennedy Center Millenium Stage on Tuesday January 6 at 6pm.  Please try to make it and let all your DC friends know we will be in town. I believe its a free concert. Best thing is that they will provide us with a DVD of the entire show!  Also we have a big show at Ottobar in Baltimore on Feb.20 with friends The Highland Hill Boys and 99.5 Blues Band.  This will be a seriously fun night and only $10 in advance.  Early March begins our Southern tour with Conundrum in South Carolina on March 6, and an appearance on the Blue Plate Special radio show in Knoxville on March 10 at noon. Be sure to tune in. Apparently they have a pretty big audience in France which is pretty cool.

Summer plans begin with Sami and Michael going to Django in June which happens in Northhampton Massachusetts every June, then to France for Festival Samois.  Hopefully we will get a spot performing on one of the smaller stages there this year. Also booking tour stops for all over Netherlands, London, Ireland, Belgium, and France.  We end our tour traveling up through New England and into Canada where there is a huge gypsy jazz scene. We will of course try to stop in Manhattan and Brooklyn along the way.  Anyway 2014 has been fun and productive, but we are looking forward to more shows as we get better and better at performing this complex and demanding style known as gypsy jazz.  It's also the funnest music in the world!  See you at a show soon and please take a moment to join our mailing list and subscribe to our You Tube Channel.

Fall News and Notes!

Great news! We sold out of our first run of CDs!  We already have a new run ready to sell online and at shows.  We also got our first check from Apple iTunes so the system appears to be working.  People are buying our music all over the world!  We are also getting some play on Spotify which is great because it puts our music into more speakers, iPads  iPhones, iPods, and computers.  Of course we would prefer people take a moment to buy the tracks from CD Baby or Bandcamp because every dollar helps us fund another album and helps with tour expenses.  

We are so excited to perform our first big concert in Baltimore on Thursday Nov.6 @ Creative Alliance.  This is going to be our first live concert professionally filmed so that folks can enjoy the entire concert on You Tube and Vimeo.  Look out for that in the coming months.  

A couple cool upcoming shows:  Ultrafaux will be doing a Stephane Grappelli tribute concert under the name Hot Club of Baltimore with violinist Patrick McAvinue at Germano's Cabaret in Baltimore on Nov.21st.  Space fills up quick, so book your tickets soon.  Then Ultrafaux will be doing all original music at Kennedy Center on Tuesday Jan.6 for their Millennium Stage Series. By then we will be performing all new music to record our next album in January 2015, just one year after forming the group in 2014.  We are looking at possible radio features on WYPR, WPFW, and WTMD in preparation for the next chapter of Ultrafaux as we move closer to going to Holland, Ireland, England, & France in the summer. The amazing Olivier Kikteff from Les Doigts de l'Homme will also be here in January touring with the exciting Marian Badoit Trio.  I know I plan on coming up to NYC to see them perform at Joe's Pub on Tuesday Jan.13.  We are looking into sharing the stage with this awesome ensemble sometime in January after that show. Stay tuned!

Incidentally we will be in NYC during the big APAP conference, which is the Association of Performing Arts Presenters.  That will be a good opportunity for us to meet the folks really making a difference in concert venues all over the world!  

We hope to see you all at our upcoming shows! 

Ultrafaux - Michael, Sami, & Eddie 

Radio interviews! WTMD & WPFW

We had a blast recently with two different radio interviews and live performances.  The first was for WTMD 89.7, an amazing station here in Baltimore with Sam Sessa for Baltimore Hit Parade which aired Tuesday June 10 at 9PM and will air again Sunday June 15 (Fathers Day) at 4PM.  The show was edited to perfection and spaced over about an hour featuring 4 of our original tunes and lots of great interview material.    You can stream WTMD here

The second was for Tom Cole of WPFW which aired last Sunday June 8.  You can listen to the archived show by scrolling about 1:05 (an hour and 5 minutes) into the show.  Go to Tom Cole's G-Strings June 8.  That was so much fun!  We had a great response from fans who listened as well.  Tom is just awesome!