Ultrafaux and Hot Club of Baltimore Showcase Contemporary and Traditional Gypsy Jazz
Inspired by the legendary Django Reinhardt, Baltimore guitarist and band leader Michael Joseph Harris leads two gypsy jazz bands on a 2017 Winter Tour. Beginning mid-January, Ultrafaux and Hot Club of Baltimore will play a dozen cities in Northern Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Georgia and Louisiana, culminating in a March 5 appearance at the Django-a-Gogo Festival in Brooklyn, New York.
Harris became a respected ambassador of traditional gypsy jazz after founding hard touring Hot Club of Baltimore in 2012. Two years later he added progressive gypsy swing group Ultrafaux, taking the music to a new level by adding his own contemporary compositions. The resulting repertoire reflects influences of Romani and Balkan folk, swing, funk, blues, Dixieland and bebop. (Django recorded bebop influenced Django in Rome 1949-1950. Harris pays homage to that and other periods).
Ultrafaux and Hot Club of Baltimore are comprised of the same core members: Harris and Sami Arefin trade positions on lead and rhythm guitar. Eddie Hrybyk (pronounced RYEbik) plays bass. Both bands have released two albums with a third in production. In 2016 contemporary trio Ultrafaux released Deuxième; the more traditional Hot Club of Baltimore released Coquette. Winter Tour audiences will be treated to new tunes by both entities!
The groups have played countless concerts, earning abundant press. Says Tom Cole of Pacifica Radio’s WPFW, “These folks can handle the complexities and breakneck speeds of Roma swing…we can come close to the experience of what it must have been like to hear Django Reinhardt play...in 1937.” Says Sam Sessa of WTMD Radio, “Ultrafaux breathes new life into jazz, while holding onto the sense of nostalgia that makes this genre so timeless and appealing in the first place.”
In the U.S. the musicians have toured both coasts and points in between playing clubs, concerts and festivals. They’ve appeared at Django by the Sea, The Midwest Gypsy Swing Festival, Baltimore Jazz Fest and the Django Jazz Festival. Harris is artistic director and founder of the latter sellout event. The Second Annual Django Jazz Festival takes place at Creative Alliance in Baltimore February 24 and 25 in 2017. The groups have also performed in Montreal and are planning their first European tour.
Harris studied with guitar with Rick Whitehead in high school and Jack Petersen at North Texas State. He performed in D.C. with popular Latin Jazz group Bossalingo and moved to Baltimore in 2006 and turning his attention to gypsy jazz in its many forms.
A popular video captures him in concert. See Ultrafaux & Hot Club of Baltimore—Full HD Concert @ Creative Alliance here.
2017 WINTER TOUR DATES
SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2017
Creative Cauldron
410 S Maple Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046
(703) 436-9948
Hot Club Of Baltimore
FRIDAY, JANUARY 20TH, 2017
Gypsy Sally's Vinyl Lounge
3401 K St NW, Washington, DC 20007
(202) 333-7700
Ultrafaux
SATURDAY, JANUARY 21ST, 2017
Chestnut House
603 West Chestnut Street, Lancaster, PA 17603
(717) 940-9311
Ultrafaux
SUNDAY, JANUARY 22ND, 2017
5 Walnut Wine Bar
5 W Walnut St, Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 253-2593
Ultrafaux
TUESDAY, JANUARY 24TH, 2017
Bobby’s Idle Hour Tavern
1028 16th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37212
(615) 726-0446
Ultrafaux
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25TH, 2017
Hendershots
237 Prince Ave, Athens, GA 30601
(706) 353-3050
Ultrafaux
THURSDAY, JANUARY 26TH, 2017
Red Light Cafe
Amsterdam Walk, 553 Amsterdam Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306
Ultrafaux & 9 String Theory
FRIDAY, JANUARY 27TH, 2017
The Crow And Quill
106 N Lexington Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Ultrafaux
SATURDAY, JANUARY 28TH, 2017
UU Coffeehouse
2701 Heyward St, Columbia, SC 29205
(803) 200-2824
Ultrafaux
MONDAY, JANUARY 30TH, 2017
The Dragon's Den
435 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 940-5546
Ultrafaux
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD, 2017
Marigny Opera House
725 St Ferdinand St, New Orleans, LA 70117
(504) 948-9998
Ultrafaux Feat. Russell Welch & Connor Stewart
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11TH, 2017
Bistro 29
3911 Lee Hwy, Arlington, VA 22207
(703) 528-1111
Hot Club of Baltimore
FRIDAY/SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17 & 18TH, 2017
Twins Jazz
1344 U St NW, Washington, DC 20009
(202) 234-0072
Hot Club of Baltimore
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH, 2017
Creative Alliance
Charm City Django Jazz Fest
3134 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD 21224
(410) 276-1651
Ultrafaux & Russell Welch Quartet
SUNDAY, MARCH 5TH, 2017
Barbes
Django-a-Gogo Festival
376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 965-9177
Ultrafaux
Inspired by the legendary Django Reinhardt, Baltimore guitarist and band leader Michael Joseph Harris leads two gypsy jazz bands on a 2017 Winter Tour. Beginning mid-January, Ultrafaux and Hot Club of Baltimore will play a dozen cities in Northern Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Georgia and Louisiana, culminating in a March 5 appearance at the Django-a-Gogo Festival in Brooklyn, New York.
Harris became a respected ambassador of traditional gypsy jazz after founding hard touring Hot Club of Baltimore in 2012. Two years later he added progressive gypsy swing group Ultrafaux, taking the music to a new level by adding his own contemporary compositions. The resulting repertoire reflects influences of Romani and Balkan folk, swing, funk, blues, Dixieland and bebop. (Django recorded bebop influenced Django in Rome 1949-1950. Harris pays homage to that and other periods).
Ultrafaux and Hot Club of Baltimore are comprised of the same core members: Harris and Sami Arefin trade positions on lead and rhythm guitar. Eddie Hrybyk (pronounced RYEbik) plays bass. Both bands have released two albums with a third in production. In 2016 contemporary trio Ultrafaux released Deuxième; the more traditional Hot Club of Baltimore released Coquette. Winter Tour audiences will be treated to new tunes by both entities!
The groups have played countless concerts, earning abundant press. Says Tom Cole of Pacifica Radio’s WPFW, “These folks can handle the complexities and breakneck speeds of Roma swing…we can come close to the experience of what it must have been like to hear Django Reinhardt play...in 1937.” Says Sam Sessa of WTMD Radio, “Ultrafaux breathes new life into jazz, while holding onto the sense of nostalgia that makes this genre so timeless and appealing in the first place.”
In the U.S. the musicians have toured both coasts and points in between playing clubs, concerts and festivals. They’ve appeared at Django by the Sea, The Midwest Gypsy Swing Festival, Baltimore Jazz Fest and the Django Jazz Festival. Harris is artistic director and founder of the latter sellout event. The Second Annual Django Jazz Festival takes place at Creative Alliance in Baltimore February 24 and 25 in 2017. The groups have also performed in Montreal and are planning their first European tour.
Harris studied with guitar with Rick Whitehead in high school and Jack Petersen at North Texas State. He performed in D.C. with popular Latin Jazz group Bossalingo and moved to Baltimore in 2006 and turning his attention to gypsy jazz in its many forms.
A popular video captures him in concert. See Ultrafaux & Hot Club of Baltimore—Full HD Concert @ Creative Alliance here.
2017 WINTER TOUR DATES
SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2017
Creative Cauldron
410 S Maple Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046
(703) 436-9948
Hot Club Of Baltimore
FRIDAY, JANUARY 20TH, 2017
Gypsy Sally's Vinyl Lounge
3401 K St NW, Washington, DC 20007
(202) 333-7700
Ultrafaux
SATURDAY, JANUARY 21ST, 2017
Chestnut House
603 West Chestnut Street, Lancaster, PA 17603
(717) 940-9311
Ultrafaux
SUNDAY, JANUARY 22ND, 2017
5 Walnut Wine Bar
5 W Walnut St, Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 253-2593
Ultrafaux
TUESDAY, JANUARY 24TH, 2017
Bobby’s Idle Hour Tavern
1028 16th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37212
(615) 726-0446
Ultrafaux
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25TH, 2017
Hendershots
237 Prince Ave, Athens, GA 30601
(706) 353-3050
Ultrafaux
THURSDAY, JANUARY 26TH, 2017
Red Light Cafe
Amsterdam Walk, 553 Amsterdam Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306
Ultrafaux & 9 String Theory
FRIDAY, JANUARY 27TH, 2017
The Crow And Quill
106 N Lexington Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Ultrafaux
SATURDAY, JANUARY 28TH, 2017
UU Coffeehouse
2701 Heyward St, Columbia, SC 29205
(803) 200-2824
Ultrafaux
MONDAY, JANUARY 30TH, 2017
The Dragon's Den
435 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 940-5546
Ultrafaux
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD, 2017
Marigny Opera House
725 St Ferdinand St, New Orleans, LA 70117
(504) 948-9998
Ultrafaux Feat. Russell Welch & Connor Stewart
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11TH, 2017
Bistro 29
3911 Lee Hwy, Arlington, VA 22207
(703) 528-1111
Hot Club of Baltimore
FRIDAY/SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17 & 18TH, 2017
Twins Jazz
1344 U St NW, Washington, DC 20009
(202) 234-0072
Hot Club of Baltimore
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH, 2017
Creative Alliance
Charm City Django Jazz Fest
3134 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD 21224
(410) 276-1651
Ultrafaux & Russell Welch Quartet
SUNDAY, MARCH 5TH, 2017
Barbes
Django-a-Gogo Festival
376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 965-9177
Ultrafaux
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