Fumée - Reverie (2014)

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Fumée - Reverie (2014)

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Fumée Gypsy Project’s new release, Reverie, blends traditional European jazz with a unique Chicago twist. Comprised of four incredibly versatile musicians, the band demonstrates their love of straight ahead jazz through a variety of French,American and German standard repertoire. Originally trained as a classical vocalist, band leader Christy Bennett uses her background to incorporate a love of foreign languages with rich vocal stylings and a deep knowledge of songbook jazz.

Bennett has performed as a classical soloist as well as a member of the Palomar Ensemble. Guitar players Nate Baker and Casey Nielsen attended Northern Illinois University and had the privilege of studying under master-teacher Fareed Haque. While Nielsen often performs in chamber music groups both as an ensemble member and a soloist, Baker was a finalist in the Union League Jazz Improvisation contest in both 2012 and 2013. Baker also plays with a variety of pop and bluegrass groups in the city of Chicago. Hailing from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, Christian Dillingham is one of the most in-demand bassists in Chicago. He is a frequent member of classical groups such as Chicago Sinfonietta and the New Millenium Orchestra of Chicago. He has also performed with artists including Chris Potter, Robin Eubanks, and Bobby Broom as well as Lupe Fiasco, Lurrie Bell, Matthew Skoller, Bill Sims, Three Mo Tenors and Smokey Norfol. His most recent project this past summer featured a performance with Carrie Underwood and the Ravinia Festival

Reverie combines the band members’ diverse backgrounds and creates a new take on old sounds. Paying tribute to the tradition of gypsy jazz, the group adds a modern twist to classics, such as “Caravan”, “St. Louis Blues” and “Jitterbug Waltz”. The album also features less-known gems such as Henri Salvador’s “Syracuse” and Django Reinhardt’s “Douce Ambiance” (a piece rarely performed with its original lyrics). Over the course of two days, the entire album was recorded Chicago’s Shirk Studio, mixed and mastered by Anthony Gravino. The music was recorded live, in a single room with isolation or post-production overdubs. The result is a beautiful sound, played from the heart, by a team of outstanding musicians. Currently, Fumée is work-shopping new repertoire during their weekly resident performance at Rogers Park Social every Monday evening.