Les Doigts de l’Homme
1910
Alma Records
www.almarecords.com
By George W. Harris

If it weren’t for the Commandment not to envy, I would have a
passionate hatred for this quartet consisting of Olivier Kikteff/g,
Yannick Alcocer/g, Benoit Convert/g and Tanguy Blum/b. You see, during
my teen years, I fell in love with the gypsy music of Django Reinhardt,
and wanted more than anything else to play in that freely swinging
style. I was missing just one ingredient, which was talent, so I
switched to clarinet. Se la vie!

This band gives a tip of the beret to Reinhardt, but it’s no mere
nostalgic impersonation. These guys play with a modern abandon, as on
“Blue Skies” and plod along with an intense trudge on “St. James
Infirmary Blues.” Kikteff can pick like Stallone with an AK47 as on
“Ol’ Man River,” or can strum and build up an incendiary rhythm as on
“I’ve Found A New Baby.” When the whole team joins into the charge, it
gets close to the bull run at Paploma. You’ll feel like you took 5
straight runs at The Tea Cups at Disneyland after a few listens of
this. Vive le guitar!