Dorado Schmitt@Catalina’s 01.27.10
By George W. Harris

Celebrating the centennial birthday of legendary guitarist Django
Reinhardt, French violinist/guitarist Dorado Schmitt made a welcome and
rare California appearance with an impressive entourage of patriots,
ex-patriots and guests. Mixing originals with gypsy swing standards,
Schmitt opened the show on violin with his band of Samson Schmitt/g,
Marcel Loeffler/acc and Grappelli alumnus Grian Torff/b through some
bohemian melodies like the leader’s “David’s Swing” that captured the
genteel joy of 30s hot music. Things turned up about 3 notches when
violinist Pierre Blanchard joined the stage and father Schmitt went to
his vintage guitar for some ensemble and soloing that captured the
essence and joy of small group swing. Schmitt’s work on the incessantly
driving “Minor Swing” mixed rivulet creating chords with dancing single
note runs, while Blanchard milked every note of “Smoke Gets In Your
Eyes” like a bel canto opera singer. And just when you thought things
couldn’t get hotter, pianist Roger Kellaway came up from the audience
and pounded the ivories on a pair of tunes, climaxing in a version of
“Dark Eyes” that almost turned the upscale club into a Russian dance
hall. Fun on the frets was in abundance this night when most people
were sleeping through the President’s State of The Union address.