Alfonso Ponticelli & Swing Gitan @ Fizz

So the HotHouse (one of Chicago's coolest places/ ideas/ promoters) has been putting on some shows upstairs at Fizz. Since a friend suggested that I get on HotHouse's email list, I did so & found that the first email contained an invitation to see Alfonso Ponticelli & Swing Gitan. Reading the blurbs about the band, I thought to myself, "That sounds neat!" (This is hard-hitting music journalism here folks, try to keep up.) Comparisons to Django Reinhardt and a pretty cool self description, "It's a blend of the jubilant swing of early jazz with the feisty passion of gypsy music, plus a strong dose of guitar pyrotechnics and virtuosic improvisation" made me antsy to check these cats out.

Have you seen "Swing Kids" (pretty good flick if you're looking for a VHS to rent)? Its an early 90's movie about adolescents in Nazi Germany and their forbidden passion for jazz music. Django Reinhardt is basically the bees knees to these Nazis (rhyme time!) and for good reason.
Well, Alfonso Ponticelli plays his axe in a similar style but with a bit more international feel. Quick picking and jumpy tones really move the jazz along, but it's when the band harmonizes that the sound fills in. The Swing Gitan (I have no idea what a Gitan is) is composed of a fiddler, an accordionist, an upright bass and a rhythm guitarist. Each member of the band is incredibly talented and do their craft proud. As with most jazz shows (that I've attended) (read: 3), each was given several solos to showcase their mastery and none tripped up.

So, I've told you vaguely about their influences, the composition & talent of the band, and what movie you should watch the next time you want a night in. But what was the show like, you wonder. (Wonder!) Well, first off let me start with the venue. Fizz is a pretty alright bar, nothing to write home about though. The same goes for the upstairs, for the most part. Bar, stage, about 15 tables to sit at with some vaguely French posters and art on the walls. There is a nice little area for some dancing, if you happen upon a show with such effect on you. The tops about Fizz is the enclosed patio on the side of the building. Easily accessible via a doorway downstairs; there are comfortable couches, wooden tables and ashtrays pleasantly spaced about.

As for the theme or essence of the show, the ambiance if you'd prefer... it was engaging. Throughout each set, I bounced between two images; the first was picturing myself sitting at a bar sipping on Pernod and smoking a cigarette, in black & white. The second was dancing around a campfire under the open starts among a group of friends passing wine around, a typical gypsy scene. AP & the SQ have a very different sound than most hear on a regular basis, its refreshing and interesting. Basically I'll say this: If you take a gal to see Alfonso Ponticelli & Swing Gitan and she happens to be a cultural anthropologist... you better hope you don't have embarrassing underwear on.