SFJAZZ presents Dorado Schmitt & the Django All-Stars
2014-11-14
Miner Auditorium
SFJAZZ Center, 205 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA
7:30 PM, Friday, November 14, 2014

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2014 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2014 event list! ☸ On to the next event!

[7:31 PM lights down, announcements from ?Dorado's sound guy?; FM BT DS enter]

1. [7:33 PM] ? ^
2. [7:37 PM] ? (django)
3. [7:43 PM +PB LB] Stompin' at Decca
4. [7:49 PM] Melodie Au Crépuscule
5. [7:56 PM, -DS PB LB; +SAS] ?
6. [8:01 PM] ?
7. [8:07 PM +DS PB LB] Sweet Georgia Brown ^
8. [8:13 PM] Minor Swing
   [set ends 8:21 PM]

[8:40 PM lights down]

1. [8:41 PM] ? Honeysuckle Rose
2. [8:47 PM] Nuages
3. [8:53 PM +SAS] Flambée Montalbanaise
4. [8:58 PM] Django's Tiger
5. [9:02 PM] For Dorado &
6. [9:11 PM] Bossa Dorado
7. [9:20 PM] ? ^
   [9:24 PM done; 9:25 PM off, lights up; hooting stomping clapping hollering till lights go full blast 9:27 PM, there will be no encore tonight]

• Ludovic Beier: accordion, & accordina;
• Pierre Blanchard: violin;
• Francko Mehrstein: acoustic rhythm guitar;
• Sonny Amati Schmitt: acoustic guitar;
• Dorado Schmitt: lead guitar, ^ violin;
• Brian Torff: contrabass.

Full house tonight!

While I was very happy to listen to Dorado and his amazing group of virtuosos as they laid down the gypsy swing, I was kind of bummed at the brevity of the show. Sure, I feel like I got my money's worth, but I was sitting in the cheap seats; had I paid the tariff to have a better view and sit up front I would have been kinda steamed about it.

I was pleased to be able to identify a decent fraction of the tunes by ear; thanks to the internet I've been able to turn up a few more titles, sadly, the rest will probably remain unidentified. It might not matter to anyone but me, but I'm compelled to try and get it all exactly perfect, and it distresses me to remain ignorant when help is available – such as a brief discussion by the musicians before playing a tune, or a setlist located onstage – but isn't shared with us in the audience. Oh well, gotta learn to relax over issues like that – no use adding needless stress to my life!

I was a little bummed that they omitted my favorite Django tune – Swing 51, but feel quite happy with the other choices, especially Honeysuckle Rose. Hopefully they'll be back here again next year for another, longer, show!

David Becker posted a brief review for the Examiner.

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2014 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2014 event list! ☸ On to the next event!