Adam Prudhomme
Beaver Staff
A very different style of music known as Gypsy Jazz will be on display when the Kitchen Gypsies bring their act to the next instalment of Live at the Museum, which takes place April 26 at the L&A County Museum and Archives.
The five-piece band draws their inspiration from a style of music that was born in France in the 1930s. Suffice to say, it’s not a genre that sees much air play these days.
“The other guitar player, Ron (Heidebrecht) and I had heard about a workshop for this kind of music and ran into each other at the workshop,” explains Gary Greer, who plays rhythm guitar for the band. “After the workshop we kind of looked at each other and said ‘do you want to give this a try?’ We don’t know what we’re doing, there’s no one to help us and we’ve never done it before. What could possibly go wrong?’ We just started to play it and practice it.”
From there the band grew to include Suzanne Becker on violin and vocals, Ray Croxford on bass and Ray Desrosiers on accordion, harmonica and vocals.
“It’s a very different sound because of the way it’s designed,” explains Greer. “The rhythm guitar provides not only the harmonic basis to carry the song forward, but it carries almost a rhythmic percussive element to it as well. So that’s a different kind of sound. The closest thing I’ve ever heard would be Western Swing music from the 1940s.”
Also adding to the unique sound is just how large the band is compared to the usually duo or trio sets that play Live at the Museum concerts.
“Each instrument really adds something different to it,” said Greer. “We keep reminding our violinist that she can play long notes and make that a really important part. On a guitar it’s really short notes.”
Kitchen Gypsies will be familiar to anyone who has attended Newburgh’s Art Among the Ruins over the last five years. They’ve also played several fundraising events over the years, and have another one on May 13 at Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre.
For anyone who attends their April 26 show at the museum, he says expect a fun acoustic set with a couple of musicians who play simply for the love of music.
“Lots of people haven’t heard it before,” Greer says of their style of music. “We try to make it fun. We’re all learning musicians. I think all of us are taking lessons and studying.”
Admission for Live at the Museum is $3 at the door and the show gets underway at 7 p.m. The museum is located at 97 Thomas Street E in Napanee.