Gypsophilia

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Gypsophilia
Origin	Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Genre(s)	Jazz
Years active	2004 – present
Label(s)	Independent
Website	www.gypsophilia.org
Members
Ross Burns Gina Burgess Alec Frith Adam Fine Matt Myer Daniel Oore Sageev Oore Nick Wilkinson

Gypsophilia is a Canadian jazz band from Nova Scotia. The band is composed of Ross Burns, Alec Frith, Nick Wilkinson (guitars), Gina Burgess (violin), Adam Fine (double bass), Matt Myer (trumpet), Daniel Oore (saxophones and clarinet), and Sageev Oore (piano, keyboards, accordion, melodica). Gypsophilia has released one album to date, entitled Minor Hope.^[1]

1 Musical Style
2 Debut album
3 Critical and Audience Response
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Musical Style

Gypsophilia was initially inspired by the music of French jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, but soon found its own distinctive sound through unique original compositions and the melding of the band members' varied backgrounds and influences. While "gypsy jazz" remains a major component of the music, Gypsophilia has incorporated elements of tango, klezmer, funk, classical music, hard bop and post bop, and its soloists avoid the heavily-cliched improvisational style found in most contemporary "gypsy jazz". The band's repertoire ranges from energetic swinging dance music to more sophisticated jazz, from highly-improvised to through-composed pieces, but often combines these elements, striving to incorporate challenging modern harmonies and melodies in the context of an accessible, swinging beat.^[2]

[edit] Debut album

Gypsophilia's first CD Minor Hope was released on May 19, 2007. Recorded live over two nights at The Sonic Temple recording studio in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the album's thirteen original compositions demonstrate the range of influences that inform Gypsophilia's sound. For example, the long-form HIV Jump mixes classical music with classic jazz and fusion. Nicole's Song builds from a contemplative ballad through a vaguely baroque bridge to a dynamic suspended climax. Sebo Psoriatic Psongs begins as a dissonant country blues and ends with ‘70s Roland Kirk-inspired blues-funk. kfeetz kfotz is an uptempo klezmer romp. Vulnerable is a fragile and highly-textured triple-metre ballad. Minor Hope builds on the Django Reinhardt standard Minor Swing with new melody and harmony, and a solo double bass cadenza.

[edit] Critical and Audience Response

Gypsophilia's music has been enthusiastically received, and most of the band's performances in its four-year history have sold out quickly. In addition to finding a fanbase among jazz listening audiences, Gypsophilia has become popular among hipsters and in the indie scene in Nova Scotia, perhaps due to the music's high energy and wild stage antics at their live shows. Minor Hope has also been critically well-received, earning nominations for Jazz Recording of the Year at the 2008 Nova Scotia Music Awards and East Coast Music Awards.^[3]