PEARL DJANGO

In 2024 Pearl Django will be celebrating a performance history spanning more than 29 years and having released 15 CDs, Pearl Django endures as one of the most highly regarded Hot Club style groups working today. Although the band’s roots are firmly in the music made famous by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, its extensive repertoire includes traditional jazz classics and original compositions. Pearl Django has performed at festivals, dances and nightspots throughout the U.S. and abroad. They have played at the prestigious Festival Django Reinhardt in Samois sur Seine and have been featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” The band’s signature style is marked by pristine and dexterous string work, colors of Bal Musette, the steady pulse of rhythm guitar and an unmistakable swing that delights audiences of all musical sensibilities. Throughout the years, Pearl Django has cultivated a devoted and enthusiastic following and they continue to play to packed houses wherever they perform.
 
Received the Earshot, Golden Ear Award for "Northwest Acoustic Jazz Ensemble of the Year" 2018

Voted favorite area jazz band 2003, by Seattle Weekly readers!
"Pearl Django play(s) gypsy jazz…and they do it with such verve, skill and pleasure that they're pretty much irresistible to jazz and non-jazz listeners alike." 
—Seattle Weekly 
 
“Pearl Django: The gypsy jazz of Django Reinhardt done to perfection!”
—Paul de Barros, The Seattle Times 

Members: 
Tim Lerch & Jim Char, Guitar; Michael Gray, Violin; 
David Lange, Accordion; Rick Leppanen, Bass
 
Background: (very brief)
The group’s inception was as a trio in Tacoma, Washington in 1994.  The focus of Pearl Django was, and is, to incorporate the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli with American swing music. They quickly expanded to a quintet, adding a violinist and a third guitarist.  In 1999, along with the release of their third and fourth CDs, the group incorporated their own record label, Modern Hot Records. At about the same time, MHR signed a national distribution agreement with City Hall Records in San Rafael, California.  The October 2000 release of Avalon put the group on the national map with seven weeks of Gavin top-forty airplay and current sales of over 17,000 copies.  In May 2001, Pearl Django was featured on All Things Considered.  In June 2002, Pearl Django performed at the prestigious Festival Django Reinhardt in Samois sur Seine, just outside of Paris, France.  As of 2007 Pearl Django is working as both a quartet and a quintet (with accordionist, David Lange) All of the members are contributing original compositions to the band’s expansive repertoire. They have released 13 CDs to date.
 
“If Paris is the city of love, then Pearl Django’s music is the flirtatious accompaniment.”
—6Moons.com (review of Under Paris Skies)
 
Performance Highlights:
Along the West coast, Pearl Django has performed from Los Angeles to Fairbanks; East Coast, from Florida to New York.  Festival performances include: Festival Django Reinhardt, Samois sur Seine, France; les Rendez-Vous de l’Erdre, Nantes, France; Sacramento Jazz Jubilee; Django Festival Iceland; Django Fest Northwest, Whidbey Island, Washington; Django Fest SF, Redwood City, California; Juneau Folk Festival, Juneau, Alaska; Capital City Jazz Festival, Madison, Wisconsin; Sweet and Hot Festival, Los Angeles, California; Great Connecticut Jazz Festival, Guilford, Connecticut;; Mission Folk Festival, Mission B.C.; Bumbershoot & Folklife Festival, Seattle, Washington; Wintergrass (a bluegrass festival),  Washington, frequently at Jazz Alley, Seattle, Washington; Sun Valley Jazz Jubilee, Sun Valley, Idaho.

Discography:
Simplicity - 2020
Pearl Django Live – 2018
With Friends Like These - 2017
Time Flies - 2015
Eleven - 2012
Systeme D - 2010
Modern Times - 2007
Chasing Shadows - 2005
Swing 48 — 2003
Under Paris Skies — 2002
Avalon – 2000 (over 18,000 copies sold)
Souvenirs – 1999 (out of print, but available as a download)
Mystery Pacific – 1999 (out of print, but available as a download)
New Metropolitan Swing – 1997 (out of print, but available as a download)
Le Jazz Hot – 1995 (out of print)
 
Contacts:

For Booking Pearl Django:
Michael Gray
119 North 55th Street, Seattle, WA  98107  USA
tel 206-781-1862
graywhit@msn.com

For Modern Hot Records:
Rick Leppanen   
9247- 34th Avenue SW, Seattle, WA  98126  USA
tel 206-932-1448, 
orders@pearldjango.com