Le Not So Hot Klub

May 1, 2012 By stevehorn

Le Not So Hot Klub du Denton

The first Tuesday, the first of May. It’s Mayday and the Not So Hot Klub du Denton is the featured band at Banter Bistro in Denton. The group’s founding leader, Andy Cooper is visiting town tonight just for the event. Thad Bonduris leads the group of masters of the gypsy jazz style of Django Reinhardt.

Starting the evening with Andy Cooper’s favorite kickoff tune, Douce Ambiance, the band wows its audience with solos on guitar as well as flute, saxophone, accordion, violin, even upright bass and trap set. We still miss the clarinet of Andy Cooper but that by no means indicates a lacking of talent. The band features:

Thad Bonduris, guitar and vocals
Jeffrey Barnes, soprano sax, clarinet, flute and harmonica
Maristella Fuestle, guitar
Leon Peek, guitar
Austin Smith, violin
Ginny Mac, voice and accordian
Jacob Appelt, bass
Steven Prouty, drums

Also tonight, the audience was treated by a guest appearance by vocalist Kimberly Cooper (daughter of Andy). Kimberly sang a wonderful arrangement of The Nearness of You in tribute to her mother and father on the front row. Her verses were set amongst solos from various members of the band.

Ginny Mac

Wonderful arrangements followed such as a version of Dark Eyes that sounded more of an Eastern European, Klezmer gypsy style of music as opposed to Parisian jazz — a fitting tribute to Django’s lineage. All this was very well suited to the instrumentation and superbly executed by such flexible and eclectic musicians as the Not Sos are known to be.

Other tunes included Under the Paris Sky, Avalon (with an amazing cadenza by Austin Smith), Manoir de mes rêves , Swing 42 and many more.