Hot Club of Baltimore - November Jazz Guitar Series
1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Washington DC 20007
Wednesday, November 4, 9:30PM
Hot Club of Baltimore
The Hot Club of Baltimore performs music inspired by legendary manouche guitarist Django Reinhardt whose music became the soundtrack for the Paris Jazz era of the 1930's and 40's. For this show at Blues Aley, guitarist Michael Joseph Harris is joined by local sensation Will Ledbetter on bass, and Connor Holdridge on guitar plus other special guests. Led by acclaimed guitarist Michael Joseph Harris, Hot Club of Baltimore performs a wide ranging songbook including the classic Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappeli repertoire, virtuosic French musette waltzes, and creative arrangements of Swing standards. Many of the same musicians are in Michael's band Ultrafaux Ensemble which plays only original music in the Gypsy jazz style, so audiences can expect to hear some of those songs as well. Both ensembles range from a duo to a 7-piece ensemble that can include any combination of violin, accordion, trumpet, clarinet, sax, piano and drums. Just as in the tradition of Django Reinhardt, acoustic guitars and upright bass always serve as the core of the ensemble. Michael Harris has performed at Midwest Gypsy Swingfest, Rocky Mountain Archtop Guitar Festival, Django-a-gogo, Django by the Sea, Napa Valley Jazz, Charm City Django Jazz Fest, Festival Django Reinhardt in France, Chicago Gypsy Jazz Fest, Blues Alley, The Blue Note, Birdland, The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen Virginia and the Kennedy Center to name a few. Harris also toured as guitarist for the famous Django Festival All Stars from France alongside Samson Schmitt. Harris’ arrangement of Django Reinhardt's "Place de Brouckere,” the title track of the first Hot Club of Baltimore album, was featured on Django Festival #10, an annual compilation of the best Gypsy Jazz in the world by producer Jon Larsen in Oslo, Norway of Hot Club Records. Ultrafaux Ensemble has also been featured on the same compilation and is the only band to be featured consecutive years with original compositions.
Guitarist Michael Joseph Harris has been featured on KPIG, KVMR, WRNR, WYPR, WPFW, WTMD, WDVX Blue Plate Special, Fox News Knoxville, and CBS. He made the front page of The Baltimore Sun Weekend section in 2016 at the start of his Django Jazz Fest concert series and was named one of the top 10 artists in Baltimore by Baltimore Style Magazine that same year. Harris has performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Charm City Django Jazzfest, Napa Valley Jazz Society, Baltimore Jazzfest, The French Embassy, Django By The Sea in Maine, Jazz Club St. Georges in Lyon, Midwest Gypsy Swing Fest, Blues Alley DC, Birdland NY, The Blue Note NY, Suffolk Theater, The Kate, Mine Shaft Tavern, Nashville Social Club, Rudy’s Jazz Room, Denver Dazzle, Musical Instrument Museum, Outpost, Dakota, Portland 5, Bach Dancing And Dynamite Society, MCG Jazz, Lobero Theatre, Mount Baker Theatre, Festival Django Reinhardt in France, Montpelier Center for the Performing Arts, The Barns at Rose Hill, and the IMT Folk Series. In 2023 Harris was invlited to be the guitarist for the world famous Django Festival All Stars from France led by Samson Schmitt during 4 tours of the United States through 2025. Harris’ composition “Latcho Dromo” was chosen by acclaimed producer Jon Larsen to be featured on Django Festival #9, an annual compilation of the best Gypsy jazz music worldwide released by Hot Club Records in 2015. Harris would go on to have a total of 5 songs featured on this compilation over the years.
1. Final sale, no refunds, not transferable.
2. $15 food/beverage minimum per person not included in ticket price.
3. Seating first come at the door. Doors open 6 PM & 8:45 PM respectively Monday thru Saturday, and 4:30 PM & 7:15 PM Sundays.
4. No Photography or Recording of any kind during the performance.
5. Keep conversation to a minimum during the performance.