THE BONAVENTURE QUARTET: Songs From Trattoria La Cellina

The Bonaventure Quartet

Songs From Trattoria La Cellina

© 2005 Charles Williams/The Bonaventure Quartet

CD OUT OF STOCK for re-production. Expect long delays.

If you want us to email you the minute this CD arrives, enter your name and email address here. We will not give or sell your info to anyone, and will not use it for any other reason than to tell you when it arrives.

Django Reinhardt's gypsy jazz and Patsy Cline's sultry torch singing in a match made in heaven....

notes

The Bonaventure Quartet began in 2000 as an all acoustic trio in Atlanta, originally inspired by the music of Django Reinhardt. Shortly thereafter local chanteuse Amy Pike, one of the best singers out of Atlanta, started singing with the group and we didn't want her to stop! So now it's a four piece. Don Erdman on clarinet drops in from Argentina on a fairly regular basis and on those occasions we find ourselves doing the quintet thing. The band's repetoire is diverse: from gipsyjazz to western swing, from classic jazz standards to our original songs-all falling under the Django influence. We play all over Atlanta on a regular basis, clubs, the intown festivals and the like...Over the last few years, we've slowly evolved our own unique thing and we have a lot of fun doing it! This cd is a live recording from a show at Eddie's Attic in Atlanta on May 21, 2004. Our first recording,Blue Rendezvous, is also available on cdbaby.

The Players:

Charlie Williams- The guitar soloist with the BVQ was a founding member and guitarist for the Aquarium Rescue Unit featuring Col. Bruce Hampton. He was the writer of several songs for the band's two Capricorn releases, the first of which received a five star review in Rolling Stone magazine. Two of those songs were performed regularly on the Jay Leno show for over two years. The Aquarium Rescue Unit was a progenitor of the 90's wave of jambands. Alumni of the band include Jimmy Herring, now with The Dead and Phil and Friends, Otiel Burbridge of the Allman Brothers and Jeff Sipe of the Susan Tedeschi band.

Amy Pike- Amy is well known in Atlanta for her sultry singing style. Her group, The Lost Continentals, were hugely popular in the Southeast and songs from their Landslide Records' release, Moonshine and Martinis have played on national radio as well as being utilized in network television commercials. Amy has garnered, to date, a total of eleven Best of Atlanta awards for her musical outings. Basically, she rocks.

David Boling-Rounding out the sound of the BVQ with his strong rhythm playing, Dave is also known for his ukulele stylings with local Atlanta Hawaiian group Tongo Hiti..

Kris Dale- A busy Atlanta bassist in all styles and genres. With the BVQ Kris plays his trusty upright, Trigger.

Don Erdman-Don plays clarinet and sax with us and we're really happy about that...He gets called to back up the likes of Nancy Wilson and other 'name' people when they come through town...

reviews

Please log in to review this album.

  • ...They prove they're not just another Hot Club Band." Michael Dregni
    author: Vintage Guitar Magazine-August 2005

    Vintage Guitar Magazine August 2005 "The Bonaventure Quartet carves a groove that transports you to a smoke-filled '30s cabaret. Pike's vocals are sensous and steamy; Erdman's clarinet is smooth and woody; and the guitars have 'that' sound. The ambiance is all here. The band's covers of classics such as Berlin's 'Russian Lullaby' are stylish and oh-so-cool. But it's Williams' originals that stand out. Composing the music and lyrics to tunes like "The World's Greatest Lover,'Blue Rendezvous,' and the eulogy, 'In Lieu of Flowers', he proves himself. Instrumentals like 'Tres Ambiance' are the icing on the cake. The Bonaventure Quartet may be steeped in Django's legacy, but on these two albums, they prove they're not just another Hot Club band. " Michael Dregni, Vintage Guitar, August 2005.

  • If swing is your thing, check this out
    author: Bo from NJ

    If you're into swing --especially string-driven swing like Gypsy Jazz stuff -- then Trattoria La Cellina is worth checking out. The string cats -- Charlie, David & Kris -- have captured the guitar & bass rhythmic spirit of Django and his current-day contemporaries, and Amy's vocals and Dan's reeds add a really nice touch. For my taste, the addition of a jazz violinist or even a swinging mandolinist like Don Stiernberg or Sims Delaney-Potthoff (of Harmonious Wail) would be icing on an already tasty cake.

email

Please log in to email this artist.