The Boca Black Box is proud to host Occidental Gypsy!Occidental Gypsy is a nationally-touring acoustic band that plays an exhilarating blend of gypsy jazz and folk music. Their pioneering approach to traditional hot club jazz music pays homage to Django Reinhardt and expands the genre to include elements of western (Occidental) sounds and rhythms, including blues, Klezmer and Latin. Their unique gypsy sound is burnished by smooth vocals by Jeremy Frantz that are reminiscent of the first era of swing.
Single tickets range from $35 to $60, before taxes and fees, with a 10% discount on groups of ten or more. You can purchase them on sale at bocablackbox.com over the phone at (561) 483-9036, or available in-person at The Boca Black Box at 8221 Glades Road #10, Boca Raton, FL 33434, Monday – Friday 10 AM – 5 PM.
Chicago Tribune says “there are sonic pleasures to be had, particularly in an energetic, gypsy-jazz transformation of Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” which opened the evening. More than once, vocalist-guitarist Frantz brought the large crowd to near silence through the warmth and openness of his singing, as in “Georgia on My Mind.”
Dr. Lonnie Smith says, ‘I love Occidental Gypsy’s new CD 44070. The compositions and arrangements are uniquely creative. They perform with enormous heart and soul and have an original groove that is definitely worth checking out.’
Dave Bromberg says, “Great singing, fantastic guitar and violin work, with high energy originals that leave the crowd crazy. An awesome band.”
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Their newest songs are complex and challenging to execute, and are often considered a natural evolution of Reinhardt’s sounds were he still alive today. Their most notable new piece is the title track of their latest CD 44070. ‘Song for Vrba: 44070’ tells the story of the heroism of Rudolf Vrba, a man who escaped a concentration camp in WWII and is credited with saving the lives of 100,000 more. While a strictly instrumental piece (other songs by the band include vocals), the scale and emotion of the song has a cinematic feel.
The popular quintet has played over 200 venues in 30 states including selling out venues like the legendary Nighttown in Cleveland, Green Mill in Chicago, Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis and others. The group features prodigy Eli Bishop on violin. Bishop has performed with Wynton Marsalis at Jazz at Lincoln Center and also been awarded a Guinness Record for Worlds Fastest Clapping— a unique sound which can also be heard on the band’s new song ‘Messalina Lover Lamb.” Occidental Gypsy’s energized shows have garnered them fans among the most discerning musicians, and new gypsy lovers alike.
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