The Hot Club is a modern-day Quintette based in Northern California in the Bay Area. George Cole, Benito Cortez, Vic Wong, Kathy Sierra and Sam Bevan create an irresistible blend of nostalgia and cutting edge modernity. To understand the genesis of The Hot Club, it's crucial to know a bit about about the Quintette du Hot Club de France.

That group took their name from a famous Parisian cafe, and are still lauded by music historians as the greatest European jazz band. It was a revolutionary lineup fronted by legendary Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt, with violinist Stephane Grappelli and two acoustic rhythm guitarists - Joseph Reinhardt and Roger Chaput - plus the double bass of Louis Vola.

The Quintette applied a chugging, string-fueled propulsion to the more sedate big-band sound of the time. The combo began in 1933 as a jam session at the Hotel Claridge. Grappelli, Reinhardt, Chaput and Vola were members of the hotel's band. After the proprietors of the Hot Club heard them, they were invited to make their debut record for the Ultraphone label the following year. They toured Europe throughout the 1930s. Reinhardt was a major exponent of manouche (traveler) swing, a blend of long-established Roma (Gypsy) traditions with American jazz. The Quintette sat in with French jazz artists like Alix Combelle, Phillipe Brun and Andre Ekyan. They also performed and recorded with just about e American jazz star who passed through Paris, including Rex Stewart, Louis Armstrong, Barney Bigard, Bill Coleman, Eddie South, Joe Turner, Benny Carter and Coleman Hawkins.

Listen now to today's Hot Club meld this rich past with the present as they make exciting and beautiful music.

Kathy Sierra

Vic Wong

George Cole

Benito Cortez

Sam Bevan

The Hot Club was founded to celebrate the excitement, drama, and virtuosity of Gypsy Jazz as pioneered by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. The Hot Club is devoted to presenting both original material written by George Cole and classic American Jazz. The original Quintette du Hot Club de France (1934 -1940) featured both instrumental and vocal arrangements from the Great American Songbook. It is in this tradition that today's Hot Club has developed its repertoire. The group emphasizes melodic music and dazzling improvisation to create the full, lush sound that is their hallmark.

Le club chaud a été fondé pour célébrer l'excitation, le drame, et le virtuosity du jazz gitan comme frayé par Django Reinhardt et Stephane Grappelli. Le club chaud est consacré à présenter le matériel original écrit par George Cole et le jazz américain classique. Quintette du Hot Club original De France (1934 -1940) a comporté des arrangements instrumentaux et vocaux du grand Songbook américain. C'est dans cette tradition que le club chaud d'aujourd'hui a développé son répertoire. Le groupe souligne la musique mélodique et improvisation de briller pour créer le plein, abondant bruit qui est leur cachet.

Die heiße Verein wurde gegründet, um die Aufregung, das Drama, und das virtuosity von Zigeunerjazz zu feiern, wie durch Django Reinhardt und Stephane Grappelli vorangegangen. Die heiße Verein wird dem Darstellen des ursprünglichen Materials gewidmet, das von George Cole geschrieben werden und des klassischen amerikanischen Jazz. Das ursprüngliche Quintette du Hot Club De Frankreich (1934 -1940) kennzeichnete die instrumentellen und vocal Vorbereitungen vom großen amerikanischen Songbook. Es ist in dieser Tradition, daß heutige heiße Verein sein Repertoire entwickelt hat. Die Gruppe hebt melodic Musik und BlendenImprovisation hervor, um den vollen, üppigen Ton zu verursachen, der ihr Stempel ist.

Il randello caldo è stato fondato per celebrare l'eccitamento, il dramma ed il virtuosity di jazz zingaresco come pionieristico a da Django Reinhardt e da Stephane Grappelli. Il randello caldo è dedicato a presentare sia il materiale originale scritto da George Cole che il jazz americano classico. Il Quintette du Hot Club originale il de Francia (1934 -1940) ha caratterizzato sia le disposizioni strumentali che vocali dal Songbook americano grande. È in questa tradizione che l'odierno randello caldo ha sviluppato il relativo repertorio. Il gruppo dà risalto alla musica melodic ed improvvisazione di abbagliamento per generare il suono completo e lush che è il loro marchio di garanzia.

Fundaron al club caliente para celebrar el entusiasmo, el drama, y el virtuosity del jazz gitano según lo iniciado por Django Reinhardt y Stephane Grappelli. Dedican al club caliente a presentar el material original escrito por George Cole y el jazz americano clásico. El Quintette original du Hot Club de Francia (1934 -1940) ofreció arreglos instrumentales y vocales del gran Songbook americano. Es en esta tradición que el club caliente de hoy ha desarrollado su repertorio. El grupo acentúa música melódica e improvisación del deslumbramiento para crear el sonido completo, lush que es su sello.