Dario Napoli - Joie de Vivre (2019)

While his path in jazz began in New Orleans and his musical upbringing is rooted in blues, rock and modern jazz, over the last decade, Italian guitarist and composer Dario Napoli has built an international reputation in the world of gypsy jazz. He’s presented his Modern Manouche project at some of the world’s most renowned festivals, at both straight ‘jazz’ events as well as many of those built around the legacy of Django Reinhardt (Django Amsterdam, Django Legacy at Liverpool Philarmonic, Djangofolllies, Django in June, Cully Jazz Fest, Pisa Jazz, to name a handful).

Dario’s 4th album is set to be released in December of 2019, building on his style, which in the words Francis Couvreaux of Django Station, “Dario combines sound, elegance, virtuosity without excess along with the fun of playing”.

Although Dario has shared the stages with all the giants of the genre, from Stochelo Rosenberg to Robin Nolan, the greatest thrill comes from performing his own compositions in his Modern Manouche Project which features electric bassist Tonino De Sensi and Tommaso Papini on rhythm guitar. Infusing modern sounds and arrangements and seeking to balance virtuosic execution with melody and original composition is at the core of the project, just as was for Django Reinhardt in his era.