Fapy Lafertin Quintet & Tim Kliphuis - Fine & Dandy (2003)

Fapy Lafertin may not be as well known Stochelo Rosenberg or Bireli Lagrene, but aficionados of Gypsy jazz guitar have regarded him as one the true masters of the style since he first arrived on the scene in the late 1960s. On Fine & Dandy he showcases his relaxed, melodic manner of playing on a well-chosen selection of tunes including David Grisman's composition "Tango for Django," the charming waltz "Caravene Rabouine," and Lafertin's own homage to Django Reinhardt, "Aurore." Lafertin is joined by Tim Kliphouse, an excellent fiddler who plays with considerable panache. The flurry of impeccably executed notes on lively tunes like "How High the Moon" and "Charleston" show that Lafertin and Kliphouse have technique to burn, but they reveal their true command of the music on the slower selections such as "I Can't Get Started." Fine & Dandy is state-of-the-art Gypsy jazz from one of the finest musicians to ever pick up a Selmer guitar. --Michael Simmons