When I was young, jazz was played a lot in our house – and then there was the Hot Club of France. Where jazz of the New Orleans or Chicago varieties was considered a bit edgy, raucous and a little naughty, the swing of Reinhardt and Grappelly (or is it Grappelli?) was more refined, polite, European.
And that is where Viper Swing take us with their hugely entertaining bio-oeuvre ‘Playing Django’ down in le caveau de jazz that is the basement of the Argyle for tonight, as well as locations from Claridges to Paris under the Nazi jackboot.