Modern Jazz Hot Club
modern Manouche
a fresh ensemble creating a crossroads of jazz manouche and modern straight-ahead jazz. Rooted in the spirit of Django Reinhardt, the group reimagines the Hot Club tradition with inventive interpretation, deep swing, and a touch of post-bop sophistication. Rather than revisiting the usual repertoire, MJHC breathes new life into lesser-heard gems, hard and post bop, and showcases compelling original compositions.
Our story begins in 2018, when Nelsen and Kevan were introduced by a mutual friend to start a gypsy jazz band called Skyline Hot Club. Over the next two years, they studied la pompe rhythm and traditional rest-stroke picking under the guidance of Kevan’s longtime mentor, Roch Lockyer.
When the pandemic hit in early 2020, Kevan and Nelsen had little else to do but learn new songs and perform weekly livestream porch concerts—each with a different theme—to earn a bit of money.
While they loved playing gypsy jazz, they often wondered why more musicians weren’t exploring artists like Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Bill Evans, and Antônio Carlos Jobim in this accessible, acoustic style. After a couple of attempts to revive Skyline, they decided to form a new group—this time with an all-guitar lineup. This allowed for richer harmonic possibilities, tightly blended guitar lines, and more intricate rhythms. The Concept is to maintain the Hot Club sound with Selmer style guitars, yet play music usually atypical of the style
Music
"Modern jazz Hot Club is bringing an exciting new repertoire and energy to the Django style, I can't wait to hear what they come up with"
-Jimmy Grant
“Kevan Smedt has come up with a very unique take on the Django Reinhardt revival (ongoing since?) where he combines his love of all musics, especially jazz but also some Brazilian and other musics exotic-to-the-genre, with his love and respect for Django, the gypsy aesthetic and most importantly the characteristic "la pompe".
The result is an unexpectedly familiar yet completely fresh take on the "Hot Club" sound as created by Reinhardt et al. going back to its inception in 1934, nearly 100 years ago.
A project like this could be easily tossed aside if it were in the hands of lesser musicians l, but these guys have the goods: taste, depth, chops, musicality, experience and duende (look it up).
The mid-century modernization of Gyspsy Jazz has begun - rock on guys!”
- Paul Mehling
"Kevan Smedt is an up and coming guitarist who swings, has a melodic sensibility and is in the moment as an improviser. He's working hard to establish own voice as a player and composer. I enjoy playing with Kevan and I look forward to following Kevan's career and having many more musical conversations with him".
-John Stowell
Nelsen Hutchison
Guitar
Kevan Smedt
Guitar
Jordan Samuels
Guitar
