John Jorgenson One Stolen Night

Gypsy jazz. There’s something about that phrase that just seems odd.The style of music has been around since the 1930s and developed largely in France. The movement became popular through Jean “Django” Reinhardt and his unique style of guitar playing. After the musical style bled into North America, John Jorgenson became one of its foremost pioneers on this continent. Though his work with Elton John and the Hellcasters will always be more widespread, his albums are certainly worth hearing.

One Stolen Night is the fourth album Jorgenson has been attached to and the third by his ensemble, the John Jorgenson Quintet. (The first was a solo effort before the Hellcasters formed.) While these three albums are technically by the group, the only constant member of that group has been lead guitarist Jorgenson.

One Stolen Night features 13 songs including the bonus tracks, and they parse into eight songs by Jorgenson, four standards of gypsy jazz and “Dr. Jazz,” one older classic. “Dr. Jazz” sets itself apart distinctly as the only track on the album with lyrics. Buried at track 11, these lyrics come as quite a shock but soon blend into the overall pleasure of the album.

The difference between Jorgenson’s work and the standards is much more subtle. Jorgenson’s originals seem to be much heavier on the guitar while the standards offer stronger supporting instruments.

While everyone will develop a personal favorite, the charm of the album is in how well the songs feed into each other. The album is ideal background noise because the listener doesn’t have to pay attention to draw pleasure from it. One track flows into the other seamlessly, giving hours of uninterrupted swing. Most listeners probably wouldn’t even notice when the album starts over.

Jorgenson has been called the “U.S. ambassador of gypsy jazz,” and the title seems to fit here. One Stolen Night is a great introduction to gypsy jazz, and even if no one releases an album of the type ever again, it will be enjoyable music when relaxation is necessary.