As I mentioned below (in the Ben Caplan post), I was most impressed by the violin player in his band, and it only took 30 seconds into the first track on this record by Donald MacLennan before I was completely sold. I hunted him down, set up a meeting while at ECMAs in Sydney, and I can now announce that he is now part of the RHR family!
I was thinking about how to describe this album and I decided that the write up on his site was too perfect to mess with, so I’m going to post that instead. “Riding the line between genius and madness.” – Can’t say it any better than that!
Chaotic, crisp, and riding the line between genius and madness. Antigonish-based musician Donald MacLennan’s anticipated debut solo album, Belleville, is a brilliant weave of sonic textures and arrangements rooted in the style of the formidable French guitarist Django Reinhardt. A modern twist to the traditional gypsy jazz approach, MacLennan blends both manouche and jazz standards with original compositions, showcasing his arrangements and improvisation with a laissez-faire not often anticipated in a debut record.
So – yeah – all that, PLUS a cover of “I Will Always Love You”. #WinHere it all here! https://donaldviolin.bandcamp.com/releases