Although Tony Green hails from New Orleans, the jazz he plays is inspired by Django Reinhardt, not Louis Armstrong. Green is an accomplished guitarist in the Reinhardt tradition; his playing has a distinctly European flavor, and he performs plenty of waltzes. This is only fitting, since the waltz occupies a central place in the history of Gypsy jazz, much as the blues does in rock 'n' roll. Some say you need Gypsy blood to play Gypsy jazz; Tony Green shows that all you need is a heart that beats in 3/4 time. (Orleans, [address relocated])
---Michael Simmons
Originally published in Acoustic Guitar (February 1997), No. 50