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Review from Red Lick Records The Amigos:
Gypsymania - Whoooeeee! This little bugger is a true knockout!
It's a British band whomping out gypsy music from all over the world with an unexpected fervour and power, not to mention brilliant virtuoso musicianship and knowledge of the music.
In fact, when I first heard this riotous no-holds barred, right-in-your-face roller-coaster-ride of guitars, violin accordian and double bass, I thought they had come barreling out of Transylvania or Celejani, Romania - they pump out absolutely knock-out performances that are as exciting as you can get!
The two guitarists simply power every tune along, soloing like crazy, clanging out the rhythm and driving that violin player on to slash out some truly dangerous, wild playing while the accordian player stabs
in and out of the mix adding just the right seasoning to the whole rusty bucket of planet soup.
A brilliant mix of the traditional and modern stuff. They certainly have soaked up the influences from
the gypsy world music scene and like the musicians they love they're not afraid to take on tunes
by Rheinhardt and Grappelli, Duke Ellington, Baden Powell and even Ron Kavana and Bob Dylan!
I know people who've seen The Amigos play live and say they're dynamite on stage-I can't believe that they can be any better than they are on this blistering new CD.
Review from Buzz Magazine's Dave Reid
MORE GYPSY JAZZ
Like The Beatles, The Amigos are far from experiencing second album difficulties. Unlike the Beatles, they can really play (joke). Perhaps more delicately laid back than the first, Alma Gitana holds its fire more subtly; although these lads can let rip to the point where you¹d think violinist Billy Thompson is in danger of spontaneous combustion.
Is it folk? Jazz? The Amigos set audiences alight at both types of venue. Nothing like them is happening in Wales. Check it out! And buy the first album as well.
Taplas June 96
This Swansea trio, featuring two guitars and double bass, play a great variety of guitar styles.
They show great technical ability and physical dexterity, playing some tunes, like the Hungarian
violin tune Csardas de Monte, at breakneck speed.
Such pace does mean one or two notes get lost in the mix, but the performance does have quite a“Live” feel to it, but with a nice touch of reverb.
They shine, too, on the slower numbers like African Jive and the jazz classic Autumn Leaves.
The Band also hint at a sense of humour in their treatment of 12 th Street Rag and Gypsy Balalaika. Although almost entirely instrumental, a voice maintains the interest on a Welsh farming song from Anglesey.
Scholarly notes demonstrate great care, interest and knowledge of the guitar in a range of different genres. A varied collection of gypsy-style guitar, from classical to folk, African and country – all given the Django Reinhardt treatment. A fine memento to get if you go and see the band live.
Great hits at last year's festival, the Amigos play an amalgam of jazz. blues, bluegrass, Cajun…. You name it, they can do it.
Now for some “welcome home” bits.
After a short though highly successful tour of the US, which has warranted several return visits, the ever-busy Amigos are back in town and can be seen at Pontardawe Fest this weekend.
With each performance, the Amigos always astound me with their versatility and Gary Phillips with his amazing dexterity on the guitar is sure to keep the punters spellbound for years to come.
Amigos – The Amigos, Alma Gitanafree-range rhumbas, jacked-up gypsy jazz, wonderful Spanish melodies and some stuff that sounds like it's come direct from Transylvania.
AM0007 The Amigos : Jazz Manouche – One of our favourite bands with another corker! Dunno how you'd categorise a band like this, they move from gypsy swing to Transylvanian funeral music to jazz guitar gems to tex-mex style rhythms to cool, funky jazz stylings and more. They're a bunch of fabulous musicians – If they ever play your town, don't miss' em they're a revelation.
Probably the finest trio your likely to hear at the moment are the THREE AMIGOS. Their musical styles range from pre-war country blues from ROBERT JOHNSON, CHARLIE PATTEN, MISSISSIPPI, JOHN HURT, REV GARY DAVIES, BIG BILL BROONZY to hot jazz from EDDIE LANG and DJANGO REINHARDT to the electric slide guitar of ELMORE JAMES. THE THREE AMIGOS have appeared at many leading festivals including the British National Blues Festival at Colne and the Cork Jazz Festival three times. They have appeared on T.V. and Radio and have also recorded a cassette entitled ‘In The Gypsy Tradition'. And who are the Three Amigos.
This year has seen the positive emergence of healthily active and widespread acoustic music scene and spearheading this are Gary Philips and Andy King, The Amigos. The word ubiquitous immediately springs to mind as they seem to appear anywhere and everywhere but none more unusual than Tuesdays gig at the House of Commons, yes, THE House of Commons. Don't ask!
On the evening of Friday 17 th September I ran into The Amigos. The first time I had ever seen them play was a couple of months beforehand, a night in the Tav I spent transfixed, standing in front of the stage and watching intensely the supersonic hands of Gary Phillips, beer in my hand sitting untouched for each set. The Amigos play a Gypsy orientated set, played of course in a modern Jazz style with sharp corners, and the intensity of music is incomparable, dare I mention Hendrix or Vai for fear of insulting Gary. I approached him after the set, managed to swallow the inclination to break into a chorus of ‘I'm not worthy', and asked him a few brief questions.
The Amigos are all Jacks, in fact Gary Phillips and Andy King (lead and rhythm) went to Penlan school together, and performed there playing R + B for their mates. They've written and performed the music for two film soundtracks, one of which ‘House' a new Welsh film, will be released in January. You can catch up with The Amigos in one of five residencies they have in Swansea.
I really must stress thus; ‘til you've been to see The Amigos you ain't seen s**t. You'll walk out feeling ashamed, whether you're a musician or not, but you ain't seen s**t ‘til you've been Amigoed. Check the gig list for other dates.