Swing Noire
- Genres
- jazz manouche · gypsy jazz · acoustic · jazz · hot club · gypsy swing
- Type
- band
Lead
Lead
Vermont's longest-running Hot Club quartet brings the unmistakable spirit of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli into the present day—lightning-fast solos, soulful melody, and infectious groove. For fans of Django Reinhardt and the Quintette du Hot Club de France, Biréli Lagrène, and The Rosenberg Trio.
Bio
Bio
Vermont's longest-running Hot Club–style acoustic quartet, Swing Noire channels the Django Reinhardt lineage with serious musicianship and infectious groove. Their music channels the sound of 1930s Paris... that smoky, kinetic mix of jazz, blues, and Gypsy fire... with their own distinct edge. Built on a foundation of bluegrass friendship that evolved into an obsession with gypsy jazz, the band—violinist David Gusakov, twin brothers Rob and Jim McCuen, and rhythm guitarist Jared Volpe—brings both technical precision and spontaneous joy to every set. Great energy, soul, sophistication, and improvisation are the hallmarks of a Swing Noire performance.
Story
Story
Before Swing Noire was a band, it was a series of acoustic jams... Jared on mandolin with Rob and Jim McCuen on guitar and bass, trading licks and late-night laughs over stringband tunes inspired by Uncommon Ritual by Edgar Meyer, Béla Fleck, and Mike Marshall. They were deep into bluegrass and new acoustic music back then, until the pull of the Grappelli / Grisman album was too much and the door to Gypsy jazz swung wide open. It was a gateway to Django and all of the contemporary artists keeping the style alive. Once they started listening to Django, there was no going back.
Jared got obsessed... studying the art of la pompe (that driving Gypsy rhythm) and soaking up everything he could. Around that time, fate handed them a connection: Jared's brother and sister-in-law were old friends with violinist David Gusakov. They'd spend holidays together, trading music talk after dinner. The collaboration felt inevitable—the right musicians, the right moment, the shared obsession with the Hot Club sound.
After a long stretch away (Jared spent about a decade out of state), they reunited when he moved back to Vermont. It felt like no time had passed... the groove was still there, the friendship still easy, the music still alive. Since regrouping, Swing Noire has become a fixture in the New England acoustic jazz scene, holding court at festivals, listening rooms, and intimate venues across Vermont and beyond. Their repertoire spans the full landscape of Hot Club swing: from lightning tempos and playful waltzes to soulful ballads and smoky blues. You might hear favorites like "Minor Swing," "Nuages," "Douce Ambiance," "I'll See You in My Dreams," or "All of Me," alongside lesser-known gems and the occasional original tune inspired by the same lineage. Together, they carry forward the Hot Club tradition with warmth, humor, and an unmistakable groove.
Press
Press
“These Reinhardt acolytes genuinely channel American Hot Jazz, evoking images of smoky basement speakeasies and slinky cabarets.”
“This is one of the hippest, happeningest groups in the state, so don't miss out!”