Fischetti’s countryesque take on
gypsy jazz and klezmer borrows
from the old American west and
the old-time tunes of the Appa-
lachians. Another Rigoletto vo-
cal then covers the 1930 Jimmy
McHugh/Dorothy Fields classic
“Exactly Like You,” about a “rug
cutter” and his swing-out sister.
Originally featured in a 1930
Broadway musical, Lew Leslie’s
International Revue, which also
featured the songwriting team’s
better-known “On the Sunny Side
of the Street,” “Exactly Like You”
has been recorded by dozens of
folks, including Reinhardt, as well
as Louis Armstrong. Pyrenesia’s
version is a cross between the two.
Fischetti makes her fiddle cry on
Kovatch’s “Reconstellation Waltz,”
which also features some fine
pickin’ by Rigoletto, while the ac-
cordionist’s klezmer-flavored “Piro
Harmonika” may be the best ex-
ample of how these exceptional
musicians play off of and feed
NJ STAGE - ISSUE 58
into each other. Rigoletto’s incon-
sistent vocals mar the title track,
which explains the band’s unusual
approach to music, as well as per-
haps life. His voice also made me
wince on the otherwise gorgeous
gypsy-jazz arrangement of Johnny
Mercer’s “Autumn Leaves.” But
then Pyrenesia do what they do
best – swing, jam and groove – on
a medley of two traditional Rus-
sian tunes, “Petyorshka” and “Dark
Eyes.” Fischetti’s all-too-brief
plucking at the end is amazingly
awesome.
Then there is Rigoletto’s inspired
“Oh My,” which recalls a time
when you actually had to dance to
music that actually had to played
and extremely well. One of the
best performances closes Off-Beat
Symphony with a stunning rendi-
tion of Italian composer Monti’s
“Czardas,” a tribute to Hungarian
folk dance. Pyrenesia eloquently
and elegantly execute four distinct
parts. A heartbreakingly beauti-
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