The award winning Ameranouche (pronounced uh-Mare-uh-noosh) plays a passionate style of music they call “Gypsy Flamenco Swing.” They are veterans of the Newport Jazz Festival, Djangofest Northwest, Muzikfest Bethlehem, PA and the National Press Club. The name is derived from two words: American and Manouche, the gypsy tribe of guitarist Django Reinhardt. The rip-roaring ensemble is a super force of hot acoustic Gypsy inspired music mixing Flamenco, Bebop and Jazz swing influences.

An Ameranouche show creates a vehicle for three people to express themselves in the most joyous fashion they can conjure in that moment. It’s about hooking into that energy that’s beyond human reasoning. Their joy is infectious, whether they are evoking an exuberant late-night stroll down cobbled streets or the enigmatic smile of a shoal lighthouse. The group starts with the spark and bounce of Django Reinhardt’s hot jazz, but takes it further, not resting on mere recreation of the famous gypsy jazz master and touching everything from Ottoman traditions to American pop genres like Philly soul. They all hail from strong technical musical backgrounds and have intensely adventuresome sides, yet their welcoming, upbeat intensity shimmers on their new CD Sun Shine Soul in pieces that reflect the group’s shifting facets.