Gypy Jazz Demos

By Scienceartfanatic (Own work)

via Wikimedia Commons

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PG Music’s Gypsy Real Tracks:

A Tribute to Django Reinhardt

Gypsy Jazz, a music style popular in the 1930s and 1940s, combines diverse instruments such as banjo, accordion, mandolin, violin, clarinet, bass, jazz guitar, and piano. A Google search today for Django Reinhardt will turn up 1,350,000+ hits.

Django Reinhardt was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who popularized Gypsy Jazz, and his music is experiencing a world-wide revival today

Reinhardt and violinist Stéphane Grappelli invented a style of jazz guitar technique sometimes called “hot jazz”.

PG Music offers hundreds of “Real Tracks” styles recorded by modern day artists, and these tracks imitate the riffs and styles of world famous musicians – including hot jazz tracks in the style of Django Reinhardt.

PG Music’s Band in a Box offers the capability to craft original arrangements by inputting either a lead melody or a chord progression into the program.  The program can create backing tracks using a proprietary database and algorithm.  Different “styles” are available in the database allowing for virtually infinite combinations of arrangements depending on how many tracks are purchased for the program’s library.  The Mega Pack offers the best value for the money, but individual styles are available at lower cost for artists that prefer to focus on a more limited range of styles.

A fast computer with an ASIO audio interface is necessary to utilize the full potential of this technology; however, MME audio is also impressive.  I currently run the programs on a Toshiba laptop with an i7 Quad Core processer connected to a Tascam ASIO audio interface.  Previously, I ran the program on a much slower Dell laptop and bogged down the processer every time I ran more than 3 Real Tracks.

The best way to explain how this technology works is to provide some examples.  The following four example tracks were built up in Band in a Box from starting points based upon standard Jazz chord progressions that were input into the program.  The backing tracks created by the program feature Gypsy Jazz banjo, violin, and guitar.  The piano and brass tracks feature Band in a Box Jazz Real Tracks, or Miroslav Philharmonik VST patches.

01 01 Track 1  Piano, sax, clarinet.

02 02 Track 2  Mandolin, piano, Gypsy fiddle.

04 04 Track 4  Banjo, piano, sax.

05 05 Track 5  Jazz guitar, accordion, piano.