Yes, Steeve Laffont is a Manouche, and yes again, he plays in Django style as only a handful of guitarists can. But his artistic ambitions are not limited to working in the wake of Django and his singular approach to jazz. Laffont has equal talent playing guitar in many other styles and he approaches all of them with the same fervor and the same spontaneity. In his playing you can hear the same supple feline grace as Grant Green, the same controlled fieriness as Wes Montgomery, the same sophisticated elegance as Joe Pass, the same sense of melody as Charlie Byrd and the same rolling groove as George Benson. New Quintet's twelve brilliant tracks amply display the many colors and strengths of Laffont's artistry.
