The odds are that you probably enjoy the music of The Beatles and Bob Dylan, but you have never heard their music played the way the Hot Club of Philadelphia (HCP) will play it on Saturday, June 1, at The Fallser in East Falls.
"We actually started doing the show at Paris Bistro in Chestnut Hill (now Adelina's), which is sadly gone and greatly missed," said Barry Wahrhaftig, who founded HCP in 2001. "We've always been eclectic, and the format with guitars, violin, bass and vocals works well for us with legacy pop and roots music."
If HCP were in the 1930s and '40s, when much of their music originated, they would have been considered a national treasure. Their versions of George Gershwin's "Someone to Watch Over You," Cole Porter's "You'd be So Nice to Come Home To," or the classic "Cry Me a River," for example, are peerless. On June 1, Curt Lippe, a brilliant acoustic guitarist whose music has been featured on many local radio stations, will also be performing.
HCP is an acoustic ensemble, dedicated to playing "Gypsy Jazz" but also other types of music. Gypsy Jazz is the term used to describe the music pioneered in the 1930s and '40s by the legendary original "Hot Club of France Quintet," led by guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli. Reinhardt and Grappelli were attempting to do their own version of American "Hot Jazz," as played by stars like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. They used acoustic guitars, bass and violin rather than horns and drums. Grappelli and Reinhardt created a blend of music that was popular and accessible.
"Growing up in Logan," Wahrhaftig said, "I managed to convince my folks into getting me a Stella-Harmony acoustic guitar when I was 11 years old. I didn't take lessons starting out, but armed with an Alfred's Method Book and a good ear, I was on my way. After a while, I had lessons at a store on Frankford Avenue with a great teacher named Thom Giacabettiat."
Wahrhaftig, who previously lived in Glenside and now in Jenkintown, played in rock bands and some pick-up bands right after high school that played for weddings. Great experience, he insists, followed by studies as a classical guitar major at Temple University.
HCP performs as a trio, quartet, quintet. They are currently working on their fourth album. As a quintet, there are bassists Jim Stager or Joshua Machiz, violinist and composer Joseph Arnold of Mt. Airy, guitarist and vocalist Zack Devine, lead guitarist Wahrhaftig and Phyllis Chapell, a multi-lingual vocalist who sings songs by Edith Piaf, George Gershwin and Django Reinhardt. Wahrhaftig also has been known to sing a Sinatra or Nat King Cole standard like "Nature Boy." in addition to songs of the 1920s, '30s and '40s.
"My mom's side of the family all played instruments," Wahrhaftig said. "My mom was always singing old songs like 'I'll Never Smile Again.' My father was deaf, but he read lips and was very funny."
Wahrhaftig has also hosted and promoted shows, including the Chestnut Hill Community Concert Series, 2016-2017, sponsored by Weavers Way. For many years, he also booked acts at the Venetian Club in Chestnut Hill, and HCP has performed at Chestnut Hill street festivals and four times at the Hill's Pastorius Park Summer Concert Series.
Wahrhaftig, who played at the iconic Palumbo's in South Philly when he was a student, has performed with many legendary old timers such as Al Alberts & the Four Aces. He often includes humor in his patter between songs. One line that always does well in this area: "You always know when you're in Chestnut Hill because even the homeless guys wear Burberry raincoats."
"I am 69 years old," he added, "but unlike many jazz musicians, I take care of myself, so I'm in pretty good shape. I have the body of a 25-year-old, and if he finds out that it's missing, I'll be in deep trouble!"
The show is at 8 p.m. The Fallser is at 3721 Midvale Ave. For more information, visit hotclubofphiladelphia.com. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com.
