Pearl Django is an American gypsy jazz band, combining the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli with American swing music. The group’s inception was as a trio in Tacoma, Washington in 1994. They quickly expanded to a quintet, adding a violinist and a third guitarist. An interview on NPR’s All Things Considered in 2001 brought the group to national attention. In June 2002, Pearl Django performed at the prestigious Festival Django Reinhardt in Samois sur Seine, just outside of Paris, France. As of 2007 Pearl Django is working as both a quartet and a quintet (with accordionist, David Lange) All of the members are contributing original compositions to the band’s expansive repertoire. They have released 9 CDs to date. Members: Neil Andersson, Guitar; Ryan Hoffman , Guitar; David Lange, Accordion; Michael Gray, Violin; Rick Leppanen, Bass Discography: Modern Times—2007 Chasing Shadows— 2005 Swing 48 — 2003 Under Paris Skies — 2002 Avalon – 2000 Souvenirs – 1999 Mystery Pacific – 1999 New Metropolitan Swing – 1997 Le Jazz Hot – 1995 (out of print) Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.