Christian Bon

Christian Bon/Francois Mechali/Youval Micenmacher: La Ballade du Serran Ecriture

by Todd S. Jenkins
April 1, 2001

An unusual, captivating acoustic performance by a simmering French trio. Guitarist Christian Bon, bassist Francois Mechali, and percussionist Youval Micenmacher combine the essence of Django Reinhardt’s gypsy-jazz with world-music flavorings and occasional dashes of bop to produce a comforting, consistently stimulating program.

Bon’s guitar style blends elements of Django, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Byrd and a number of other influences into a coherent, uplifting flow of pure sound. Mechali, who could have been a bit better-miked on a few tracks, is ...