What started out as a few musicians jamming on a downtown rooftop garden has morphed into one big musical family of talented players, aka Vignes Rooftop Revival, one of DLTA’s must-see, and most fun, live bands.
Known for their high-energy, gypsy jazz/swing style, Rooftop Revival’s lively, improvisational shows transport a 2018 Los Angeles crowd to 1930’s Paris, where the gypsy jazz sound was born. At the core, they are an acoustic trio featuring multi-instrumentalists Erik Miron on guitar and trumpet, Patrick Torrez on guitar and mandolin, and Bergen Moore on upright bass and ‘Louie Armstrong” style vocals. But Rooftop Revival have created a unique niche in the local music scene with a steady stream of incredible rotating musicians who pop in and out with clarinets, cornets, flutes, banjos and other acoustic instruments on any given night. When it comes to this gypsy jazz crew, you’ll never see the same show twice.
“What’s most fun about the music is the spontaneity of it. We come together and play exactly what we feel like in the moment. Our music is 90% improvised and I’m really proud of that,” says founding member, Erik Miron.
ALL THAT JAZZ
For those who are unfamiliar with the “gypsy jazz” sound, it’s a unique style of jazz, pioneered by legendary Romani guitarist Jean “Django” Reinhardt, that features a special form of guitar strumming known as “la pompe“, or the pump. It’s what gives the music its fast, swinging feeling, essentially replacing the need for drums. In fact, swing dancers and flapper enthusiasts can often be seen getting into the action during shows, and you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who isn’t toe-tapping along with the music.
Although “gypsy jazz” took little time to grow from simple guitar solos to formally dressed big bands and world-class tours, the members of Rooftop Revival are calm in demeanor, approachable, and dress modestly, breaking every once in a while to mix in a beer or two, blending nicely into their DTLA lounge environments. They have become part of the fabric of downtown, fully embracing the community, and can often be spotted skating, biking, or walking to their gigs, instruments in tow.
While Rooftop plans to go through the recordings of their live performances and make a compilation of their best material, they are primarily focused on what they do best, being an amazing live band. Their shows are energetic and eclectic, and the guys possess a hard working yet laid-back attitude, never taking themselves too seriously and always inviting the audience to let loose and have a good time. All the more reason to love them. Vignes Rooftop Revival harkens back to a refreshingly simpler, digital-free musical era that reminds us to put our phones away and just dance.
This Sunday, August 5th at 3:30pm marks their 1 year anniversary jazzing it up at Brack Shop Tavern, where they play weekly. Drinks inspired by some of the bands favorite rooftop garden plants will be served, as well as a damn good time. You can also catch them at Eat.Drink.Americano on Mondays, Prank Bar on Thursdays as well as Grand Central Market on Sunday, August 26th from 7-9pm. August 12th from 10pm-1am will be their first ever performance at Seven Grand. Follow along for more @rooftoprevival
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