self-released 
There are plenty of genres of music that can be faked, but Gypsy jazz is not one of them. The style was made famous by the amazing Django Reinhardt in the early to mid 1900s, and the speedy runs and quick change comp’s on the guitar that characterize the music (never mind the other players’ chops) usually separate the pros from the shmoes in about two measures.

Happily, Ameranouche falls into the former category. The trio’s debut CD, “Homage À Manouche,” is a superbly played collection of original compositions and gypsy jazz standards that clearly sets them apart as monster players.

Richard “Shepp” Sheppard is the group’s leader, lead guitarist and co-producer, and executive producer of the CD. Wearing many hats doesn’t seem to have taken any of his focus away from the fretboard. His fingers dart around the strings faster than hummingbird wings on “La Gitane,” the album’s lead track and one of the CD’s three covers. Contrabassist Ben Wood and rhythm guitarist Ryan Flaherty keep up with ease despite the song’s tumbling lilt. It would be perfect for a chase scene in a movie.

Along those lines, the original “L’Encureuil Rouge” musically documents the adventures of the red squirrels that get into Sheppard’s house every winter and “tear things up,” resulting in a struggle to see the furry little guests to the door. Like the best classical music, it’s a wonderful example of music painting pictures without words, and it’s hilarious.

Reinhardt’s “Place De Broukere” jumps in the hands of these capable players, and the slow galloping “Stockholm” would make the master proud. The originals stand side by side with the older songs and hold their own, while managing to take things in a slightly different direction from time to time. Latin rhythms and influence infuse Sheppard’s “All in the Way You Smile,” and “Maih Maul,” while songs like “Spike’s Blues” and “Homage” wonderfully chop out a classic staccato gypsy style.