Artist Information

Inspired by the music of Django Reinhardt and the Quintette du Hot Club de France, Hawaii’s very own Gypsy 808 plays mainly swing dance music of the ’30s and ’40s in the gypsy jazz style. Many of the tunes are drawn from the Great American Songbook, but several composed by Reinhardt and others are unique to gypsy jazz. The band also plays many more recent tunes inspired by the style. As swing was equally popular in Hawaii at the time, Gypsy 808 usually includes a few Hawaiian numbers featuring lead guitarist Emmett Mahoney on lap steel guitar. Other band members include Joseph Zayac on rhythm guitar, Norm Foster on clarinet, Jason Gay on soprano and tenor saxophones, Alex Morrison on bass and Elijah Oguma on drums. This instrumentation is reflective of Django’s post-WWII band. Having performed in many venues around town for several years, swing dancers are often seen tearing up the dance floor!