One Leg Up - Jazz Band Charlotte

One Leg Up has been performing together since 2003. This Parisian style of jazz is an upbeat acoustic swing with a repertoire of 1920s, 30s, and 40s jazz standards, originals, modern jazz tunes, and of course, music from the book of the virtuoso guitarist Django Reinhardt. This style of jazz is popular in clubs and festivals throughout Europe, yet it is underrepresented in America. One Leg Up is one of the few bands that plays this music in the southeast. Their show is lively, intimate, danceable, and brings about the atmosphere of French café music before World War II.

The musicians are John Stineman (guitar & vocal), Jim Tanner (guitar), Daniel Coolik (mandolin), Mike Guzalak (clarinet & vocal), Cary Fridley (bass & vocal), and guest violinist Steve Trismen. They released their first album, Gypsy Blue (2004), themselves, and are currently booking time to record a new album due to be released in early 2006. These seasoned professional musicians came together to play gypsy jazz from diverse backgrounds including old-time/bluegrass music, salsa, reggae, and modern jazz. As One Leg Up, they accompanied Spanish gypsy jazz guitarist Pere Soto while he toured the United States in 2004.

In May of 2005, the One Leg Up did a concert/book show with Michael Dregni author of the new acclaimed biography Django: The Life and Music of a Gypsy Legend. Also, their live version of "Tico Tico" was put on WNCW-FM's Crowd Around the Mic Volume 9, which is compilation of the best music that was recorded live on WNCW in that year. They continue to perform for acoustic music appreciators through out the Southeast at festivals, clubs, dance events, and any place where the caravan stops.