by Ken Avis
CapitalBop contributor

At the age of six, Daisy Castro fell in love with the music of the guitarist Django Reinhardt and the violinist Stephan Grappelli during a visit to France. Their music had startled the world some 70 years ago, merging the influence of American jazz of the ‘30’s with the bal musette sound of Paris. The music – swinging from melancholic to exuberant ­– continues to enrapture a growing number of fans around the world; it’s played at an ever-increasing number of Djangofests, bringing together musicians of all ages and cultures.

Seven years later, at the age of 13, Castro returned to play her own version of this jazz manouche at Festival Django Reinhardt, the legendary annual gathering in Samois sur Seine, France that is part music festival and part pilgrimage to the village where Django spent his final years. Castro’s elegant violin playing, loping but precise and preternaturally tuned in to the Gypsy jazz tradition, has taken her to such legendary venues as New York’s Birdland, D.C.’s Blues Alley and Birchmere, and others. She’s performed with the stars of Gypsy jazz: Stephane Wrembel, Stochelo Rosenberg, Hot Club of Detroit, to name a few.

Now 16, Castro tonight will complete her year as one of the Strathmore’s artists in residence, with the last of her series of concerts at the Strathmore Mansion. She played with Swing Guitars DC at a standing-room-only show at the Mansion earlier this month; guitarists Marek Wojcik and Kevin Doran and bassist Jay Miles provided flawless accompaniment, bringing the Strathmore audience to its feet. They will be back together on May 22, when the band will play music from her new CD, Déviation – and no, it’s not even her first! I caught up with Castro after her recent Strathmore show.

 
(It bears mentioning that, for going on 10 years now, the Strathmore’s Artist in Residence program has provided performance, collaboration and education opportunities for some of the D.C. area’s talented younger musicians in a multi-genre, supportive environment. Managed by Betty Scott, the program has jazz alumni that include such talents as the vocalist Lena Seikaly, the harmonica player Frederic Yonnet and the drummer Kush Abadey.)

CapitalBop: Tell us how your musical career emerged; how did you become so visible in the Gypsy jazz world and get to collaborate with so many respected names?

Daisy Castro: I actually kind of stumbled in to the Gypsy jazz scene when I attended Festival Django Reinhardt in 2010. I had always liked the music, but had little experience with improvisation, and had not played with any true players of the style. When faced with players of the caliber of those that were playing on the island where the festival is held, I had to rise to the occasion. It was a happy accident, really.

I’ve done a lot of traveling to play music since, headlining a couple of tours of the New England states and some local mini-tours….

CB: What has the Strathmore Artist in Residence series meant for you?

DC: The Strathmore Artist in Residence program has been enlightening in so many ways. I have had the opportunity to collaborate with very talented artists in genres that I may not have explored otherwise, and I’ve learned a lot about the business side of music at the many professional development workshops.

CB: Tell us about the new CD, something many of us have been waiting to hear.

DC: My new CD, Déviation, was recorded over three days in November 2012, at Signature Sounds Studio in Pomfret, Conn. Gonzalo Bergara, Jeff Radaich, and Brian Netzley came out from California to work with me. The session could not have been better. We pretty much learned and arranged a song, recorded a couple of takes live in the studio, then moved on to the next one. That way, none of us had time to get tired of playing any of the songs, and everything came out fresher-sounding.

CB: What’s next for Daisy Castro?

DC: May 22 is my final performance as an artist in residence at the Strathmore. It is also my D.C.-area CD release event! We’ll play songs from the new album, as well as a Strathmore-commissioned piece called “Insomnia.” It will also include collaborations with each of my fellow artists in residence, and my program mentor, Rickie Simpkins. Hopefully there will be more music, travel and great experiences. I don’t really have a grand plan, I just take life as it comes and go with it.

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Daisy Castro performs at the Strathmore Mansion at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. More info is available here. The show is sold out.

Castro is currently running a Pledge Music campaign to allay the costs of the recording.

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