Our Story
What is Gypsy Jazz?
The Hot Club of Buffalo plays a brand of jazz known as Gypsy Swing. It’s also called Gypsy Jazz. The style was created in the 1930’s by the legendary 2-fingered guitarist, Django Reinhardt. Gypsy Jazz blends American big band swing with exotic European Gypsy sounds. The music is performed entirely on acoustic instruments. The rhythm guitar takes the place of a drum set. The guitars, strings, and even the picks are specially chosen to get that unique gypsy sound!
Who is The Hot Club of Buffalo?
The Hot Club of Buffalo is a 4-piece gypsy jazz band from…Buffalo, NY! The group adds some modern twists to traditional gypsy swing. Riffs from Bach, Jimi Hendrix and Steely Dan are as common as quotes from gypsy legend Django Reinhardt. And dance-friendly world music, like Bossa Nova, Choro and Rhumba are a part of every show. So is improvisation. You never know what’s going to happen next!
Why that name?
The Hot Club of Buffalo takes its name from a group of jazz enthusiasts in 1920’s France. The group gathered often to listen to, and talk about, American jazz music. Among their favorite ‘Hot Jazz’ artists were Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. In keeping with the spirit of the music, they named themselves ‘The Hot Club of France.
The group later organized concerts, which featured Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli. The two up and coming jazz stars named their new band, ‘The Quintet of The Hot Club of France.’ Since then, jazz bands with the words “The Hot Club of…” followed by the name of a city, have become popular throughout the world. It honors the gypsy jazz masters. And it’s also a tribute to the ‘home’ city of the band that carries on the tradition.
Meet the band
JOSH ASSAD
Joshua Assad has been singing & playing music as long as he can remember. As a founding member of the Gypsy Jazz band Babik, Joshua found a deep passion for swing music and early era jazz. He helped create and perform programming which won Babik 7 Buffalo music awards, performances with symphony orchestras (including The BPO), and garnered the group national recognition on the radio charts as well as extensive touring. He loves to bring a light-hearted, entertaining and carefree spirit to audiences everywhere.
DEAN GIONIS
Voted 2025 "Best Jazz
DEAN GIONIS
Voted 2025 "Best Jazz Guitarist" by jazzbuffalo.org. After many years in the rock scene, a chance encounter compelled Dean to unplug and study classical guitar. It was through that study that a love of Jazz & World Music began. In 2005 Dean formed the group Djambossa, playing a blend of Bossa Nova, Flamenco, and Gypsy Jazz. His love & dedication to these styles is apparent in each of his performances, whether with Djambossa or The Hot Club of Buffalo. When Dean is not busy playing guitar he is busy wishing that he was playing guitar
EJ KOEPPEL
Voted "2025 Best Jazz Accompanist" by jazzbuffalo.org. E.J. Koeppel has enjoyed a prolific career as a performer and educator, winning countless awards and scholarships. In 1981 he joined an acoustic jazz outfit called The Norris Quartet. This proved to be the catalyst for his deep love of jazz violin. Soon after, he had the good fortune to meet one of his violin heroes, Stephane Grappelli. Since then, E.J. has toured with Liza Minnelli & Dudley Moore and recorded with Jeffrey Arthur. E.J. is currently one of the most sought-after musicians in the Buffalo area for both jazz and classical music. He is a retired instrumental music teacher in the Kenmore- Town of Tonawanda School district.
JAMES BENDERS
James Benders is a dynamic musician with a rich background spanning jazz, hip-hop, punk, rock, classical, folk, theatrical, and operatic. His diverse musical influences have shaped a unique sound which has been showcased as a sideman with countless groups such as Gruvology, the Encyclopedia of Soul, ABTrio, and the Earl-Thomas-Gray trio, across multiple recording projects, and hundreds of live performances at all levels from local to international. At 19 he was recognized as a rising star of the Buffalo jazz scene. He has since become a regular first-call bassist in the city, even recently being called on to play with Grammy-nominated and affiliated Kahlil Kwame Bell during his performance at the Queen City Jazz Festival. He runs the Jazz Cache jazz jam at Nietzche's in Allentown on Sunday nights, keeping up a tradition he learned of in his early days soaking in the sounds of the CMC jams.
KEVIN O'BRIEN - 1964-2026
A founding member and dear friend....
Kevin O’Brien performed with the Hot Club for 14 years. Kevin was an outstanding musician and performed and recorded in almost every musical style, spanning classical, jazz, rock, bluegrass and world music. He toured nationally and internationally with groups including Babik, Big Wheelie & the Hubcaps, Dempsey Station and The Jazzabels. His song “Chipotle” on Babik’s ‘American Gypsy’ album received airplay on radio stations throughout America.
