blogTO | Toronto Blog

Check out Gypsophilia's show during Jazz Fest and chances are good you’ll find as many Final Fantasy fans in the audience as Django Reinhardt followers.

The virtuoso band of gypsy jazz performers - median age: 27, alumni of everything from the Johnny Favorite Swing Orchestra to Symphony Nova Scotia – plays a killer mash-up of hot jazz, klezmer, bop and more, and they pack so much energy into a live show that they routinely blow away indie rock audiences at venues like the Rancho Relaxo. Showcasing during last year’s Nova Scotia Music Awards, they easily earned the biggest crowd response of the night in a line-up consisting mostly of pop acts.

They make a great impression on jazz audiences too. Formed in 2004 for what was supposed to be a one-off gig at the Atlantic Jazz Festival, the group was virtually forced by audience response to schedule a follow-up club date – which was lined up around the block. They’ve been playing together ever since, routinely selling out large venues in their Halifax home, packing dance floors and touring to the rest of Canada.