If you’re already into Gypsy Jazz, this one’s a must. And if you’re not? It’s a warm, welcoming way in—a reminder that this music still has plenty to say.
Self-released
Seonaid Aitken – Violin, Vocals, String Arrangements; Tam Gallagher – Rhythm Guitar, Vocals; Jimmy Moon – Double Bass; Conor Smith – Solo Guitar, Backing Vocals; Kristan Harvey – Violin; Patsy Reid – Viola; Alice Allen – Cello; GUESTS: Artek Siwak – Accordion (Track 4); Owen Gunnel – Vibraphone (Tracks 7, 13); Bryan Gear | Fiddle (Track 2)
It’s been a decade since Rose Room’s last studio album, but the Glasgow-based quartet hasn’t been sitting still. Now celebrating their 15th year together, Scotland’s premier Gypsy Jazz ensemble returns with their fourth album, IT”S BEEN A LONG, LONG TIME, a title that serves as both an acknowledgment and a bit of gentle self-deprecation.
The Glasgow-based quartet has become something of an institution in the Scottish jazz scene, twice crowned ‘Best Band’ at the Scottish Jazz Awards. Led by the multi-talented Seonaid Aitken (violin, vocals, string arrangements)—a two-time ‘Best Vocalist’ winner (2017, 2018) and longtime host of BBC Radio Scotland’s Jazz Nights—the band sounds as tight and confident as ever on this new album.
The album serves as a love letter to the sounds of the 1930s, channeling the spirit of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli with reverence and a modern sensibility that makes the music feel timeless. Alongside Aitken, the group’s core features the virtuosic luthier Jimmy Moon on double bass, Celtic Connections award-winner Tam Gallagher on rhythm guitar and vocals, and their newest member, acclaimed guitarist Conor Smith, who brings his experience from The Vintage Explosion—another band known for blending vintage jazz styles and swing.
The album stretches its Gypsy Jazz reach, thanks in part to some well-chosen guests. Roma accordionist Artek Siwak adds a dose of Parisian charm to Aitken’s vocal on ‘I Wish You Love,’ while Shetland fiddler Bryan Gear joins her for a lively “twin fiddle” take on Gershwin’s ‘Lady Be Good,’ where Scottish flair meets Western Swing. One of the most striking moments comes on Reinhardt’s ‘Nuages,’ where Welsh percussionist Owen Gunnell’s vibraphone—an instrument not found in 1930s Gypsy Jazz—adds a gauzy, romantic dimension to Reinhardt’s classic ballad.
The band’s instrumental work is every bit as engaging as the vocals, and the album moves easily between the two, from the traditional energetic opener ‘Joseph Joseph’ to Aitken’s wistful closer about hopeful romantic anticipation, ‘What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?’ Aitken isn’t the only one stepping up to the mic—rhythm guitarist Tam Gallagher brings plenty of charm to ‘Everybody Wants to Be a Cat.’ Aitken’s string arrangements also add some lovely touches throughout, weaving lush quartet textures into the group’s classic Hot Club sound.
It’s in these thoughtful arrangements that Rose Room sets themselves apart from the more traditional Gypsy Jazz groups. Their interpretations of classics like Hoagy Carmichael’s ‘The Nearness of You’ and Django Reinhardt’s ‘Troublant Bolero’ show an ensemble that understands not just the technical demands of the genre but its emotional heart as well.
For a band that started out rehearsing in Jimmy Moon’s living room, just hoping to land a few pub gigs, Rose Room has come a long way. IT”S BEEN A LONG, LONG TIME finds them at the top of their game—confident in who they are, but still curious, still pushing at the edges of their sound. If you’re already into Gypsy Jazz, this one’s a must. And if you’re not? It’s a warm, welcoming way in—a reminder that this music still has plenty to say.
