This month’s feature is written by guest Meet This Artist writer Barbara Hengstenberg. Barbara is on the board of the Chatham Arts Council. She lives on a small farm in Bear Creek, where she and her husband provide a forever home for rescue alpacas, cats, and chickens. Barbara is the founder of WildesArt and can often be found in her studio, quilting, painting, drawing, and writing.
This month, Barbara interviewed Gabriel Pelli, co-founder of Onyx Club Boys, who will be performing at Shakori on Friday, May 3, at 6:00 pm.
Take a look. Meet your very inspiring neighbors. Meet This Artist.
Who are the members of Onyx Club Boys?
Gabriel Pelli – violin, guitar, vocals; co-founded the band in 2011 as an outlet for his growing interest in Gypsy Jazz music; toured with Squirrel Nut Zippers, The Old Ceremony, and Grand Shores
Ben Lassiter – guitar, vocals, NC Central University Jazz Studies alumnus
Aaron Gross – upright bass, NC Central University Jazz Studies alumnus
Daniel Hall – drums
Where did the name Onyx Club Boys come from?
The name is an homage to the legendary American Jazz fiddler, Stuff Smith, who had a group called Stuff Smith and his Onyx Club Boys, who performed regularly at the Onyx Club on W. 2nd Street in NYC in the 1930’s. It also alludes to Django Reinhardt’s first group called Quintette du Hot Club de France.
How long has the band been performing?
Since 2011.
How would you describe your music?
Onyx Club Boys is an acoustic string band (violin, guitar, upright bass, and drums) rooted in Django Reinhardt’s Gypsy Jazz sounds of 1930’s Paris, and Stuff Smith’s New York City Swing. However, being from 21st Century North Carolina, their diverse influences take the music beyond borders. It’s a trip around the world, which will make you swoon, tap your feet, and realize how universally similar music really is.
As you said, your sound is like taking a trip around the world. Why do you think listeners may think this?
Our music has so many different roots. Jazz has a strong African ancestry. And Gypsy Jazz also incorporates traditional Gypsy music, French Waltzes, and Classical. Plus, we like to throw in some more modern influences like Bebop, Funk, and Rock.
You will be performing at Shakori Hills Festival of Music & Dance on May 3. Have you performed at this venue in the past? What makes Shakori Hills special?
Yes, we’ve played Shakori Hills many times over the years. When Shakori Hills first started, I was living just a few miles away in the deep woods of Chatham County with my now wife. Pittsboro didn’t have much going on at the time, and we were thrilled to discover a music festival had moved into our backyard! We went to that first, very muddy festival, and haven’t missed many since then. Shakori is special because it’s so non-commercial, intimate, and eclectic, and consistently presents world class music.
At what other local venues have you performed?
Where haven’t we performed?! We’ve played everywhere from Cat’s Cradle to The Kraken, from the NC Museum of Art to Durham’s Carolina Theatre, to our favorite new local bar in Chapel Hill, Lapin Bleu!
Who inspired you early on, and who inspires you now?
For this band, the biggest inspirations were, of course, Django Reinhardt and Stuff Smith. However, there are so many contemporary players we love; Europeans like Tchavolo Schmitt, Adrien Moignard, and Joscho Stephan, as well as Americans like Stephane Wremble, Michael Joseph Harris, Jason Anick, and Sam Farthing.
How would you describe your creative process?
We usually work up tunes that one of us has gotten excited about. That person brings it in, and gets everyone else interested in it. Over time, we learn it, arrange it, and get it performance worthy. That goes for standards as well as originals.
Whose music are you listening to?
I listen to all kinds of music, but right now I’m really digging the band Big Thief!
Onyx Club Boys also provide music lessons. Can you tell us a bit about what instruments and styles you all teach?
We all teach our respective instruments (guitar, violin, bass, drums), and in many styles!
Where do you enjoy visiting in Chatham County, and why?
I always enjoy downtown Pittsboro, and playing at City Tap. I love driving the back country roads on a beautiful summer’s day, getting away from the hustle and bustle of the Triangle. And the mighty Haw River!
If you had one venue, anywhere in the world, where you would like to perform your music, where would it be?
Festival Django Reinhardt, in Fontainebleau, France!
What are your hopes for the future of Onyx Club Boys?
We want to keep playing this music that we love so much, and continue to spread it in our area. Since we started, the music has gained a lot more listeners, musicians, bands, and events. We also hope to bring back the 4th installment of the Carrboro Django Reinhardt Festival in the Spring of 2025, which features concerts by top acts in the genre, workshops, and jam sessions.
Onyx Club Boys will be performing at Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music & Dance on Friday, May 3, 2024, at 6:00 pm.
Visit Onyx Club Boys’ website: www.onyxclubboys.com
Follow them on Facebook: OnyxClubBoysNC
Leave a Reply