Final Dot Jazz series concert to feature ‘gypsy jazz’ quartet

From left: Mark Chenevert, Tomoko Iwamoto, Sven Larson, Jack Soref.

This year’s final Dot Jazz Series show will take place this Thursday (Dec.12) at 7:30 p.m. at All Saints’ Peabody Hall and will feature Tomoko Iwamoto and 440, a group led by the violinist Iwamoto and showcasing Mark Chenevert on clarinet, Jack Soref on guitar, and Sven Larson on bass.

Together, they play jazz in the Manouche or “gypsy jazz” style that was made popular in 1930s Paris by Django Reinhardt, as well as swing-era tunes by Cole Porter, George Gershwin, and Benny Goodman, and several original compositions that draw inspiration from wide-ranging genres like klezmer, musette, and Beethoven.

Despite having a classical background, Iwamoto, a faculty member at Brookline Music School, incorporates many elements of jazz into her playing and has been involved in Boston’s jazz scene for more than 25 years after moving from her hometown of Osaka, Japan.

The band’s sophomore album, “Yo-ki Swing,” was released in October. According to Iwamoto, Yo-ki means “joy and mirth” in Japanese, making the record and the band’s performance a fitting way to celebrate the holiday season.

Tickets are $15 and are available online at dotjazz.org or at the door. Free admission for children under 18. Doors open at 7.


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