Not that there was ever any question, but Mark O'Connor can play the violin like few people in the world. I have been a fan of his "Americana" work for years, but I had never ventured into his jazz experiments. Well, thank god I finally did. This album is an absolute joy from start to finish. O'Connor is at the top of his game, effortlessly creating both blisteringly fast, almost fiddle-stlye runs and gorgeous, lyrical ballad work. I was not familiar with either of the men who back him on this album, but I intend to get familiar with them in the very near future, as both of them display a sensibility that is rarely matched in today's jazz world. There's a lot of attention on this album to the tradition of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, but it never feels dated or even like these artists are trying to directly emulate Reinhardt or Grappelli. It's more of a celebration of that tradition and the artists never let themselves be confined by it. All in all, it's one of the few albums out there that is as fun as it is impressive. It's a blast!