KARACHI: Coming at the heels of a terrorist attack in Mumbai and acts of violence in our own city, Karachi was treated to a much-needed breather of melody by four French musicians at the Alliance Francaise on Saturday night.

The Caravan Quartet comprising Samuel Strouk (guitars), Bastien Ribot (violin), Olivier Lorang (bass) and Robin Ensina (guitars) presented 12 tracks based on a unique blend of jazz music called gypsy jazz, the origins of which are largely found in and around Paris.

Starting with Artillerie Lourde, the chattering crowd was immediately silenced by the infectious nylon string guitars. The guitarists, Samuel and Robin, who are also childhood friends, were seen employing the different ‘Le Pomp’ strumming style in the rhythms section.

It became clear from the word go that Bastien, the violinist, would be the star of the night as he improvised effortlessly on the chromatic scale. The solo flight, however, was not limited to him. Even though typically in a gypsy-jazz set-up it’s the guitarists and violinist who take the lead parts, bassist Olivier also got an opportunity to run wild and he was especially impressive in Bilbolojy and Tomehouse Blues.

His instrument was also unique as it was not a typical double bass with a large belly, but it was a sleek electric one with an invisible stomach. Talking about his ‘baby bass’ after the performance, Olivier said he preferred using this type during tours as it’s easier to carry around.

In a Sentimental Mood was the only mellow track, which had a romantic yet melancholic feel to it and was well appreciated by the audience.

The most notable aspect of the quartet was their expert coordination as a band. They played in perfect harmony with each other throughout their performance, which included De Cuba Si, St Marcel, Spere Blues, Douce Anbianco, Leyeux Noir and Song D’Antorne.

Samuel informed this writer that it was the quartet’s third visit to Pakistan. Responding to a query, all four musicians agreed that despite security fears they’ve always looked forward to visiting Pakistan and appreciated the kindness and hospitality accorded to them.