Veteran local quintet Pearl Django is known for its revivalist style of tight, uptempo guitar jazz in the manner of Django Reinhardt and his Quintette du Hot Club de France. Their skill and fidelity to such gypsy-Gallic tradition is admirable, but sometimes you wish theyd slow things down a bit. That brake may come from virtuoso guest guitarist Martin Taylor, who joins them in a six-night stand. The English finger picker once served as a sideman to Stephane Grappelli (Reinhardts musical partner back in the 30s), but his later career has reflected postwar influences like Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass. Hes a master of contrapuntal rhythms, of finding a secondary fill groove that can be hidden in the main song. But this weeks teaming with Pearl Django is no accident: 2010 marks the centennial of Reinhardts birth, meaning youll likely hear standards like Nuages and Minor Swing, rendered with millennial verve and that old-fashioned Paris stomp. BRIAN MILLER
Jan. 4-7, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 8-9, 7:30 & 10 p.m., 2011
