“Putt Lake Toodleloo” marks my 20th release as leader and La Pompe Attack’s third, and probably, final release. My first release, “Courageous Cats”, a vinyl recording with Marshall Toppo and John Jones III, was released on Novus Records in 1986. It’s been a long and twisted road, but through it all I’ve always considered myself a “fusion” type player in the truest sense of the word. I’ve been interested in and influenced by the music that was all around me. If you check my back catalog you’ll find jazz fusion, organ trio, Latin, Loop and Gypsy styled recordings. The common thread is my love of the guitar as a composition and arranging tool and as a vehicle for improvisation.

“Putt Lake Toodleoo” is probably my most daring mash up of music to date. Besides the original compositions there songs by The Beatles, Sound Garden, James Taylor, Jaco Pastorious, Wayne Shorter, and of course, the maestro Django Reinhardt. I could not have made this recording without the help of the players involved. I have a deep connection with all of the La Pompe Attack family. Some, like my relationship with bassist Michael Goetz, go back decades. Others, like my relationship with Ben Wood are relatively new. La Pompe Attack is a collective of like-minded musicians, we all share a special bond. We have created a community of players that are dedicated to each other and dedicated to the music. This is not a paid for hire band put together for the sole purpose of making a recording. These are the people I work with day in and day out. We have a musical connection that can only come from playing together… a lot.

I want to thank all our fans, friends and supporters for your love, interaction and support over the past 35+ years. This recording is dedicated to you! Peace! –Doug Munro, Spring 2022

Doug Munro

Doug Munro is a critically acclaimed New York-based jazz guitarist. Since 1986 he has released 20 albums as a leader and has appeared on over 100 recordings as a sideman, producer, and arranger, working with artists like Dr. John, Michael Brecker, and Dr. Lonnie Smith. He has over 75 published compositions and over 300 recorded arrangements to his credit.

In the recording field, Doug has received two Grammy nominations and two NAIRD awards.

His 2011 release, A Very Gypsy Christmas was a top 5 pick by the Wall Street Journal. Amazon.com picked Boogaloo to Beck, which he arranged, co-produced, and on which he played, as a Top Ten Jazz CD of 2003. Doug also did orchestration on the Oscar-winning documentary film When We Were Kings. His last CD released in 2017, The Harry Warren Songbook, received rave reviews and still enjoys strong airplay.

Doug has written four books on jazz improvisation for Warner Brothers Publications and Alfred Music Publications, including one entitled, From Swing to Bebop, which won the Music and Sound Retailers instructional book of the year award in 2000. His last print only book, The Total Latin Guitarist (Alfred Publishing) was released in 2010.

Doug now writes exclusively for online publications and instructional websites. He contributes guitar instruction articles for Premier Guitar magazine and is a teaching/artist contributor for TrueFire.com where he has three online instructional courses and his own dedicated subscriber channel called Doug Munro’s Guitar Garage.

Munro created and directed the Jazz Studies Program at The Conservatory of Music at Purchase College in 1993 and is now Professor Emeritus (retired). He has been a teaching artist at the Litchfield Jazz Camp since 2009.

Having worked with a veritable Who’s Who of Jazz and Soul artists, Doug has garnered high praise from both his fellow artists and the press. Dr. Lonnie Smith said of him, “Doug Munro…well he can flat out play!”

Albert Rivera

Described by WNPR’s Owen McNally as “A Modern Jazz Messenger” Bronx born and raised saxophonist Albert Rivera got his introduction to jazz at LaGuardia High School for Performing Arts and continued his musical studies at the New School University Jazz and Contemporary Music Program. Since then he has toured extensively both nationally and internationally and stays active in New York venues like The Blue Note, Smalls, Zinc Bar, Cleopatra’s Needle, 55 Bar, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola and more.

His love, passion and dedication for music has put him on stage with the who’s who in the industry including Junior Mance, Winard Harper, Claudio Roditi, Rachel Z, The Curtis Brothers and many others.

Downbeat magazine called Albert and his band “part of the next wave in this jazz ritual.” He was selected as a 2012 Chamber Music America Residency Grant and a winner of the 2009 ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Award. “Back At It” (2015) is his 3rd studio album.

Ben Wood

Guitarist Ben Wood is one of the premier rhythm players in the United States. Growing up in the DC Area, with a background in swing guitar a la Freddie Green. A trip to Samois-Sur-Siene and the Django Reinhardt Jazz Festival changed everything. Ben studied first in the Sinti camps in Alsace, and in Brooklyn, where he now resides, with Stephane Wrembel (with whom Ben was a rhythm guitarist for many years). He’s a first call rhythm player for artists like Adrien Moignard, Sebastien Giniaux, Stephane Wrembel and so many more. Ben is a member of Lisa Liu and The Uptown Guitars, and Dallas Vietty’s Musette project. Ben also Leads his own Gypsy swing group Franglais.

Ernie Pugliese

Ernie has been playing in and around the Philadelphia/ Delaware Valley as a sideman/accompanist for many years. He has played in a number of straight ahead jazz groups and has chosen to focus on the Gypsy Jazz genre for the last decade. He’s performed in clubs, restaurants and concert venues throughout the NE and Mid Atlantic markets Besides the New York based group La Pompe Attack, Ernie plays in Philly gypsy groups, Zazous and Hot Club Canaries. He also works with in a York, PA band called Hot Club DuJour. He has appeared on stage with Bucky Pizzarelli, Frank Vignola, Vinny Rainiolo, Ed Laub, Gonzalo Bergara, Evan Perri and Olli Soikkeli. And recorded and appeared with the outstanding young French Chanteuse and Sarah Vaughn vocalist winner, Cyril Aimee. Ernie has also had his interviews, articles and CD reviews published in a number of Jazz Periodicals.

Ian Carroll

Hailing from New York City, drummer Ian Carroll has made his mark as a professional in genres across the board, displaying an unquestionable amount of flair, chops, groove, and creativity. Ian studied jazz drum set and the prestigious Purchase College Conservatory of Music, where he experienced the tutelage of drum legends Richie Morales, Kenny Washington, and John Riley. Immediately upon graduating, Ian landed a national touring gig with blues singer Nicole Hart, performing across the country and gracing huge stages at the Springing the Blues Festival, Riverhead Blues Festival, and Laconia Motorcycle Week. Additionally, he has performed with Dead Oceans recording artist Citay, George Lynch of Dokken, Sid McGinnis fo the David Letteerman Show, Erik Lawrence of the Levon Helm band, Eddie Angel of Los Straitjackets, Junior Mack, Ralph Lalama of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and Randy Johnston, just to name a few.

Michael Goetz

Michael has worked with saxophonist Ira Sullivan, Steve Slagle, trumpeter Pete Minger, Ray Vega, bassist Ron Carter, singer Alice Day, guitarist Vic Juris, Joe Puma, Dave Stzyker, Joe Beck, Doug Munro and composer and multi-instrumentalist David Amram, as well as the Glenn Miller Big Band and Lou Anderson Big Band. He has played various types of jazz throughout the metropolitan area at clubs such as the Angry Squire, the 55 Bar, Michaels Pub, Iridium Jazz Club, and Smalls Jazz Club in Greenwich Village, as well as recording for various jingles on T.V., films (Snake Eyes, Twilight, Femme Fatale) and radio features for Oldsmobile, American Brands, Glaxco and Faberge. Michael has also worked on Broadway in such shows as The Producers, Young Frankenstein, Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Ragtime, Beauty and the Beast and Radio City Music Hall. Michael has a B.M. degree in jazz and studio music from the University of Miami, and a M.F.A. degree in jazz performance from SUNY Purchase. Currently Michael is performing with the Doug Munro group which he has been performing with for the last seven years. Most recently he has been performing around the tri-state area promoting Doug Munro’s current CD entitled “Big Boss Bossa Nova 2.O”.

Ted Gottsegen

While not of Gypsy descent, Teddy Gottsegen (Got-say-ɡen) has been an active journeyman guitarist for 15 years. The New York native got his start in Seattle, WA in 2001 playing locally with a variety of acts performing swing based jazz music, touring and recording Big Band Jazz with the Solomon Douglas Swingtett. He was also asked to join reedman Hamilton Carson for a three-year weekly residency at Seattle’s famed New Orleans Creole Restaurant in a band that included jazz legends Buddy Catlett and Bob Hammer. This is also where he dedicated himself to the sound, style and music of his idol, Django Reinhardt. There he helped create and became house band performer at the father of all Django inspired festivals, Djangofest Northwest. He also toured and played with Andreas Oberg, Philadelphia’s Kruno Spisic, Patrick Saussois and others.

Through happenstance While attending the Festival Django Reinhardt; held annually in Samois-Sur-Seine, France, a travel related delay led to a performance on the festival main stage with German born Sinti gypsy Wawau (Wow-wow) Adler, in addition to another performance the following evening with Andreas Öberg.

2007 brought a return to New York City and led subsequent work with the Baby Soda Jazz Band, Dan Levinson’s Swing Wing, Vince Giordano & His Nighthawks, Bria Skonberg, Gordon Webster, Michael Arenella’s Dreamland Orchestra, Dorado, Samson & Tchavolo Schmitt, Aurore Voilque, Lollo Meier, Pierre Blanchard, Ludovic Beier, Andreas Öberg, Joel Frahm, Robin Nolan, Terrell Stafford, Curtis Stigers.

2010 brought him to Paris for an extended stay for an emersion in Gypsy Jazz music in the styles historic center where he performed with Jean-Philippe Watremez, Moreno Winterstein, Aurore Voilqué, Darko Andelkovic and Dick Miller. Upon returning to the US, he continued playing and touring the country and was a founding member of Svetlana and The Delancey Five.

In July, 2011 he fulfilled a dream and traveled to The Sultanate of Omar, via the US State Departmen, as a member of the award winning western swing power trio The Hot Club of Cowtown. There the trio was the first American group to perform at the Khareef Festival in Salalah. Another concert followed in Muskat for US Ambassador Richard Schmierer and the entire international diplomatic presence.

He again returned to France in 2015 where he lived in a caravan in a gypsy camp with Dallas Baumgartner and his family. The Baumgartner family are the direct descendants of Django Reinhardt’s first son Lousson. He and Dallas recorded a soon-to-be-released album. Upon returning to the US in 2016 continued his association with Robin Nolan on a tour throughout the northeast and mid-west. He has performed in 8 countries, 30 US States and three Canadian Provinces and continues to work around the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut areas and to wherever else the music brings him.

Vinny Raniolo

Vinny Raniolo is best known for his accompanying skills and is a very high demand rhythm guitarist. His dynamic playing has taken him to 14 countries on three continents (and still growing), and he has performed in some of the world’s most illustrious venues, including the Sydney Opera House in Australia, The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, New York’s Lincoln Center and the world’s oldest indoor concert hall, Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy.

Often featured on National Public Radio in duo with Frank Vignola, Vinny has become a familiar figure on Public Television, featured previously on three popular shows, including the heavily programmed Tommy Emmanuel and Friends. Frank and Vinny’s own PBS special, Four Generations of Guitars premieres in the 2014-15 season as part of the forthcoming 13 episode series Music Gone Public.

Vinny also has worked with artists like Leon Redbone, Vince Giordano, Deana Martin and Olli Soikkeli as well as on screen appearances on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.