There’s a movement at the very beginning of “Nuages” on Nate Najar’s brand new album, Under Paris Skies, where lonesome bell mallets dance, step-for-step, with the Tampa Bay nylon-string guitarist’s stripped-back plucking. It’s a joy, and the Django Reinhardt tune is the moment when an album about the City of Lights becomes the best thing to happen to you that day. What follows is 40 more minutes where Najar — along with Tommy Cecil on bass and Matt Home on drums — takes you on a spirited, spry exploration of fine, French musical fare that sits to have a coffee with Serge Gainsbourg, France Gall, the aforementioned Reinhardt and more. At 11 tracks long, the effort feels like an easy conversation, and we’d love to have that talk with Najar over and over again.
Nate Najar Album Release. Thurs. Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m. $22-$26.Side Door Cabaret at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg. mypalladium.org.
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