Swing from Paris are a quartet inspired by the great swing bands of the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s: Benny Goodman and Charlie Christian meets Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli and the Hot Club of France. Their Parisian-flavoured jazz and gypsy swing has been delighting audiences for over 15 years: from major jazz festivals including the Django Reinhardt Festival at Samois sur Seine, to the BBC’s Hairy Bikers and the opening of the award-winning Gloucester Services. Expect stylish jazz and vintage swing. They enjoy creating and playing their own arrangements of music they love, mostly inspired by the swing era: including music by Gershwin, Piazzolla, Benny Goodman, Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli and the Hot Club of France. The band started out of a chance meeting of Andy Bowen and Fenner Curtis, when they both sat in at a Birmingham University jazz club jam session. Already fans of the music of the guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stéphane Grappelli, they started a group and began playing regularly across their home county of Gloucestershire. Following formative years as a dedicated Django Reinhardt ensemble, they widened their repertoire to include many other greats of the era and beyond – and welcomed members Sam Hughes on guitar and Tomasz Williams on double bass in the late 2010s. Their latest recording together is I Love Paris (2024), available digitally and on CD. Audience comments: “A truly spectacular and accomplished group” “Fabulous musicians, fabulous arrangements. Can’t recommend enough!” “Highly recommended. Wonderful performance” Reviews ★ ★ ★ ★ “their love for, and knowledge of, their chosen material is wide and deep, but nevertheless they put their own stamp on it” – THE JAZZ MANN “Excellent band … diverse numbers, smart arrangements … symphonious violin, soulful guitar and heart-rending bass” – Jazz Journal “awe-inspiring…The band members have real rapport” – Swindon Link