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