Ticket link: https://www.wegottickets.com/event/606128

Often described as ‘the finest gypsy jazz in the Cotswolds’, Swing from Paris are a UK quartet of violin, guitars and double bass. Inspired by the great swing bands of the 1930s and 40s, they present their own versions of music by Gershwin, Piazzolla, John Lewis,Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. They’ve been seen on the BBC’s Hairy Bikers, and have appeared at major jazz festivals including Cheltenham, Brecon and the Django Reinhardt Festival at Samois sur Seine. Expect stylish jazz and vintage swing.

Fenner Curtis Violin
Fenner is a classically-trained violinist based in Cheltenham. Struck by the music of Django Reinhardt at a young age – when his local youth orchestra desk partner gave him a cassette of Stéphane Grappelli – he has been hooked ever since. With Andy Bowen he formed Swing from Paris, performing at festivals and jazz clubs around the UK.

Andy Bowen Guitar
Andy takes inspiration from the great jazz guitarists of the 30s and 40s, chiefly Django Reinhardt, Charlie Christian and George Barnes. He has a jazz guitar YouTube channel and splits his time between performing with Swing from Paris & Moscow Drug Club, teaching jazz guitar, lusting after guitars and making YouTube videos.

Sam Hughes Guitar
Sam is a guitarist/composer based in Herefordshire. Raised on a strict diet of 60s/70s blues and rock, he was turned on to the music of Django Reinhardt after hearing the great gypsy guitarist Angelo Debarre. As well as working on his own original jazz compositions, Sam enjoys reworking the music of Mozart, Chopin and J.S. Bach into the gypsy jazz style. Improvising with spontaneity and humour, he is equally as likely to break into a Led Zeppelin riff as a Bach motif without warning.

Tomasz Williams Double bass
Tomasz is a double bass player from Cheltenham. He draws influence from 50s and 60s jazz bassists such as Paul Chambers and Ron Carter, and has performed in many residencies around the South West in a trio setting.

Ticket link: https://www.wegottickets.com/event/603437

To get the New Year off to a great start we are delighted to welcome international superstar saxophonist, Simon Spillett, as our guest of the month. Over his twenty-five year career, Simon has worn almost as many hats as it’s possible to wear within jazz; multi-award-winning instrumentalist (BBC Jazz Awards, British Jazz Awards, Jazz Journal’s Album of The Year), quartet and big band leader, and prolific recording artist. Simon is well-known as a powerfully swinging, straight-ahead tenor saxophonist, one capable of taking the audiences who hear him on a roller-coaster ride encompassing everything from energetic bebop to heartfelt balladry.

You may have seen him before at sell-out performances at major UK jazz festivals (Birmingham, Brecon, Swanage, Southport) and world famous club venues including Ronnie Scott’s and many others. He’s a charismatic performer, gifted with a dry observational wit, and he’s never lost sight of the fact that jazz is entertainment as much as self-expression, and whether playing, writing or articulately holding forth on his favourite subject – UK jazz history – he’s an infectiously passionate communicator, with a powerful sense of expression through his music.

Simon will be performing with the exuberant Alex Steele on piano, the omnipresent Mike Cypher on drums, and the groovy Mike Green on double bass. We’re really excited to welcome the passion, fire, wisdom and inspirational energy of the amazing Simon Spillett to Kenilworth Jazz Club.

https://www.simonspillett.com/