‘The set is different almost every time we play – we love to keep ourselves on our toes.’

With a focus for 2025 on supporting musicians and music venues in and around Worcestershire, I was delighted to get to know a little more about ‘Swing from Paris’. A string-centric jazz quartet from the Cotswolds whose music transports you from the quintessential cottages to the gypsy jazz heart of the french capital.

Who is involved in ‘Swing from Paris’ and what do they bring to the sound we hear?
The band is made up of Fenner Curtis on violin, Andy Bowen and Sam Hughes on guitars, and Tomasz Williams on double bass. Fenner is very much influenced by the jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli. Sam plays an acoustic guitar, in the style that the great gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt would have played in the 1930s. Tomasz is a bassist influenced by 50s and 60s legends such as Ron Carter, but is also deeply interested in classical playing. Andy Bowen is inspired, alongside Django, by guitarists such as Charlie Christian, George Barnes and Mary Osborne.

What is your approach to creating an arrangement of a song, especially when the original version features a different instrumentation to that of ‘Swing from Paris’?
Arranging tunes is a real joy of ours, and we spend a lot of time together in the rehearsal room exchanging ideas. Much creativity comes from playing together and seeing what emerges. We always aim to honour the original intent of the composer, while giving a tune enough of a twist that it sounds our own. We leave room for improvisation (it is jazz after all) but we enjoy arrangements that show off what the band can do. An ensemble like ours has so much flexibility, despite being an all-string quartet without drums. Stringed instruments like guitars and violins have a huge amount of texture that you can play with to create wonderful variations in sound.

Which one of your tracks was the hardest/most straightforward to re-imagine and why?
Astor Piazzolla’s Oblivion (heard on our recording I Love Paris released in 2024) was a wonderful number to arrange. It’s a remarkable composition, harking back to the origins of tango. You might think it wouldn’t lend itself to our ensemble – it’s not Parisian, or swing – but it was rewarding to draw out the themes in ways that would suit us. A great tune is a great tune on any instrument.

On the other side of the spectrum, After You’ve Gone (which also features on I Love Paris), is pretty much a straightforward tribute to Django and Grappelli in the style of how their ‘Hot Club’ would approach a tune.

‘There is so much joy in simply making music with like-minded musicians.‘

I’ve read that you were originally a dedicated Django Reinhardt ensemble. What led to you expanding your sound?
Andy and Fenner met at a university jam session over 15 years ago, and at the time were heavily interested in the music of Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli, and the Hot Club of France. In the beginning our repertoire was very much focused on what Django and Grappelli played. A number of years ago, Andy moved to the electric guitar and that opened up a whole new repertoire – such as into Benny Goodman, Charlie Christian, Artie Shaw and Barney Kessel, as well as the overlooked pioneering guitarist George Barnes. The style and instrumentation of Django and Grappelli is of course still hugely influential to the band and that keeps it grounded.

How has your musicianship – either individually or as an ensemble – altered since you first began performing?
Everyone has grown in confidence as we continue to challenge ourselves. All those years ago, we were playing to just a handful of people in a noisy pub so you have to pinch yourself sometimes when we’re playing to a full theatre.

What drives you to keep playing music together?
Even if we weren’t performing in public, it’s likely we’d still be getting together and enjoying playing this music. There is so much joy in simply making music with like-minded musicians, no matter who is listening. But we do love sharing this music with an audience.

On both your albums, there are tracks that will be more familiar to listeners than others. How do you find the reception at performances varies when audiences hear those that are less familiar?
Audiences respond of course to things they recognise. But we really enjoy introducing someone to a player or composer they might never have heard of before. It’s always brilliant to hear when someone is inspired to go off and discover more.

Are there any plans to release extended versions of your albums to expand on the improvisatory elements of your sound?
We haven’t planned our next recording yet, but hopefully we’ll get better at capturing video more often at performances that can show off the fun we have on stage. Everyone is capable of improvisatory silliness.

What is the process of a ‘Swing from Paris’ recording session?
We try to keep it as “live” as possible in a recording studio – just play the music as we would at a performance, and not be perfectionists. At least one or two tracks on our recent recordings are first takes that just felt right.

Do your recording sessions and live performances inform each other in any ways?
There are improvisational risks you take playing live that you might not on a recording – but those risks might result in something that does eventually make its way into a recording. It’s important to still have fun when recording, even though you don’t want to make a mistake and ruin the take.

‘We have to pinch ourselves sometimes when we’re playing to a full theatre.’

You are about to kick off your tour. What are you most looking forward to about this run of performances?
We’re very excited to be coming to some venues we’ve never been to before, such as the Palace Theatre in Paignton, Mill Arts in Banbury, and Ludlow Assembly Rooms. But it’s also wonderful to be returning to some that we’ve had a brilliant time at previously, like St Swithun’s in Worcester in February. Find out more here.

How much does the venue and occasion alter the set that you perform?
The set is different almost every time we play – we love to swap tunes around and keep ourselves on our toes. We always have a great time, whether playing to a theatre, arts centre, or an intimate village hall audience. If people see you have a fun time on stage, that energy is infectious.

And finally, what has been the standout moment for ‘Swing from Paris’ to date?
There was a turning point for us, around the time just after lockdown when we weren’t performing at all. It felt that we took stock of the gigs we wanted to do, and what the potential of the band was. In early 2023 we played two nights to a full house at Cheltenham Playhouse, and had such a lovely response – it made us think that we’re on the right track.

Thanks ‘Swing from Paris’ for chatting with Listen to Discover
Photography Credit: Lucy Barriball