Swing From Paris

Swing from Paris: an evening of Parisian-flavoured music

Swing from Paris are an all-string jazz quartet of violin (Fenner Curtis), guitars (Andy Bowen and Sam Hughes) and double bass (Tomasz Williams), inspired by the music of the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s: from the cafés and cabarets of Montmartre to Artie Shaw, Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli and the master of tango Astor Piazzolla.

Known for their tight ensemble sound and virtuosic performances, the group brings a distinctive Parisian flair to vintage jazz and stylish swing. They have performed at major UK and European festivals including the renowned Django Reinhardt Festival in Samois-sur-Seine, and appearances range from BBC TV and radio to the French Embassy at Kensington Palace.

Their latest recording Under Paris Skies was released in 2026 and is available on CD and digital.

About the Band

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 around the UK.

Andy Bowen Archtop 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, teaching jazz guitar, lusting after guitars and making YouTube videos.

Sam Hughes Selmer-style 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 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. Tomasz is also a keen orchestral player and teaches bass of all kinds at Cheltenham College and other prestigious Gloucestershire schools.

Facebook ­ facebook.com/swingfromparis
Instagram ­ instagram.com/swingfromparisofficial/
TikTok tiktok.com/@swing.from.paris
Web ­ swingfromparis.co.uk/
YouTube youtube.com/@SwingfromParis

396957