------------------------------------
WHY DOING A FREE ALBUM?
------------------------------------

That's right, it's free, just buy it and type $0.00 in the box, and it's yours. I will add a track for each new album I publish.

Streaming platforms pay artists almost nothing, their algorhythms only push the stuff with massive marketing budgets

------------------------------------
WHY DOING A FREE ALBUM?
------------------------------------

That's right, it's free, just buy it and type $0.00 in the box, and it's yours. I will add a track for each new album I publish.

Streaming platforms pay artists almost nothing, their algorhythms only push the stuff with massive marketing budgets behind it, and because online advertising cost a fortune independent artists don't stand a chance. So we may as well give a few tracks for free before we have to give up playing music entirely.

BUT YOU CAN STILL HELP!

1 - Share this free album with your friends
2 - You can pay what you want, $0.00 or contribute a little (please...)
3 - Subscribe to get all the albums for £20/year: (
https://benoitviellefon.bandcamp.com/subscribe)
4 - Go to listen to the complete albums and buy some maybe? (
https://benoitviellefon.bandcamp.com/music)
5 - Write a short review / comment

If you do any of these, you will do good and save another independent artist from starvation, and you'll also support Bandcamp (the platform that pays musicians).

ALL THESE ALBUMS ARE AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ON BANDCAMP. Nothing on streaming platforms, appart from a few singles, sorry...





----------------------------------
ABOUT BENOIT VIELLEFON:
----------------------------------
Benoit Viellefon is a French singer and guitarist established in the UK. Specialised in 1920's 1930's and 1940's music, Benoit is resident at Ronnie Scotts and other famous clubs. Benoit appears in many Hollywood films, TV and radio productions, festivals, and performed for VIP such as Madonna, the Queen, or the Kremlin. He often tours with his 3 bands: The Orchestra, The Hot Club, The Trio.

Official website: https://benoitviellefon.com

--------------------------------------------------
THE SYNCOPATED TIMES (USA - REVIEW)
--------------------------------------------------
By Dave Doyle - Album Reviews
https://syncopatedtimes.com/benoit-viellefon-and-his-hot-club-%e2%80%a2-paris-1936-london-2016/

As a pianist, I’m drawn to any album which puts the storehouse center stage. It’s

--------------------------------------------------
THE SYNCOPATED TIMES (USA - REVIEW)
--------------------------------------------------
By Dave Doyle - Album Reviews
https://syncopatedtimes.com/benoit-viellefon-and-his-hot-club-%e2%80%a2-paris-1936-london-2016/

As a pianist, I’m drawn to any album which puts the storehouse center stage. It’s rare that I’ll get excited about a Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, or Tommy Dorsey disc when raiding charity shop record bins—a hobby I very much hope to resume soon—but I’ll pounce on anything which flashes me that eighty-eight-toothed, black-and-white smile; some of my most-played records include those by Joe “Fingers” Carr, Nat King Cole, and Jelly Roll Morton.

But there’s one eight-fingered string-slinger whose vinyls always catch my eye; a virtuoso of their belly fiddle who will always have a place on my record shelf. Of course, I’m talking about Django Reinhardt.

Perhaps it’s the fact that my old Uncle Joe—whose excellent musical tastes were the crucible of my own—is a huge Django fan. Maybe it’s the timeless, effortlessly loveable, laid-back sound of French hot jazz. Either way, Django gets a seat at my top table alongside musicians wielding way more strings. So I’m a very eager (if slightly late) arrival at the “Chateau de Viellefon,” proprietor one Benoit Viellefon, another jazz guitarist who could almost be mistaken for his late compatriot’s ghost (in look and sound).

Hailing from Paris, Benoit is now a staple of the London jazz scene. As well as strumming around 100 gigs a year—including regular Sunday night slots at Ronnie Scott’s—he and his various outfits are hot property on the British swing dance circuit. Benoit has recorded five albums in the last five years, latterly with his Hot Club quartet, in the shape of Paris 19:36 – London 20:16.

This effort offers a great mix of tempos, showing off the group’s talents at paces suitable for Lindy Hop, balboa or an end-of-night shuffle-and-sway. It features solid recreations of Django classics like “HCQ Strut” and “Hungaria,” as well as hot jazz takes on contemporary hits like Fats Waller’s “How Can You Face Me” and “Honeysuckle Rose,” which were recorded by the great guitarist. (The last of these new versions achieves peak French, in showcasing Benoit’s own charmingly Continental voice.)

“I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” is one of my all-time favorite numbers: it really is difficult to spoil, no matter who’s performing it. So I was utterly delighted by Benoit’s upbeat arrangement, graced with another beautiful French-accented vocal by Gabrielle Ducomble. Likewise, Daniel Oates’s singing on “I Fall In Love Too Easily” is suitably Gallic—in its recumbent style, if not in vowel sounds—being very much evocative of the superb Chet Baker version.

Recorded late last year—old-school, around just a couple of condenser mics—Paris 19:36 – London 20:16 achieves its aim of transporting listeners to a smoky French cellar eighty years ago. And I’m pleased to note that it even features some sterling stride piano—listen for it on “HCQ Strut,” “Nuages,” and “Swing 48.”

So if your idea of a good time involves fiddles duelling with clarinets, backed by a rhythm section hotter than the French Riviera in high summer, then this is the disc for you. Find it on Benoit’s Bandcamp page and keep this outstanding outfit together, until we can enjoy them live again.

--------------------------------------------------
Dave Doyle is a swing dancer, dance teacher, and journalist based in Gloucestershire, England. Write him at contact@davedoyle.co.uk. Find him on Twitter @DaveDoyleComms.
--------------------------------------------------

----------------------------
ABOUT THIS RELEASE:
----------------------------

Release Summer 2023 - 10 tracks album + 9 videos

The music is made available exclusively on Bandcamp.
But the 9 videos that are the reason to be of this album are reserved to the subscribers only, so the can feel a bit special.
The "Hungaria" video is showcased, but

----------------------------
ABOUT THIS RELEASE:
----------------------------

Release Summer 2023 - 10 tracks album + 9 videos

The music is made available exclusively on Bandcamp.
But the 9 videos that are the reason to be of this album are reserved to the subscribers only, so the can feel a bit special.
The "Hungaria" video is showcased, but you can get all the others plus the complete catalogue of Benoit viellefon by subscribing: https://benoitviellefon.bandcamp.com/subscribe

---------------------------
BEHIND THE SCENES:
---------------------------

"Caught on Film" is a series of short videos shot live with 4 cameras and a multitrack recording. It had to be shot on a Sunday morning at 8am after having gigged the whole week because it was the only time the club was available for a couple of hours. Be amazed at the wonders strong coffee and make up can do! These are not short of being miracles because each tune had to be in the box in one or two takes since the venue had to be vacated so they could open for lunch.

The Oriole was one of the best loved London music venue with a 200 capacity and a sophisticated clientele; they won multitude of awards being ranked in the world 5 best cocktail bar year after year. Benoit Viellefon performed there with his Orchestra and his Hot Club every month for 7 years from the opening to the end. Sadly the club was forced to close in 2022 to be replaced by luxury flats and boutiques for superwealthy Londoners.

------------------------------
IMPORTANT:
------------------------------
THIS ALBUM IS NOW EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE TO SUBSCRIBERS!
https://benoitviellefon.bandcamp.com/subscribe
Subscribers get this album and all the other albums for 20 a year!
Don't waste 20 on one album when you can get 9 albums for the same price: Subscribe now!

SEE ALL THE

------------------------------
IMPORTANT:
------------------------------
THIS ALBUM IS NOW EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE TO SUBSCRIBERS!
https://benoitviellefon.bandcamp.com/subscribe
Subscribers get this album and all the other albums for £20 a year!
Don't waste £20 on one album when you can get 9 albums for the same price: Subscribe now!

SEE ALL THE VIDEOS:
Subscribers also get an extra 8 exclusive videos from that concert for free! https://benoitviellefon.bandcamp.com/subscribe

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT BENOIT VIELLEFON HOT CLUB LIVE AT THE QUECUMBAR:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
‘Live at the Quecumbar’ (2012) is the latest album from renowned French chanteur, guitarist and entertainer Benoit Viellefon. Following the success of his 2011 debut Swing a la Mode , Monsieur Viellefon has established himself as UK’s most popular exponent of vintage dance music, gypsy-style jazz and traditional European melody.
Benoit and the Hot Club’s extensive 2011 European tour included two headline slots at Glastonbury 2011, the London premiere of the Multi-Oscar winning blockbuster “The Artist” and numerous A-list celebrities parties (including Ron Dennis’ McLaren F1 party and Ronny Wood amongst others). Following these successes Benoit was most happy to take up the invitation of Europe’s most famous gypsy-jazz venue Le Quecumbar to cut an intimate live-recording to a captive-audience. Benoit hopes that the record will prove to be a favourite for those thousands of fans who have embraced his music over the past year and indeed as a pleasurable introduction for those he is yet to perform for in person.

-----------------------------------------
“Live at The Quecumbar” - REVIEW
-----------------------------------------
In our age of auto-tuned voices and photo-shopped images, the Benoit Viellefon Hot Club have brought back something of those pure and simple pleasures in life with Live at The Quecumbar. Recorded on one single microphone - the old-fashioned way, the record thrives simply on the hard-won virtuosity of the ensemble, with each member of the Hot Club taking great care to deliver this most precious of music with both passion and integrity. Indeed the Hot Club have made a firm commitment to emulating that beautiful balance of artistic craftsmanship and popular appeal which brings together seminal figures such as Louis Armstrong, Sidnet Bechet and Charles Trenet.
Taking great inspiration from their international musical travels (over 150 international shows in the past year alone), Benoit’s Hot Club present here a programme of popular American melodies from the 1930s including the timeless All of Me, famous Parisian Musettes like the romantic Flambee Montalbanaise, gypsy-jazz classics such as Django Reinhardt’s Minor Swing, as well as original modern-day classics from the pen of Monsieur Viellefon in the same style.

The Hot Club’s line-up features the classic gypsy-jazz core of two guitars, with both Benoit himself and Portuguese jazz-guitar star Pedro Velasco in tow alongside the driving double-bass of British stalwart Geoffrey Threadgold. Benoit has also brought together in his Hot Club one of Europe’s finest horn sections in the form of Klezmer/Balkan clarinet and saxophone specialist Dave Shulman and the 1930’s swing trumpet stylings of Peter Horsfall, in addition to the Toulouse-trained and now London-based accordionist Peter Watson.

Equally at home entertaining crowds in small bistros or large concert halls and festival stages, Benoit and the Hot Club will launch the record in a spectacular evening of music at London’s most famous of venues The Royal Albert Hall. The show will feature many of the memorable melodies from Live at the Quecumbar, including Benoit’s hit-song “Mon Amour” which has captured the imagination of audiences across the continent. A special limited edition CD (only 500 available) will be available at the launch, which features secret hidden tracks and in addition enables access to eight exclusive online-videos of the Hot Club in action, Live at the Quecumbar!

Recorded live on Brexit day (31 March 2019) with a single stereo microphone positionned in front of the band.

The songs appear as they were recorded on the day, no editing, no mixing, just a bit of mastering to iron things out.

Although the audio quality is not of the highest standard, It was decided to release it because despite having played

Recorded live on Brexit day (31 March 2019) with a single stereo microphone positionned in front of the band.

The songs appear as they were recorded on the day, no editing, no mixing, just a bit of mastering to iron things out.

Although the audio quality is not of the highest standard, It was decided to release it because despite having played many hundreds of shows, it is the only live recording of the band we have. The name was prophetic: "Out of dates", meaning out of fashion, out of romantic dates, and out of work/gigs...

The Orchestra has not performed since that concert due to the Covid19 pandemic followed by Brexit, except in 2022 once in Vienna Austria and once at the Slovakian national radio in Bratislava. Nobody knows if socio-politico-economical circumstances will allow us to start touring again with a 7 piece Orchestra, so instead we perform with smaller line ups (Hot Club, Quartet & Trio). What a tragedy!

------------------------------
ABOUT "OUT OF DATES":
------------------------------

This live recording from Benoit Viellefon and his Orchestra is an album befitting the end of an era for one of the UK’s premier swing bands. Since Brexit and the pandemic, it is no longer viable for Viellefon to tour in this particular format; music streaming services have destroyed album revenues and eleven years of austerity has ravaged the arts sector, running grass-roots venues into the ground, eroded budgets, and left all but those signed to the biggest record labels and agencies unable to employ larger numbers of musicians.

How appropriate though, that this, their swansong, was recorded live on the bandstand, leaving us with a warts-and-all portrait of the group in their natural habitat: the heat of battle - spitting out dramatic improvised solos with one hand, while holding their audience’s captivation in the palm of the other.
Though those forensic tweaks of mixing and quantising (born of the often sterile atmosphere of a modern-day recording studio) may be absent, they are more than made up for by the sheer vitality and raucous exuberance evidenced on these 12 short tracks. The primitive technical set-up of two-microphones capturing an entire ensemble can lead to an occasional inconsistency of volume between the instruments, but this has always been the case, and places the album within the pantheon of classic live jazz recordings, where similar a similar attitude was always taken: sacrificing phonogenic perfection for the sake of an exuberant charisma available only to those interacting with a live audience.

With such quality among the band members, it’s not difficult to understand why. The world-class Tom Dennis steals the show on trumpet with his dazzling virtuosity, soloing on several numbers - perhaps most notably on Skeletons In The Closet, where his brassy acrobatics bring to mind the great Charlie Shavers. Hoagy Plastow on tenor sax and Dave Schulman on clarinet and alto sax make up the remainder of the horns, combining a velveteen section sound with authentic and inspired soloing. Their playing on the iconic Pink Panther Theme is sure to be a favourite. The rhythm section - made up of pianist Alex Bryson, bassist Greg Gottlieb and drummer Robbie Ellison (who, we are told, was standing in at merely hours notice; playing with the band for the very first time; sight-reading throughout; seeing the music for the very first time as they record) - proves a dynamic, swinging engine-room that propels the band along, and provides a rock-solid foundation for the guitar and vocals of their charismatic bandleader: Benoit Viellefon himself. The snippets of Viellefon’s infamous patter included on this album are an undeniable bonus, offering a sample of the kind of unique comedy that has become a staple of the band’s performances, and remains so popular with fans of the group.

Popular too should prove the selection of repertoire; there really is something for everyone here. We begin with dues paid to titans of the rich heritage of 30s and 40s jazz. Exactly Like You contains many a knowing nod to Count Basie’s famous recording of the song, while The Mooche is an iconic example of the compositional genius of Duke Ellington. For those with a taste for the old classics, the lilting rendition of I Cover The Waterfront conjures to mind all the grace of an art deco ballroom in full flow. Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby is drenched in the blues, while Viellefon resurrects his native roots with the French lyrics of Ferme La Bouche. The album concludes with a pair of all-time favourites: Henry Mancini’s The Pink Panther Theme; before Just a Gigolo/Ain’t Got Nobody resolves proceedings in a swashbuckling shuffle of the kind made famous by Louis Prima. It is hard not to feel part of the audience in the room, who’s audible excitement is an infectious and irrepressible side-effect of this dazzling finale.

And so, after more than a decade, the orchestra signs off in trademark fashion: by bringing the house down. It has been a long road; one that has taken the band through various different line-ups, always featuring the top UK jazz artists of the day; one that has taken the band all over the world, from the UK and Europe to Russia and Asia, at to the world’s most prestigious venues, its top jazz festivals, and even the private parties of A-listers and royal families; all the while bewitching its audiences with their irresistible euphoria at every stop (see www.benoitandhisorchestra.com). Out of Dates is the perfect curtain call to such an illustrious history. How worthy a tribute to a band of supreme calibre, that they should finish on such a high - and indeed swinging - note.

Robert Ellison. Drummer & Novelist

--------------------------------------------------
THE SYNCOPATED TIMES (USA - REVIEW)
--------------------------------------------------
By Dave Doyle - Album Reviews
https://syncopatedtimes.com/benoit-viellefon-and-his-hot-club-%e2%80%a2-paris-1936-london-2016/

As a pianist, I’m drawn to any album which puts the storehouse center stage. It’s

--------------------------------------------------
THE SYNCOPATED TIMES (USA - REVIEW)
--------------------------------------------------
By Dave Doyle - Album Reviews
https://syncopatedtimes.com/benoit-viellefon-and-his-hot-club-%e2%80%a2-paris-1936-london-2016/

As a pianist, I’m drawn to any album which puts the storehouse center stage. It’s rare that I’ll get excited about a Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, or Tommy Dorsey disc when raiding charity shop record bins—a hobby I very much hope to resume soon—but I’ll pounce on anything which flashes me that eighty-eight-toothed, black-and-white smile; some of my most-played records include those by Joe “Fingers” Carr, Nat King Cole, and Jelly Roll Morton.

But there’s one eight-fingered string-slinger whose vinyls always catch my eye; a virtuoso of their belly fiddle who will always have a place on my record shelf. Of course, I’m talking about Django Reinhardt.

Perhaps it’s the fact that my old Uncle Joe—whose excellent musical tastes were the crucible of my own—is a huge Django fan. Maybe it’s the timeless, effortlessly loveable, laid-back sound of French hot jazz. Either way, Django gets a seat at my top table alongside musicians wielding way more strings. So I’m a very eager (if slightly late) arrival at the “Chateau de Viellefon,” proprietor one Benoit Viellefon, another jazz guitarist who could almost be mistaken for his late compatriot’s ghost (in look and sound).

Hailing from Paris, Benoit is now a staple of the London jazz scene. As well as strumming around 100 gigs a year—including regular Sunday night slots at Ronnie Scott’s—he and his various outfits are hot property on the British swing dance circuit. Benoit has recorded five albums in the last five years, latterly with his Hot Club quartet, in the shape of Paris 19:36 – London 20:16.

This effort offers a great mix of tempos, showing off the group’s talents at paces suitable for Lindy Hop, balboa or an end-of-night shuffle-and-sway. It features solid recreations of Django classics like “HCQ Strut” and “Hungaria,” as well as hot jazz takes on contemporary hits like Fats Waller’s “How Can You Face Me” and “Honeysuckle Rose,” which were recorded by the great guitarist. (The last of these new versions achieves peak French, in showcasing Benoit’s own charmingly Continental voice.)

“I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” is one of my all-time favorite numbers: it really is difficult to spoil, no matter who’s performing it. So I was utterly delighted by Benoit’s upbeat arrangement, graced with another beautiful French-accented vocal by Gabrielle Ducomble. Likewise, Daniel Oates’s singing on “I Fall In Love Too Easily” is suitably Gallic—in its recumbent style, if not in vowel sounds—being very much evocative of the superb Chet Baker version.

Recorded late last year—old-school, around just a couple of condenser mics—Paris 19:36 – London 20:16 achieves its aim of transporting listeners to a smoky French cellar eighty years ago. And I’m pleased to note that it even features some sterling stride piano—listen for it on “HCQ Strut,” “Nuages,” and “Swing 48.”

So if your idea of a good time involves fiddles duelling with clarinets, backed by a rhythm section hotter than the French Riviera in high summer, then this is the disc for you. Find it on Benoit’s Bandcamp page and keep this outstanding outfit together, until we can enjoy them live again.

--------------------------------------------------
Dave Doyle is a swing dancer, dance teacher, and journalist based in Gloucestershire, England. Write him at contact@davedoyle.co.uk. Find him on Twitter @DaveDoyleComms.
--------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------
THE SYNCOPATED TIMES (USA - REVIEW)
--------------------------------------------------
By Dave Doyle - June 28, 2020 - Album Reviews
https://syncopatedtimes.com/benoit-viellefon-and-his-hot-club-%e2%80%a2-paris-1936-london-2016/

As a pianist, I’m drawn to any album which puts the storehouse

--------------------------------------------------
THE SYNCOPATED TIMES (USA - REVIEW)
--------------------------------------------------
By Dave Doyle - June 28, 2020 - Album Reviews
https://syncopatedtimes.com/benoit-viellefon-and-his-hot-club-%e2%80%a2-paris-1936-london-2016/

As a pianist, I’m drawn to any album which puts the storehouse center stage. It’s rare that I’ll get excited about a Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, or Tommy Dorsey disc when raiding charity shop record bins—a hobby I very much hope to resume soon—but I’ll pounce on anything which flashes me that eighty-eight-toothed, black-and-white smile; some of my most-played records include those by Joe “Fingers” Carr, Nat King Cole, and Jelly Roll Morton.

But there’s one eight-fingered string-slinger whose vinyls always catch my eye; a virtuoso of their belly fiddle who will always have a place on my record shelf. Of course, I’m talking about Django Reinhardt.

Perhaps it’s the fact that my old Uncle Joe—whose excellent musical tastes were the crucible of my own—is a huge Django fan. Maybe it’s the timeless, effortlessly loveable, laid-back sound of French hot jazz. Either way, Django gets a seat at my top table alongside musicians wielding way more strings. So I’m a very eager (if slightly late) arrival at the “Chateau de Viellefon,” proprietor one Benoit Viellefon, another jazz guitarist who could almost be mistaken for his late compatriot’s ghost (in look and sound).

Hailing from Paris, Benoit is now a staple of the London jazz scene. As well as strumming around 100 gigs a year—including regular Sunday night slots at Ronnie Scott’s—he and his various outfits are hot property on the British swing dance circuit. Benoit has recorded five albums in the last five years, latterly with his Hot Club quartet, in the shape of Paris 19:36 – London 20:16.

This effort offers a great mix of tempos, showing off the group’s talents at paces suitable for Lindy Hop, balboa or an end-of-night shuffle-and-sway. It features solid recreations of Django classics like “HCQ Strut” and “Hungaria,” as well as hot jazz takes on contemporary hits like Fats Waller’s “How Can You Face Me” and “Honeysuckle Rose,” which were recorded by the great guitarist. (The last of these new versions achieves peak French, in showcasing Benoit’s own charmingly Continental voice.)

“I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” is one of my all-time favorite numbers: it really is difficult to spoil, no matter who’s performing it. So I was utterly delighted by Benoit’s upbeat arrangement, graced with another beautiful French-accented vocal by Gabrielle Ducomble. Likewise, Daniel Oates’s singing on “I Fall In Love Too Easily” is suitably Gallic—in its recumbent style, if not in vowel sounds—being very much evocative of the superb Chet Baker version.

Recorded late last year—old-school, around just a couple of condenser mics—Paris 19:36 – London 20:16 achieves its aim of transporting listeners to a smoky French cellar eighty years ago. And I’m pleased to note that it even features some sterling stride piano—listen for it on “HCQ Strut,” “Nuages,” and “Swing 48.”

So if your idea of a good time involves fiddles duelling with clarinets, backed by a rhythm section hotter than the French Riviera in high summer, then this is the disc for you. Find it on Benoit’s Bandcamp page and keep this outstanding outfit together, until we can enjoy them live again.

--------------------------------------------------
Dave Doyle is a swing dancer, dance teacher, and journalist based in Gloucestershire, England. Write him at contact@davedoyle.co.uk. Find him on Twitter @DaveDoyleComms.
--------------------------------------------------