The Hot Clubbers Gypsy jazz & French chansons — from quartet to full 6-piece band

Our technical requirements depend on the size of the ensemble and the venue. We need a suitable performance area, access to power, and chairs without arms where required. We can provide our own professional sound system for many local and regional events. For larger venues and destination events, we are happy to work with the venue or production company and provide a detailed technical rider once the lineup is confirmed.

We like to know the approximate size and type of venue, expected number of guests, whether the performance is indoors or outdoors, the dimensions and location of the performance area, access and loading arrangements, available sound equipment, and whether there is an in-house sound engineer. For outdoor events, we also need to know whether the performance area is fully protected from rain, direct sun and adverse weather.

Yes. We can provide our own professional sound system for local and regional events, including the amplification and microphones required for the band. For larger productions and destination events, we can also work with the venue or a local production company and provide a detailed technical rider in advance. Lighting can be coordinated separately depending on the venue and event requirements.

Yes. Background music can be provided before the performance and during breaks when appropriate. We can also coordinate the playlist with the client to complement the atmosphere and musical style of the event. For events requiring a dedicated DJ or a more extensive dance-floor program, we can also offer a DJ + live percussion option separately.

One of the most meaningful chapters of my career was my residency at the legendary Iridium Jazz Club in New York City. After performing there with Les Paul, I was offered a Sunday-night carte blanche dedicated to Gypsy Jazz, and we eventually recorded our live album, The Hot Clubbers – Live at Iridium NYC, there.
I have also always loved performing at Lincoln Center, including Alice Tully Hall and the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Birdland is another very special venue for me, I appear on two DVDs filmed there during the Django Reinhardt Festival of New York City.
What I love about these venues is that they combine great acoustics, a real listening audience and a sense of musical history. Whether it is an intimate jazz club or a major concert hall, those are the environments where this music really comes alive.

I especially enjoy high-end private events and festivals. Private events allow us to shape the music very closely around the atmosphere, the guests and the setting, while festivals give the band the opportunity to perform the repertoire with more energy and spontaneity. I particularly enjoy events where the audience appreciates live musicianship and where we can move naturally between Gypsy Jazz, French chanson, musette and swing.

I have more than 30 years of international experience as a professional performer, touring musician and recording artist. I started very young in France, playing live dance music that included Gypsy Jazz, musette, French and Parisian waltzes and popular repertoire.
My career later took me from France to New York City, New Orleans, Senegal and many other places, performing, touring and recording in a wide range of musical settings. Over the years I have appeared on more than 20 albums, four DVDs and seven film scores, including work connected with Woody Allen films.
I have worked with musicians from many different musical worlds, but Gypsy Jazz and French music have remained an important part of my musical identity throughout my career. After moving to New York, those roots eventually led to the creation of The Hot Clubbers and our residency at the Iridium Jazz Club.

Django Reinhardt is unquestionably the biggest influence on The Hot Clubbers and on my approach to Gypsy Jazz. His combination of swing, virtuosity, melody and freedom remains extraordinary.
French chanson has been equally important to my musical background, particularly artists such as Édith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Georges Brassens, Charles Aznavour and Serge Gainsbourg. Growing up in France, that repertoire was part of the musical language around me, alongside musette and traditional Parisian dance music.
Those two worlds: Django’s Gypsy Jazz and the great French songwriters and singers, are really at the heart of what The Hot Clubbers does today.

Yes. The Hot Clubbers are available from a quartet to larger 5- and 6-piece configurations. Depending on the event, the ensemble can include guitars, violin, upright bass, percussion and vocals, accordion, saxophone or other complementary instruments. We tailor the lineup to the venue, atmosphere, audience and budget.

For this Performance info section, I’d put the following.
What are your typical setup and performance times?
We usually allow around 60 to 90 minutes for setup and soundcheck, depending on the size of the ensemble, venue and production requirements. Performance times are flexible and can be adapted to the event. A typical booking might consist of two 45- to 60-minute sets, but we can also structure the music around cocktails, dinner, a reception or a longer concert-style performance.

Absolutely. We enjoy performing outdoors, particularly for weddings, private events, festivals, vineyards, estates and summer receptions. We simply require a level and stable performance area, access to power when amplification is needed, and adequate protection from rain, strong wind, direct sun and extreme temperatures to protect both the musicians and the instruments.

Absolutely. We tailor the repertoire to the event and are happy to discuss favorite songs, French repertoire, Gypsy Jazz standards and the overall atmosphere the client would like to create. We can also learn special requests when given sufficient notice. At the same time, clients are welcome to leave the musical direction to us, we have decades of experience reading a room and adjusting the repertoire and energy as the event develops.

Previous clients often appreciate both the musicianship and the professionalism of the band. We have enough experience to understand that the music must serve the event, not our egos. When we are hired to create background music for cocktails or dinner, we pay very close attention to volume, dynamics and the flow of the room so guests can comfortably talk and enjoy themselves.
At the same time, when the setting calls for a real performance, we love having the opportunity to open things up and showcase the virtuosity, energy and improvisation that are such an important part of Gypsy Jazz.
That ability to move naturally between sophisticated background music and a featured concert-style performance is one of the strengths of The Hot Clubbers.