Paris Combo - Cosmopolitan French quintet on 2015 Australian tour

Paris Combo, as diverse and sophisticated as the city from which they hail, have garnered global acclaim and an immense following for their unique blend of contemporary French chanson, swinging gypsy jazz and sassy alterna-pop. Fronted by the charismatic Belle du Berry, the fun-loving quintet have enthralled audiences for nearly two decades with their Latino and North African influenced grooves.

Paris Combo are thrilled to go on their Australian tour as part of a 2015 international tour covering USA, Russia, Turkey and Europe. With twenty tours of the USA, including two sell-outs at the Hollywood Bowl, continuous European touring, as well as being the darlings of numerous international music festivals, Paris Combo are delighted to be returning to perform in Australia for the first time in over ten years.

"We have an ongoing "histoire d’amour" with Australia, so we are very excited to be bringing the group back, " says chanteuse and songwriter Belle du Berry. "I’ll never forget the atmosphere at the sold-out concerts on the 2001 “Living Room" tour - it was electric and we were blown away by the reception we received. We are delighted to be able to play for Aussie audiences again, some of whom will undoubtedly be waiting for the chance to hear us live for the first time."

The five-piece French band will be performing a new collection of songs from their fifth album, the aptly titled 5, as well as playing all their favourites, such as Living Room, Señor and Sous la Lune.

The troupe consisting of singer and songwriter Belle du Berry, Potzi (guitar), François Jeannin (drums, percussion, vocals), and Australian-born David Lewis (trumpet, flugelhorn, piano) reunited in 2010 after a four-year hiatus and spent a year writing, rehearsing and rediscovering their hallmark sound whilst adding new bassist Emmanuel Chabbey to the lineup.

Paris Combo’s story began in the early ‘90s when du Berry, Potzi and Jeannin first performed together in Paris as members of a quirky retro revue before going on to collaborate at the closing ceremony of the Albertville Winter Olympic Games. Lewis joined the group in 1994 and the band honed their sound playing in cafes and on barges along the Seine. Their self-titled 1997 debut disc arrived as the swing revival was in full bloom yet the band’s wide-ranging mix set them apart and instantly appealed to fans internationally while generating critical praise. The movement multiplied with the release of their second album, Living Room, which went gold in France in 2000 and was nominated for a French Music Award. Their third set,Attraction, seduced more followers the following year and was followed by a live album in conjunction with extensive concert tours in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia. Motifs followed in 2004 and was supported in the US by their Hollywood Bowl début.

To get a taste of the fun, free-spirited musical dish served by Paris Combo, visit their YouTube Channel, or better still see them live!

For more information about Paris Combo, please visit www.pariscombo.com.

Dates and locations:

• Adelaide - 7 and 8 June
  Adelaide Cabaret Festival & Adelaide Festival Centre
• Sydney - 10 June
  City Recital Hall Angel Place
• Melbourne - 11 June
  Melbourne Recital Centre