Louche Manouche ("Louche" - false, spurious, dodgy, not what it says on the tin; "Manouche" - French Gypsy group from which Django came, as in "Jazz Manouche") got together in late 2005 as a result of Nic Bradford and Chris White meeting and discovering a shared ambition to play in the style of the classic Hot Club de France. Originally an informal session, the band was greatly enhanced by the addition of violinists Colm Murphy and Chris Bluemel, and given some gravitas when Guy Marshall came onboard with the bass. The icing on the cake was discovering that Pete Minkey had a fondness for the music, and he adds some different textures with mandolin and flute. Most recently, we've been joined on clarinet by Duncan Brown, and for a bit of variety, we're working on some vocal numbers, too....

For the past few months, we've been lucky to have special guest Romain Vuillemin joining us on guitar at some gigs. Rom has now returned to France, although he'll be back for some visits. We wish him all the best for the future, and look forward to seeing him again.

With an informal performance style, Louche Manouche are a versatile and entertaining band for any situation.