Latchepen are a London-based gypsy jazz band who share a love for Django Reinhardt and anything that swings. Their violinist, Matt Holborn, who was born in Yorkshire and grew up in Scotland told me that the band are trying to bridge a gap between jazz and various Balkan and gyspy folk styles. Alongside Matt is virtuoso guitarist Kourosh Kanani, of Irish and Iranian descent, French jazz guitarist Jeremie Coullon and London bass player Simon Read.
The word Latchepen is an exclamation of happiness in the Romani language. Acoustic by nature but with a projection and heartbeat that can rival any amplifier or drum, this is jazz on a string with influences ranging from Romani music to bebop. Watch their latest video for Our Laughing Heart, a clever love story between two hand puppets, taken from their forthcoming self-released debut album Love Letters, due for release on November 1st.
And here they are playing the more swinging Koo Koo
Their debut album Love Letters is available for preorder and to buy from Nov 1st from Bandcamp here: https://latchepen.bandcamp.com/releases
For live dates and news visit: http://latchepen.com