Benoit Viellefon is a London-based French musician. As crew member and specialist mechanic on 1930's De Havilland Tiger Moth airplanes or a life-long student of the gypsy guitar stylings of Django Rheinhardt, Benoit has always had a penchant for the vintage and nostalgic things in life. Like both of these things, Benoit's music is characterized by a distinct elegance and burning excitement.
Having spent the late 1990s in the USA, Benoit returned to London in 1998 in order to establish his label JohnJohnRecords and to work as a first call session guitarist on many film soundtracks, international Rock'n'Roll tours and on London's burgeoning vintage cabaret and burlesque scenes.
Having toured the world as lead-guitarist with groups such as ska legends The Trojans, Gaz Mayall, Prince Buster, Rico Rodiguez, Vin Gordon (Studio1 & Bob Marley), Natty Bo ( Ska Cubano), Louis Alphonso (Bad manners), Nick Welsh ( the Selecter), Rhoda Dakar (Special AKA).Eddie Tantan Thornton (Beatles, Hendrix, Boney M, Aswad), Benoit decided it was time to step firmly into the limelight as band-leader.
Benoit formed his orchestra in 2009 and it was immediately a hit on London's cabaret and vintage speak-easy scene. Since then Benoit and the orchestra have played all over the UK and Europe to critical acclaim, fulfilling Benoit's vision of a contemporary orchestra who command the dance floor like the master entertainers of the 1920s, 30s and 40s. Viellefon's Hot Jazz ensemble specializes in playing small intimate venues.