Benoit Viellefon

Benoit Viellefon

Benoit Viellefon is a French singer and guitarist based in London, with origins in both France and the United Kingdom. He works under several group names, including Benoit Viellefon Hot Club, Benoit Viellefon Swing Trio and Benoit Viellefon & His Orchestra.

Background

He has a long-standing interest in vintage music and culture, alongside work as a crew member and specialist mechanic on 1930s De Havilland Tiger Moth aircraft. He is also a lifelong student of Django Reinhardt’s gypsy guitar style.

After spending the late 1990s in the United States, he returns to London in 1998. There he establishes the label JohnJohnRecords and works as a session guitarist on film soundtracks, international rock’n’roll tours, and the city’s vintage cabaret and burlesque scenes.

Career as a bandleader

Viellefon tours internationally as lead guitarist with acts including The Trojans, Gaz Mayall, Prince Buster, Rico Rodriguez, Vin Gordon, Natty Bo, Louis Alphonso, Nick Welsh, Rhoda Dakar and Eddie Tantan Thornton. He later steps forward as a bandleader and forms his orchestra in 2009.

The orchestra becomes a fixture on London’s cabaret and vintage speakeasy circuit, and Viellefon and his group perform across the UK and Europe. His work is associated with a contemporary orchestra format that draws on the dance-floor energy of 1920s, 1930s and 1940s entertainers. His Hot Jazz ensemble specialises in small, intimate venues.