BONS BAISERS de PARIS
French Swing Jazz
André Loos – Bass, Susanna Bartilla – Vocals, Hanna Bienert – Violin, Romani Weiss – Guitar (v.l.n.r)
The French swing jazz band Bons Baisers de Paris was founded in Berlin in 2024 by the Franco-german jazz singer Susanna Bartilla and jazz violinist Hanna Bienert.
Both musicians had lived in Paris for many years and were keen to free this unique music, which is a highly revered cultural heritage in France and part of the general knowledge for all generations, from kitschy stereotypes and to present it in all its moving beauty while respecting the original composers and performers to the fullest.
In addition to the carefully curated and compiled repertoire of tunes by the great artists from the 1930s to 1950s, Bons Baiser also plays a number of harmonious and swinging compositions by guitarist Romani Weiß to which front woman Susanna Bartilla wote French lyrics that are sometimes profound, sometimes cheerful and melancholic alike.
French Swing Jazz with contemporary elegance.
Susanna Bartilla und Hanna Bienert
As if they had been predestined for this beautiful project, Susanna and Hanna met 15 years ago in Paris’ Latin Quarter and quickly realized they had a lot in common, including their hometown of Berlin.
The long years living in France left a deep impression on the two musicians and provided them with a unique cultural heritage that they are now very happy to share with German audiences under the name Bons Baisers de Paris (From Paris With Love). They are being accompanied by renowned Berlin musicians Romani Weiss on guitar and André Loos on double bass.
Susanna Bartilla
Berlin-born vocalist Susanna Bartilla is an alumna of the prestigious Paris school for improvised music and has published several critically acclaimed albums of standards.
With an instantly recognizable sound and feel, she infuses the classic West Coast cool jazz vocal style of Peggy Lee & Anita O’Day with the Parisian rive gauche charm of a Juliette Greco and the sultry allure of ‘Blue Angel’ Marlene Dietrich, her fellow Berliner.
Susanna is that rare singer whose stage presence radiates genuine human warmth and who instantly bonds with the audience to put them under her spell.
Her rich, vibrant voice is the perfect vehicle for her repertoire of songs where melody and lyrics conspire to tell real life stories that resonate with us all. She has the natural ability to make each song her own and to make the words come vividly alive to every listener.
Susanna has performed at many of Europe’s best jazz clubs and festivals.
Hanna Bienert, violin
Berlin jazz violinist Hanna Bienert started playing the violin at the age of 5 and discovered her passion for improvised music, especially jazz, on the guitar as a teenager. She then fell in love with the jazz violin on the day she first heard a recording by Stéphane Grapelli.
She studied with Ulli Bartel and participated in various musical projects in Berlin before moving to Paris for seven years to study with renowned jazz violinist Didier Lockwood and immerse herself fully in the tradition of the French jazz violin.
Throughout her career, Hanna has performed on numerous stages across Europe, including at jazz festivals such as Edinburgh, Brecon, and Breda. She also devotes herself to composing and arranging for theater, pop music, and film scores.
Romani Weiss, guitar
Romani grew up in the Berlin neighborhood of Wedding and learned his first guitar chords from his first cousin, Martin Weiss, the late world-renowned jazz violinist. Together, the two promising young musicians gained their first professional experience in Berlin’s numerous jazz clubs.
In 1979, Romani Weiss joined the quintet of his famous uncle Häns’che Weiss, who made a significant contribution to the history of German jazz, notably at the first Sinti jazz festival in Darmstadt.
Romani is considered an expert in melodious jazz, characterized by his infectious virtuosity, musical sensitivity, and incomparable melodic curves. He is also a seasoned and highly respected musical arranger whose unique arrangements can be found on numerous albums. His original compositions showcase his creative versatility and musical expressiveness.
In addition to his impressive musical career, he has also appeared in several television documentaries, including the film “Der lange Weg der Sinti und Roma” (The Long Road of the Sinti and Roma), produced in 2021 for the German public broadcaster ARD and awarded the German Human Rights Film Prize.
André Loos, upright bass
André studied at the renowned Hanns Eisler School of Music and initially worked in the field of theater and stage music. His engagements took him to the Deutsches Theater and various independent theater productions in Berlin. This line of work deeply influenced his understanding of musical dramaturgy and ensemble work at an early stage.
From 1989 onwards, he turned increasingly to jazz after meeting guitarist Romani Weiss. Together they founded the Modern Gipsy Swing band, which later became the Martin Weiss Ensemble after the famous violinist Martin Weiss joined them. The band recorded numerous albums and gave countless concerts over the decades.
André Loos is active in several bands, including Bons Baisers de Paris, Romani Weiss Swingtett, and Matrix of Emotion. His double bass playing is characterized by rhythmic clarity and a keen sense of musical relationships.
