PARIS COMBO celebrates a rich diversity of world styles but in the setting of chic Parisian cabaret. Fronted by chanteuse, songwriter, and accordionist Belle du Berry, Paris Combo has found a jazzy and intriguing twist on the French songbook tradition.

Paris Combo began performing regularly in Paris in 1995, playing in cafés, clubs, and on barges along the Seine. Belle du Berry, Potzi, and François had already collaborated on a number of projects, mainly dedicated to music from the ’30s and ’40s. With the arrival of Australian-born David Lewis, the band’s unique sound began to take shape, influenced by gypsy-guitar legend Django Reinhardt and jazz, Latin, Eastern European, and North African grooves.

The unifying force of Paris Combo is vocalist, lyricist, and composer Belle du Berry, whose off-center lyrical themes – the result of explorations in post-punk, theater, Dadaism, and traditional French songwriting – offer up equal parts comedy, surrealism, love-ballad, and biting commentary.

Paris Combo has attained a large following since forming in the mid-’90s. Releasing their eponymous first CD in 1997, Paris Combo established their popularity with constant touring of their homeland. By 2000, their follow-up release, Living-Room – a gold record in France – allowed Paris Combo to expand their popularity to North America, with extensive tours that mixed festival, club, and theater dates. Today, with 4 studio albums and a live album to their name, Paris Combo has taken their fusion of sounds as far afield as Brazil and Australasia.