MARION & SOBO BAND: HISTOIRES
Release: 25th of June 2021(GLM Music)

Led by Franco-American singer Marion Lenfant-Preus, Histoires by Marion & Sobo Band takes the listener on a playful jaunt through Europe, with its own modern spin on gypsy jazz, world music and chanson.

The 13 songs cover six different languages, showcasing the raucous enthusiasm for travelling that the musicians share. 

The tunes are sometimes tender and enchanting, sometimes gripping or tongue-twisting. The overriding feeling, though, is one of fun, freedom and happiness. 

At the heart of this Bonn-based French-German-Polish quintet is Marion (who grew up in France) and Polish guitarist Alexander Sobocinski, aka Sobo. 

But it’s not just the musicians themselves who are well-travelled; the musical language of the repertoire is also colourful and diverse. 

There is of course the enduring influence of  Gypsy Swing “à la Django” – acrobatic guitar solos and impressive violin playing next to powerful double bass and the percussive off-beat of the accompanying guitar. 

Alongside that, though, other styles drift in and out; jazz improvisation, impressionism, chanson, Balkan music. 

In fact, the music is driven less by a specific label and more by the many stories that these musicians have to tell, and the way they tell them: playfully, with humour and with colour.

Congleton Chronicle (USA)

Hilary Robertson

Neon Jazz Interview with French Singer Marion Lenfant-Preus – Gypsy Jazz Band Marion & Sobo Band

JAZZKULTURA – radio internetowe

Quintette Magazine (Netherlands)