Les Hommes, London’s hottest Hammond organ jazz I beats trio, have been playing the underground scene for a couple of years and have now achieved mainstream press and radio recognition from the selected few in the know. The band consists of Rory on Hammond, Tarek on vibes, Moog and percussion and Vlad on drums. Their live set is a collection of their own compositions ranging from organ grinders to kicking bossas and spaced-out beat numbers. Their gigs are testament to their style, no-one can resist the urge to get up and get down! Given the range of influences they bring together, their sound is hard to encapsulate, and as a result terms like groovy and swinging spring lo mind. But their influences run deep ranging from the progressive organ recordings of Big John Patton to the cool Brazilian sounds of Walter Wanderley and bossa nova. Add a touch of 60’s Italian soundtracks and some Latin Licks, then throw in some wild & crazy breaks, beats and electronica and you have a blueprint for the Les Hommes sound. No clichés guaranteed!
Release and subsequent sell out of the debut recording “The Hommage E.P.” on Blow It Hard Records was heard on radio stations as diverse as Kiss FM, Jazz FM, XFM and GLR, the latter providing a live three-track session far the Robert Elms Show that was truly awe-inspiring. The E.P. was launched with numerous headline gigs including London Jazz Cafè. ‘The ‘Hommage E.P.’ spread the word way beyond London, with requests for the band to play shows and give interviews coming in fast from all parts of the country. More recently, Les Hommes opened up the «Heroes of the Hammond” season at the Jazz Café celebrating 60 years of the Hammond and were billed alongside such names as Jimmy Smith, Jack Macduff and Reuben Wilson. But Les Hommes are not imitators — their live performance is sparse and driving and explores unchartered territory that combines jazz organ with contemporary sounds.
“The Mood Is Modal” has been released in June 2000 on Schema Records, and features the voice of contemporary Brazilian diva Monica Vasconcelos, plus the Russ Meyeresque supervixen tones of Beat Girl.
