- In the press - Matchbox magazine
- Ta Mère gigs - Picture live at the BBC - Ta Mère Studio pictures

(Review: Amanda Rodgers, Club Promoter)
www.strangerthanparadise.net, www.myspace.com/gypsymadness)
Ta Mère exploded off the radar at Stranger Than Paradise on October 6th, 07 with their unique renditions of old style vaudeville gypsy romany and swing from the early 20th century, captivatingly cool , sleek and sexy, this string trio care well equipped to play sophisticated tea parties to dusty dance halls and transform you into another world... stranger than paradise.

(Review: The World Observer)
“Ta Mère - 4 guys-about-town, on the town, getting down and swinging hard. A creation by special request of the BBC for the 2007 Glasgow Film Festival, they’ve catapulted from these auspicious beginnings directly onto the London scene. Since then, Ta Mère has headlined at the London Burlesque Festival, and has "swung their stuff" at Glastonbury Festival, and for Channel 4, Sky TV, Matchbox Magazine and further BBC events.

Embrace the sultry evening, suffused with the hint of yesteryear and awash with a fresh undercurrent crackling and sparkling away. Champagne flutes fullya charged, and the ice cubes clinking happily in their tumblers, dance those troubles away to the latest sensation. Spanning all from the slow grind, through jump jive and touching on the jazzy boogie and eclectic points in between, allow Ta Mère to escort you away from the mundane and sweep you up into a state of bubbling hilarity and joy as the joint gets jumpin'. Laissez les beaux temps rouler...

(Quote: Katy Leech, BBC Associate Producer)
'Ta Mere rocked the Weird and Wonderful tent at the first ever BBC Film Festival in Glasgow on September 9th with their unique brand of gypsy swing jazz. Their colourful presence and cheerful demeanor easily won over the crowds - a gig not to be missed!'

BENOIT VIELLEFON
(Vocals, Guitar - Paris France)

Born in France, Benoit started to play music whilst in his teens. Adept on various forms of guitar, electric bass and drums, music has inevitably forged the way for this youthful and energetic musician. The muse has followed Benoit throughout Europe, the Americas and Africa, where he has joined all manner of projects ranging from african/arabic music, French ball musette, gypsy swing, rock n’ roll to ska and the burlesque. Lately, Benoit has taken up a management and musical position with Gaz Mayall's Trojans Celtic Ska project, the Skamonics and other endeavours. Recent collaborations with the BBC and Channel 4 in the way of film festivals and film soundtracks have added further feathers to his beret. As Chief Executive Officer of “quality first” JohnJohn record label, Benoit employs his natural charm and extensive connections, to ensure that any project he comes in contact with has the assurance of professionalism and quality. His original compositions and arrangements are legion, and fast becoming legendary!

SEAN MacGLOIN
(Vocals, Violin, Harmonica, Bagpipes - Bronx New York)

Born and raised in the Bronx, Sean MacGloin is a first generation Irish American fiddler and Highland bagpiper. Sean began playing the bagpipes at the ripe age of 4 under the tutelage of his father, an Irish music composer. He took up classical violin at age 7 and expanded into different genres of music including blugrass, swing, jazz, rock and folk, taking a particular interest in Irish traditional music and Latino music drawing from his Cuban heritage. He has competed on bagpipes with the Royal Scots Guards Association Pipe Band for four seasons and presently competes with Luton University Pipe Band, England’s premier pipe band. Sean, now based in London, is very involved with the UK music scene where he has played and recorded with the chart-topping pop group Madness, Nashville recording artist Bap Kennedy and Rockabilly legend Boz Boorer. He has worked with Morrissey on his previous album and toured internationally with Alabama 3 and Gaz Mayall's celtic ska band the Trojans.

John MacCarthy
(Drums - London England)

John has been surrounded by music from a very early age. Brought up on an eclectic diet of jazz, rock, and classical music he took up piano at the age of seven under the watchful eye of his father, himself a dedicated jazz/classical pianist. Not satisfied with tickling the ivories, John found what he was looking for in the drums at the age of 12 whilst at Wells Music School and has never looked back. Since then, he provided the backbone for school jazz bands and local rock outfits in the North Wales area where he grew up while receiving training from the legendary Steve Washington. At Manchester University he became a regular on the open mic circuit in South Manchester and was seduced by the underground hip-hop and drum and bass scene. It was here that John developed his snappy yet laid back drum style.
After university the call of London was too strong and he moved down in search of the golden drum kit. Virtually straight away, the band ‘Her Majesty’s Pleasure’ was formed and enjoyed success with their melodic take on indie rock. While playing for his brother’s band ‘Doctor Teeth’, he was recruited to play with Scottish Ceilidh group ‘The Infamous Grouse’ and has played the length and breadth of the UK as well as in Romania and throughout India.
In the last year John has been employed as a drummer for the breakbeat dj’s ‘Slyde’ during their live gigs and has played in clubs of London such as ‘Fabric’ and ‘Heaven’.
John is the latest addition to ‘Ta Mère’ and brings with him a diverse range of styles garnered from his different projects and bags of energy and youthful enthusiasm.

wun yen chan
(Bass, Double Bass, Vocals -Hong Kong / UK)

British-born Chinese, yet lurking in the West Country until his teens, Wun Yen Chan experienced a fairly mixed musical upbringing. Introduced to the piano at the tender age of 9, Wun thereafter answered the resonant call of bass at 10 whence he uncovered the sultry sounds of Blues, Soul, Funk and Jazz.
After the formative West Country years, Wun, hankering for the lights and sounds of the big city, wandered round England eventually settling in London and diving straight into as many musical pies as time would allow. A glutton for music, this passion landed Wun gigs laying down the low sounds for advertisements and musical productions, and even to recording for the legendary Barry White.
Still holding down the primordial foundation for many an eclectic band as well as writing and performing in his own self deprecating project, Lazy Chan, Wun now has become a welcome and integral part of the Ta Mère sound. Wun’s ear, and sense of rhythm is a driving force of the swing in the thing…either upright or electric, but either way, always big and throbbing!