Deon Bakkes and the Stolen Horses

To steal horses is a German idiom for romance, and refers to the traditional gypsy lifestyle which relied upon the service of magnificent steeds - sometimes indeed stolen. Deon Bakkes and the Stolen Horses bring a new light to Gypsy Jazz that incorporates the classic blend of European gypsy melody and 1930's swing, with a modern attitude rooted in Hard Bop Jazz, Punk and Rock ‘n Roll.

The Stolen Horses began in early 2016 when Deon Bakkes brought his love of Django Reinhardt-style Gypsy Jazz and improvisational music into his own personal musical conception. The horses recorded their debut album in late 2016 entitled “Neither Here nor There” featuring a mix of original songs such as "Stealing Horses" and "The Reaper's Got Kids To Feed Too' as well as a number of re-invigorated and fired up jazz standards such as "It Don't Mean A Thing" and "Minor Swing".

The band has played numerous live shows around Pretoria and Johannesburg with notable appearances at the Mexican Tequila Festivals in 2016 and 2018, OppiKoppi 2017, Park Acoustics 2017 and 2018, Mieliepop 2018 and STRAB 2018 (Mozambique). In late 2018, the horses pinched a quick tour of the cape with 4 shows in Cape Town dubbed the Cape Gypsy Injection Tour.

The horses released their 'Thrice A Pair' EP in May 2018 that explored the new, bigger and more punk side of the Stolen Horses music. The tunes are driven by the relentless Tzigan rhythm now featuring punk d-beats and a change from brushes to sticks on the drums. The old is bridged with the new with the flaming Tzigan traditional ‘Dark Eyes’, the slow and dirty ‘Double or Nothing’, and the monumental Motorhead classic ‘Ace of Spades’.

The Stolen Horses latest release, ‘The Striped Mare’ wrangles in the best parts of the first three years in the Stolen Horses. Digging deeper into the unique mix of gypsy music, jazz and punk, the Stolen Horses have expanded to include Trombone, Accordion and Keys. Three original tunes are offered to provide inspiration for rebellion, harmony and the Hepcat dictionary of phrases in ‘Punk Gitan’, ‘Barrelhouse Blip’ and the single ‘Let There Be Rhythm’. The classic swing tune ‘Bei Mir Bist Du Shoen’ is arranged in the most groovy of manners for a band of punky ponies, and the horses take a wild crack at covering the legendary metal songs ‘The Trooper’ (Iron Maiden) and ‘Duality’ (Slipknot).

They say you can’t escape your roots in the end, and the Stolen Horses show us how those roots connect with the branches in the most interesting of ways.