A German idiom for romance, and 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). The horses have released their latest EP in May 2018 entitled 'Thrice A Pair'.