The Fallen Heroes

The Fallen Heroes deliver a powerful blend of New Orleans rhythm & blues, early jazz, swing and ska, infused with the spirit of the Crescent City and the energy of London’s live music scene. Led by brothers Ben and Emile Martyn, the band combines authentic New Orleans roots with original song-writing and infectious live performance energy that keeps audiences dancing from start to finish.

Regular performers at Toulouse Lautrec Jazz Club, The Fallen Heroes bring the atmosphere of Bourbon Street and Frenchmen Street to South London through vibrant live shows packed with swinging grooves, soulful vocals and feel-good rhythm & blues. Their performances capture both the raw spirit of classic New Orleans music and a fresh contemporary edge shaped by years of performing across the UK, Europe and the United States.

Brothers Ben Martyn (vocals and bass) and Emile Martyn (drums) spent their formative years living in New Orleans, surrounded by legendary musicians from the city’s rich jazz and rhythm & blues tradition. Raised in a deeply musical family, they grew up around iconic figures including George Lewis, John Handy and Harold Dejan of the world-famous Olympia Brass Band.

Their music blends the sounds of classic New Orleans artists such as Fats Domino, Ray Charles, Chuck Berry and Louis Armstrong with original compositions that feel both timeless and contemporary. The result is a sound rooted in vintage rhythm & blues and jazz, but unmistakably their own.

Over the years, The Fallen Heroes and its members have performed at major venues and events including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, Roundhouse, Royal Albert Hall and Wembley Stadium.

Whether performing hard-driving rhythm & blues, soulful originals or hot New Orleans swing, The Fallen Heroes continue to bring the joyous, uplifting spirit of vintage American music to audiences around the world.