About these Swing Bands

If you're looking for something a little different for your event, then a swing band will be just the thing! Smaller than jazz big bands, swing bands will focus more on up-beat jazz material and pop hits done in a vintage style... and ensure your guests are up and dancing all night long!

Swing bands come in all sorts of line ups, and their instrumentation can vary wildly. Some of them will have extended line ups, with brass sections and backing singers, others will focus on a core group of jazz musicians, with vocals, guitar, double bass and percussion.

"Brilliant. We had a great New Year's Day house party and Dinner Jazz were perfect. Great repertoire, played lots of requests, which our guests loved, fabulous musicians. It was a pleasure to have them to play and we'll look forward to doing it again. Highly recommend."

Elaine's review of Dinner Jazz Duo

Ideal for:

Unlike other jazz acts, swing bands are great for less formal events, as well as black-tie. They are brilliant for any kind of function with a vintage feel - corporate events, product launches and birthdays. The key is to go all out with your planning and decorate your venue accordingly. Encourage your guests to dress in a 1930s style!

When booking Swing Bands:

Swing bands come in all manner of different line ups, so it's important to pay close attention to an act's promotional material. Some bands will play strictly traditional jazz material, others will recite more popular hits, so reading the repertoire section of the band's Last Minute Musicians directory is also important.

Prices for Swing Bands:

The variety of line ups for swing bands is truly astonishing and many bands will offer multiple line ups within the same act. A swing duo will usually start at £300 a minimum, so if you're looking to cut down on travel costs, use the "advanced search" feature to find a swing band near you.

About Swing Bands repertoire:

Swing bands will usually quote initially for two sets of 45 minutes, although some bands will offer quotes for longer sets. The make up of these will probably vary, depending on the sort of atmosphere you are trying to achieve. If you want your band to be more in the background of your event, then they will probably focus on jazz standards and slower ballads.

If you are looking for more of a party atmosphere, then the swing band will probably focus on more up-beat material. This can literally be comprised of almost anything - classic jazz numbers, jazz arrangements of popular or chart hits and maybe even some New Orleans style blues or southern rockabilly.

If you want your band to play a certain number, make sure you request it in advance. Be prepared for the band to do their own version of the tune, in a swing style!

The Swing Bands featured on this page are all members of the LastMinuteMusicians.com entertainment directory. Use the refine section at the top of this page to find a local swing band close to you. Simply choose a county or enter a post code into the "available in" box to refine the listings to your local area. Click the "visit listing" button to see the full profiles of the individual Swing / Jive / Boogie Woogie Bands. With over 3300 active listings you are sure to find the perfect entertainer, musician, band or entertainment service to make your event just perfect. Don`t forget you can use our online chat (below) to get instant help with your booking.