The Swing Smiths Jazz, Swing and Soul Function Band
Highly Recommended Based in London but travels UK wide
The Swing Smiths are a sensational swing and soul band performing a huge range of hits from the Big Band, Rat Pack, Soul & Motown eras. With a distinctive sound and unrivalled performance, they are guaranteed to transform the atmosphere of your event. Prices: From £1920 +
For help & advice call 0845 108 5500
Need a second opinion?
Find out what your friends think of
The Swing Smiths
by sharing them on Facebook.
Customer Reviews: 1 of 44
"Alive Network provides a great choice of artists and don’t bombard you with marketing and e-shots.
The Swing Smiths are extremely talented, punctual and very accommodating and friendly. They never get huffy with us even when our timings are off!
"
Line up:Standard 9-piece Band - female vocals, piano, bass, drums, keyboard, tenor sax, alto sax, trumpet x2, backing vocals provided by instrumentalists in the band
10 to 11-piece Band - add additional male or female vocals for an even greater experience! 7-piece Band - female vocals, piano, bass, drums, keyboard, trumpet, tenor sax
Jazz bands (3-5 piece) - available in any combination, i.e. quartet - piano, bass, drums, tenor sax - see The Swing Smiths Jazz Quartet page for more information!
Highlights * A sensational 9-piece function band consisting of fun, young, yet highly experienced jazz and soul musicians * Exceptional female vocals accompanied by a rhythm section and outstanding 4-piece horn section * Additional male and/or female vocals can be added for an even greater performance * A huge repertoire featuring classic songs from the Swing, Rat Pack, Soul and Motown eras * Constantly in demand performing at corporate and private events in London and throughout the UK * Self-contained for all events with top-quality lights and sound equipment * Music provided between sets free of charge * Available in smaller function band line-ups, and as The Swing Smiths Jazz Quartet performing background music earlier in the evening - with great discounts if booked together with the main band * Also able to provide classical or contemporary music for wedding ceremonies * Available throughout the UK and internationally
The Swing Smiths are a sensational 9-piece function band performing a fantastic mix of Swing, Rat Pack, Soul and Motown music to give you a party to remember! A fantastic female vocalist is backed by a youthful and experienced band, providing unforgettable live entertainment at great value.
This versatile and talented band transform the atmosphere of your party – playing sophisticated jazz music during dinner, Swing and Rat Pack classics to get your guests on their feet and Soul and Motown hits guaranteed to fill your dancefloor all night long.
The Swing Smiths have a huge repertoire spanning eight decades of popular music, including songs performed by Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse and many more - music that is loved by all generations and guaranteed to fill your dance floor! !New For 2012! You can now add additional male and/or female lead vocals to the line-up! Adding male vocals gives an authentic Rat Pack sound, and is also fantastic for the Soul and Motown repertoire. Adding additional female vocals allows the singers to harmonise together, delivering an even better sound. Ceremony Music The Swing Smiths also provide classical or contemporary music for your wedding reception. Bandleader Mike is a highly trained pianist and church organist, and has played at over 150 wedding ceremonies. He will work with you to choose music that suits your religious or non-religious ceremony. Additional musicians, such as a singer, trumpeter, cellist or vocalist can join with Mike to perform before the service and during the Signing of the Register.
Jazz Band The Swing Smiths are also available as The Swing Smiths Jazz Quartet - a 3-5 piece jazz band creating the perfect atmosphere for cocktail parties and dinner events. They can also perform background music during afternoon drinks receptions and photos, before the main function band performs for your guests in the evening. Check out the separate profile for the jazz quartet, and get in touch to discuss great discounts when booked together!
Christmas Parties The Swing Smiths are perfect for Christmas Parties, performing carefully selected Christmas hits made famous by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Andy Williams and The Jackson 5 alongside their usual Swing and Soul repertoire.
Biography The Swing Smiths are a group of nine professional musicians who have been regularly performing together since 2005. Members of the band have appeared at the North Sea Jazz Festival, on BBC television, and are regularly employed for session work throughout the UK - having featured alongside artists as diverse as Elton John, KT Tunstall, Fyfe Dangerfield, Jon Allen, Michael Ball, Mica Paris, Fran Healy, Craig David, Tony Hadley, Marti Pellow, Il Divo, Suzi Quatro, M83, Russell Watson and Barbara Windsor.
The individual musicians also have a wealth of experience in other fields of music including composition, teaching, musical direction, session work, sound engineering and events management.
The Swing Smiths regularly perform at corporate events and private functions all over the country, at venues in London including Wembley Stadium, The ExCel Centre, Lord's Cricket Ground, Pinewood Studios, The Berkeley Hotel, The Imagination Gallery, and Inns of Court, and at other venues throughout the UK - including Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons, Oxfordshire, and The ICC Birmingham.
Previous clients include T-Mobile, BNP Paribas, E-ON UK, JP Morgan, Oxford University Press and The Royal Air Force.
Your Event Your event is special to the band and every event is treated separately, ensuring that your requirements are met. From choosing the perfect line-up to suit your event to smaller details such as the dress code, special requests and performance times, The Swing Smiths aim to be completely flexible to make sure that you get the perfect entertainment.
Deluxe Sound & Lighting Package – The Swing Smiths highly recommend their deluxe sound and lighting package for events with more than 250 guests. The package is essential for events with more than 500 guests.
The Swing Smiths deluxe sound and lighting package can include:
- 6KW PA system suitable for audiences from 250 to 1000+ - Sound engineer - Additional lighting and effects - DJ package also available on request. Please speak to an Alive Network booking agent for more information and prices.
Testimonials "You and the band were amazing! Such a fantastic sound and a wonderful set made for a night we'll all remember for the rest of our lives." -Victoria and Magnus, Wedding Reception, Buckinghamshire, June 2011
"...Your band was just fantastic, more than we could have hoped for and you really made the evening part of the reception fun and vibrant. We had so many compliments about your band, my brother-in-law even said he preferred you guys to the band he had at his wedding, although I wasn't allowed to tell my sister that! What I really loved most was that you were are very relaxed and friendly and that helped the vibe so that people could just have a great time dancing.... Thank you so much once again." -Katherine and Matt, Wedding Reception, Ely, May 2011
"The Swing Smiths played at one of my oldest friend's weddings last week - the best wedding I've ever been to, and the band played a huge part in that! We all rushed to the dancefloor and didn't leave. The music pleased all age groups, which is just what you want on these occasions, and the band looked like they really enjoyed being there too. I've stored them in the memory bank to recommend to others - talented, professional, slick, fun!" -Gilly, attending Lucie & James' Wedding, Nottingham, August 2007
"I can honestly say that having the band play at our event was the highlight of our evening. From the moment we contacted them about a quote to the end of the evening they were always happy to work around our needs which took the pain out of the organising! Their flexibility, professional attitude but above all, their fantastic performance was exactly what we were looking for. I would not hesitate to recommend them for any event where you want to provide that 'something special' for your guests." -Sarah Curtis, E.ON UK Corporate Event, Coventry, September 2007
"The arrangements for the band all went very smoothly, and the show on the night was first rate - the band even agreed to perform an additional set at short notice. They were virtually held hostage by the crowd until the end of their third encore! I’d have absolutely no hesitation in booking them again." -Ross Thompson, RAF Christmas Party, RAF Wyton, December 2010
Please note: Due to availability or illness, deputy musicians of very a high professional standard may sometimes be used.
The Swing Smiths's Set List / Repertoire
New! Christmas Repertoire! Let It Snow (Frank Sinatra) Have Yourself A Merry Christmas (Ella Fitzgerald) All I Want for Christmas Is You (Maria Carey) Santa Baby (Eartha Kitt) Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (Frank Sinatra) Frosty the Snowman (Jackson 5) The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) (Nat 'King' Cole) The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (Andy Williams) Rocking Around The Christmas Tree Frosty The Snowman White Christmas Jingle Bells
Standard Repertoire Please note that songs marked * are performed by our the 9-piece band only.
***RAT PACK & SWING*** Frank Sinatra Come Fly With Me* Fly Me to the Moon For Once in My Life Have you met Miss Jones I Get a Kick Out of You* I’ve Got You Under My Skin The Lady is a Tramp* Luck Be a Lady* Mack the Knife Me & My Shadow My Kind of Town (Chicago Is)* New York New York* Strangers in the Night The Tender Trap* That’s Life The Way You Look Tonight* They Can't Take That Away From Me Witchcraft*
Dean Martin Ain’t That a Kick in the Head Sway
Nat 'King' Cole Almost Like Being in Love* Let There Be Love Let’s Face the Music and Dance* L-O-V-E Straighten up and Fly Right
Michael Buble All of Me Call Me Irresponsible* Cry Me a River* Don’t Get Around Much Anymore Everything Moondance (Van Morrison) Save the Last Dance for Me*
Etta James At Last
Billie Holliday That Ole Devil Called Love
Louis Armstrong Don’t Get Around Much Anymore What a Wonderful World
Nina Simone Feeling Good My Baby Just Cares For Me
Judy Garland Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart*
Ella Fitzgerald Black Coffee Manhattan Mas Que Nada*
Shirley Bassey ‘S Wonderful Sammy Davis, Jr. There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York*
Harry Connick Jr. It Had To Be You (from When Harry Met Sally)
***JUMP JIVE, BIG BAND SWING & LATIN***
Jump Jive Jump, Jive An' Wail (Louis Prima) Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens (Louis Jordan) Choo Choo Ch'Boogie (Louis Prima) Tu Vuo Fa' L'Americano (from The Talented Mr Ripley) I Wanna Be Like You (Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen)
Glenn Miller American Patrol* In The Mood* Pennsylvania 6-5000* Tuxedo Junction*
Count Basie Cute* L'il Darlin'* Well Alright, Okay, You Win
Benny Goodman Sing Sing Sing*
Doris Day Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps
Dizzy Gillespie Manteca
The Andrews Sisters Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy*
Ray Charles One Mint Julep*
Perez Prado Mambo No 5*
Rosemary Clooney Mambo Italiano Why Don't You Do Right*
***SOUL & MOTOWN*** Stevie Wonder Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing I Just Called To Say I Love You Isn’t She Lovely Knocks Me Off My Feet Signed Sealed, Delivered Sir Duke Superstition*
Michael Jackson & Jackson 5 Blame it on the Boogie Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough* I Want You Back* Man in the Mirror Rock With You* The Way You Make Me Feel*
Aretha Franklin Ain’t No Mountain High Enough* I Say a Little Prayer For You Respect Son of a Preacher Man Think* Until You Come Back to Me
Chaka Khan I'm Every Woman
CeCe Peniston Finally
Curtis Mayfield Move On Up
Marvin Gaye Let's Get It On* Heard It Through the Grapevine*
Rose Royce Car Wash*
Etta James I Just Wanna Make Love to You
Amy Winehouse Valerie
James Brown I Feel Good*
James Taylor How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You
Andy Williams Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Billy Joel Just The Way You Are
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas Heatwave Smokey Robinson & The Miracles The Tracks of My Tears
Tom Jones It's Not Unusual
Earth, Wind and Fire September
Dolly Parton 9 to 5
Jamiroquai Love Foolosophy*
Otis Redding My Girl Average White Band Work To Do*
Van Morrison Moondance Someone Like You
***JAZZ BAND REPERTOIRE*** Ain’t That a Kick in the Head All of Me All the Things you Are Angel Eyes Autumn Leaves Bewitched (Bothered and Bewildered) Beyond the Sea Blue Bossa Blues for Alice Body and Soul Bourbon Street Parade Call Me Irresponsible Cantaloupe Island Caravan Cheek to Cheek Come Fly With Me Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars) Cry me a River Don’t Get Around Much Anymore Don’t Know Why East of the Sun (and West of the Moon) Easy to Love A Fine Romance Fly me to the Moon A Foggy Day (in London Town Georgia on my Mind Get Happy The Girl from Ipanema Have you met Miss Jones? I Get a Kick Out of You I’ve Got the World on a String I’ve Got You Under my Skin If I Were a Bell In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) It Had to be You Just Friends La Vie en Rose The Lady is a Tramp Let’s Face the Music and Dance Let’s Fall in Love Lullaby of Birdland Manteca Mean to Me My Funny Valentine My Heart Belongs to Daddy My Romance The Nearness of You A Night in Tunisia Night Train (Happy Go Lucky Local) A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square Old Devil Moon On Green Dolphin Street On the Street Where You Live On the Sunny Side of the Street Red Baron ‘S Wonderful Satin Doll Scrapple From the Apple Smoke Gets in Your Eyes Sophisticated Lady Stella by Starlight Stormy Weather Sway Take the ‘A’ Train These Foolish Things They Can’t Take That Away From Me Till There Was You Unforgettable Watermelon Man The Way You Look Tonight What a Difference a Day Made What a Wonderful World When I Fall in Love Witchcraft
Everything you'll ever need to know about booking a Jazz band. Find out what a Jazz band will do at your event, how various types of Jazz b ... read more →
Customer reviews for The Swing Smiths
Showing
1 to 10 of 44 customer reviews for The Swing Smiths in date order
28/01/2013 The Swing Smiths
"Alive Network provides a great choice of artists and don’t bombard you with marketing and e-shots.
The Swing Smiths are extremely talented, punctual and very accommodating and friendly. They never get huffy with us even when our timings are off!
"
Customer review by Nadine Hermon
15/09/2012 The Swing Smiths
"Dear Mike et al,
Thank you all so very much for such wonderful entertainment last night. Everyone commented on how brilliant you all were, you made the party a night to remember for us. Hope everyone had enough food and drink etc and that there were no problems on the night for you, and you all got home safely.
Will be handing out your card to everyone.
Thanks again very much.
"
Customer review by Colleen Arnott
18/08/2012 The Swing Smiths
"Thank you again and again - so many people went out of their way to tell us how great they thought you were - on the evening, in thank you letters, and since.
You were such an important part of the day and made it look completely effortless, I'm absolutely certain it wasn't so thank you and thank you!
"
Customer review by Jo Williams
27/07/2012 The Swing Smiths
"The Swing Smiths were absolutely fantastic, in fact I have to say they are probably the best live swing band I have seen. They were very accomodating and good fun before and after the evening. "
Customer review by Lydia Arding
26/07/2012 The Swing Smiths
"Dear Mike,
Many thanks for the amazing set on our wedding day. Honestly we had a blast and so did all of our guests. We could not stop talking about how fabulous you all were. A very special thank you from Paul and I for learning our first dance, it was truly beautiful.
Best Wishes and thanks again.
"
Customer review by Angela Edmunds
21/07/2012 The Swing Smiths
"Well what can we say? Outstanding! Thank you so much for your performance on Saturday. Guests would come up and say "where did you find the band?". You played your socks off, and made the occasion a truly memorable one. We had a wonderful time, hope you enjoyed yourselves too. We’ll send photos of you all in due course.
"
Customer review by Jonathan Tedd
12/05/2012 The Swing Smiths
"Hi Mike - just wanted to drop you a quick line from Mauritius to say thank you to you and the entire band for being so fantastic on Saturday. Everybody was raving about you and we loved our first dance bring performed live. Made a special day that much more magic.
Thanks again - and I'll be sure to recommend you in the future
Cheers
Dave and Lisa"
Customer review by Dave Masters
14/04/2012 The Swing Smiths
"Hi Mike,
We would like to say a massive thank you to you and the rest of The Swing Smiths for your fantastic music on Saturday. We received compliment after compliment from our guests about the choice of band and we are thrilled that we booked you. The evening was perfect and everyone very clearly had a great time. We're also fairly certain (the whole evening passed in a bit of a blur) that you adjusted your performance time to accommodate the fact that we were running behind so many thanks for your flexibility.
Many thanks for all your hard work. We won't hesitate to recommend you and will be in touch should we ever need to book a band again.
Best wishes,
Beth Myles
"
Customer review by Beth Myles
13/04/2012 The Swing Smiths
"Hi Mike,
I hope you are well. Please forgive the delay in writing this email but the aftermath of the ball seems to involve just as much work as the preparation! Anyway I am finally writing to say a massive ‘THANK YOU!!’ for, well basically, being AMAZING at The Killer Heels Charity Ball! I've had so many compliments about your fantastic music. You all played every song with such energy and enthusiasm, the dance floor was jam-packed the whole time!! Your enthusiasm was infectious and your music suited guests of all ages, thank you also for being so flexible when the auction ran over - I simply could not have picked a better band!! I have been telling everybody about you guys - I'm contemplating organising another ball just so I have a reason to book you again!
The whole event went without a hitch and was a roaring success. Eynsham Hall were brilliant and ensured that the event ran smoothly and that the delicious food was served promptly despite my interruptions with 2 raffles and the auction! Both the raffles and the auction were a huge success and raised £2,475 between them! Ticket sales along with some other donations has meant that the total raised for my chosen charity Ovacome was over £6,000! This amazing sum exceeded my expectations by far!
I really cannot Thank You enough for making it such a fabulous night. You're all such energetic young musicians and very professional to deal with, it was an absolute pleasure working with you.
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! "
Customer review by Abbie Condon
17/03/2012 The Swing Smiths
"Dear Mike,
Please pass on my thanks to the band for such a fabulous perfomance on Saturday night. Everyone really enjoyed listening to you and you certainly got everyone up and dancing! So many of our guests told us how great they thought you were.
I also wanted to say how much we appreciated your flexibility and professionalism - breaking early to give people a bit more time to 'warm up' was exactly the right thing to do. You really made the night very special.
I will certainly recommend you to people in the future!
You can hire The Swing Smiths in the following areas
The Swing Smiths is based in London but most of the
Jazz Bands
working with Alive Network will travel UK wide.
View the areas where The Swing Smiths will perform along with links to more Jazz Bands in those locations
Alive Network are The Swing Smiths's UK Booking Agents. If you would like to hire The Swing Smiths please complete an online enquiry or call us on 0845 108 5500.
Alive Network is the UK's largest live music entertainment agency with many Jazz Bands for hire. Established in 1999, we provide high quality live entertainment for over 7500 events per year. When you make an enquiry to hire
The Swing Smiths, your own personal entertaiment coordinator will answer any questions or queries that you might have and liaise directly with The Swing Smiths to get you the best possible price, and to ensure they they will provide exactly the right entertainment for your event.
Booking The Swing Smiths from Alive Network is easy, safe and secure. Your booking is secured with a legally binding contract giving you complete peace of mind that you're in safe hands. Alive Network personally vets feedback from all of The Swing Smiths's performances to ensure standards are met.
In short, hiring The Swing Smiths from Alive Network ensures you'll remember your live entertainment for all the right reasons.
A few of the benefits of booking Jazz Bands through Alive Network Entertainment Agency
Instant online quotes and availability confirmation
Large choice of professional, reliable Jazz Bands
Fast, friendly, personalised advice from expert staff
The easiest way to hire amazing Jazz Bands
A small selection of our previous clients:
24 hour emergency cover, 365 days of the year.
Safe & secure bookings with comprehensive contracts
Registered offices: Ground Floor Suite, Silk Mill Studios, Princess Street, Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 1DD, United Kingdom
All content (c) Copyright Alive Network 1999-21/05/2013. All rights reserved.
Registered Company Number: 04084200
Some artists may appear with the kind co-operation and consent of their respective management companies.
This service is intended for personal use only and no part of the service may be displayed in public, broadcast or used for any business purpose without the consent of Alive Network. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of our services and web content, we accept no responsibility for any use made of the information provided and we shall not be liable for any loss suffered thereby.