Jazz and Swing Bands

The price of a jazz band varies due to a number of factors such as travel costs, time of the year and the experience of the musicians.

As a ballpark figure you might expect to pay between £175 - £200 per jazz musician for a band based in your local area. However, this can increase for jazz acts that are more specialised or in higher demand.

Whatever budget or venue size you’re working with, we have a jazz band to meet your needs.

For background jazz we provide jazz duos and jazz trios for hire featuring two or three musicians, often led by piano, saxophone or guitar.

For something tailored towards evening entertainment, you may like to add a jazz singer to create a jazz quartet or a 2-piece horn section for a full-sounding 6-piece swing band.

It depends on the line-up but in most cases a small jazz band of two or three members will be able to set up in less than half an hour. For larger bands set-up times may increase to an hour or 90 minutes.

Jazz bands typically base their prices on two to three 45 or 60 minute sets. This is ideal for afternoon champagne receptions or early evening arrival drinks.

If you need longer sets, please just let us know in your enquiry and our bands will be able to tailor a quote specifically to your needs.

Jazz is a multi-faceted genre, to say the least. We offer a wide range of jazz and swing bands performing many of the most famous and well-known styles of jazz. Below are just some of the most popular:

Gypsy jazz

A uniquely vibrant genre of jazz originating from legendary guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1930s Paris. Taking jazz standards and incorporating a more rustic sound featuring acoustic guitars and violin, Gypsy swing or ‘Jazz Manouche’ is ideal for wedding receptions and arrival drinks. Take a look at our roster of Gypsy jazz bands to see what's on offer.

Dixieland Jazz

Developed in New Orleans in the early 20^th century, this famous style of traditional jazz can feature any number of instruments that might include clarinet, trumpet, banjo or Sousaphone to name a few. Dixie jazz is often a favoured choice when hiring a roaming band to move freely across the venue.

1930s / 1940s Swing Bands

With its origins set in the early 1920s, the term swing music is used to describe many forms of jazz. From early 20 ^th century swing bands in the style of Duke Ellington to 1930s and 1940s big bands performing well known jazz standards from the Great American Songbook. A popular swing band line-up might feature a vocalist, drums, keys, double bass and two or three-piece horn section to create a ‘mini big-band’ sound.

Crooner Singers

Many of the most popular jazz standards we know and love were made famous by legendary Crooner singers such as Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin and The Rat Pack. One of our most popular line-ups is a jazz quartet featuring a jazz vocalist accompanied by piano, drums and double bass.

Versatile Jazz Bands

The majority of our jazz trios and bands perform well known jazz standards from a range of styles; from cool jazz (developed by jazz legend Miles Davis) to modern jazz, trad jazz and swing.

From solo jazz musicians to 8-piece swing bands, our bands are flexible with the line-ups they offer and will be happy to work with you and your requirements.

Our jazz bands will usually provide all of the sound equipment required.

When booking a small jazz band for background music, the musicians will often use their own individual amplifiers rather than setting up a full PA system. This creates an organic and natural sound that’s more than loud enough for both indoor and outdoor events.

If you’re adding a singer to the mix the band will usually provide a small PA system for the vocals. We’ll always specify exactly what’s included in your quote.

All of the pianists we work with provide their own stage piano / keyboard, so you don’t need to worry if there isn’t a piano at the venue.

We make hiring a jazz band a simple and stress free booking process.

Step 1. Browse through our roster or jazz bands and send us your event details through the contact form on the artist’s page.

Step 2. We’ll check availability and send you a bespoke quote for your event.

Step 3. If you have any questions, just let us know and one of our team will be happy to answer your queries.

Step 4. Once you’re ready to book, we’ll send you a booking contract to sign online and an invoice for a small deposit of approximately 20%. This can be paid by card or bank transfer.

Step 5. From here we’ll send you a booking confirmation email with everything you need to know.

Our jazz and swing bands perform a selection of the most well known jazz standards taken from the Great American Songbook. Many of these jazz standards were made famous by jazz singers such as Nina Simone, the heartbreaking Billie Holiday, the heartwarming Nat King Cole, and the dripping-with-coolness Rat Pack: Dean Martin, Bing Crobsy, Sammy Davis, Jr., and, of course, Ol' Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra.

Below are just some you might be familiar with:

• Frank Sinatra - Come Fly With Me
• Etta James - At Last
• Frank Sinatra - Have You Met Miss Jones
• Duke Ellington - Take The A Train
• Van Morrison – Moondance
• Cole Porter - I Get A Kick Out Of You
• Nina Simone - Feeling Good
• Ella Fitzgerald - Cry Me A River
• Nat King Cole - Let There Be Love
• Frank Sinatra - It Had To Be You
• The Jungle Book - King Of The Swingers
• Frank Sinatra - Fly Me To The Moon
• Duke Ellington - Caravan
• Bobby Darin - Mack The Knife
• Irving Berlin - Cheek To Cheek
• Nat King Cole - L O V E
• Duke Ellington - It Don't Mean a thing if it Ain't Got That Swing
• Ray Charles – Georgia
• Ella Fitzgerald - My Funny Valentine
• The Jungle Book - The Bare Necessities
• Irving Berlin - Puttin’ On The Ritz
• Fats Waller - Ain’t Misbehaving
• Django Reinhardt - Sweet Georgia Brown
• Frank Sinatra - I’ve Got You Under My Skin
• Sammy Davis Jr - Mr Bojangles
• Django Reinhardt - Minor Swing
• Ella Fitzgerald - A Foggy Day
• Dinah Washington - What A Difference A Day Makes
• Take Five - Dave Brubeck
• Dean Martin - Sway
• Louis Armstrong - Jeepers Creepers
• Tony Bennett - The Lady is a Tramp
• Frank Sinatra - New York New York

Yes, if have a song request that isn’t already in the band’s repertoire, just let us know and we’ll run it past the band.

Our jazz musicians have earned their stripes at some of the most notable jazz conservatoires in the UK and are able to perform a wide range of jazz standards from the Great American songbook.

Absolutely! Jazz is notable among musicians as being one of the most complex and difficult styles to master – but this doesn't mean our fantastic jazz and swing bands are above playing a decent pop tune now again!

Jazz musicians know better than anyone that more complex jazz can leave some people scratching their heads – so if any of your guests fall into this category, our jazz and swing bands will have a few pleasant surprises in store for them. Keep your eyes open for jazzed-up versions of popular hits by the likes of Daft Punk, David Bowie, Ed Sheeran and even Justin Bieber!