The best UK jive and swing bands share three essential qualities: extensive repertoire of music, excellent musicianship and an infectious sense of fun!

Most swing and jive performers have a deep-rooted affection for the music they perform and it shows in every moment of their performance. Many have a signature style of performance too, whether it’s pared-back skiffle versions of classic tracks or retro-arrangements of contemporary pop anthems.

Nearly all swing and jive bands will have a distinctive look, incorporating vintage fashions, authentic period instruments and some of the coolest haircuts.

One of the key features of swing and jive bands is that their sound is immediate, energetic, almost raw, as opposed to the overproduced sound of carefully-tweaked pop album tracks. It’s this upfront, energetic sound that makes these kinds of bands so great for live events, as guests pick up on the band’s energy and your party suddenly gears up a notch or seven!

What music do swing and jive bands perform?

These bands draw their music from the rich legacy of tracks from the 1930s onwards, including authentic 1940s arrangements, 1950s classic rock n roll, 1960s crooner classics right up to contemporary tracks with a retro twist.

For Jive Bands think:

1940s – up-tempo Glenn Miller Band, Count Basie, The Andrews Sisters, Cab Calloway

1950s – Bill Haley, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis

1960s – Nina Simone, The Rat Pack, Aretha Franklin