PRESS RELEASE – Sutton Coldfield Town Hall

30th December 2019

Swing That Music 24th January 2020

Back in 2018, Down for the Count wowed audiences at Sutton Coldfield’s Concerts in the Park, supporting the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in front of 4,000 people. Now they are returning to Sutton Coldfield Town Hall on Friday 24^th January with their theatre show SWING THAT MUSIC.

The show evokes the atmosphere of the ballrooms and jazz clubs of the swing era – combining top class musicianship with authentic dance performances from local Lindy hop dance group, The Swing Era.

Described as “one hellova celebration of vintage music” by TimeOut London, the SWING THAT MUSIC show breathes new life into some of the best music of the 20^th Century, treating audiences to joyous instrumental solos, sublime vocal performances, energetic dance routines and Down for the Count’s irresistible humour and on-stage banter.

Expect to hear songs from the likes of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Count Basie and Glenn Miller, and classics from singers such as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Nat ‘King’ Cole.

SWING THAT MUSIC has had a string of sell-out shows in 2019, at venues including the world-famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, and the tour marks the release of Down for the Count’s new album, also called SWING THAT MUSIC. The album is available to buy from the band’s website www.dftcswingorchestra.co.uk. Band leader Mike Paul-Smith describes the album as “a celebration of my favourite musicians and singers from the Swing Era. At that time young people were cramming themselves into ballrooms to listen and dance to incredible music from pioneering musicians – and our album and show aims to recreate that energy and sound.”

The band’s previous album, LETS DANCE, was featured on Clare Teal’s BBC Radio 2 show in 2017.

The band was formed by Mike Paul-Smith in 2005 whilst he was still at school. “We always loved playing jazz and soul music, but it was when we started getting asked to play for swing dance events that we really started to love the big band music we play nowadays. It’s such a thrill to see people interpret the music you play through dance, and it wasn’t long before I began taking Lindy hop dance classes myself. Because the band started when we were so young, we’re only in our late 20s and early 30s now – and we find that audiences are often surprised to see people of our age playing vintage music. It’s great that Swing dancing has become increasingly popular with younger people too.”

Since then, Down for the Count has become a favourite amongst fans of retro nostalgia, making regular appearances at events such as Twinwood Vintage Festival, who described them as “a breath of fresh air on the swing scene”. The band are regulars at London jazz clubs and have even performed at the oldest jazz club in Europe, Le Caveau de la Huchette in Paris, which featured in the film La La Land. The band includes award-winning jazz musicians and West End performers, who have performed at events across the globe.

The format of the band’s show means that no two performances are ever exactly the same. As Mike said, “we make sure our show is entertaining, bringing our own humour and personalities to the stage, recreating the atmosphere of swing era dance nights and jazz clubs so that every moment feels spontaneous and exciting. Ultimately the music is the star of the show, and we want audiences watching and listening to feel as uplifted as we do when playing. We hope our joie de vivre is infectious and that audiences leave sharing our love for all that swings!”

Swing That Music at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall