In 2008, the rhythm guitarists of Swing 41—a Danish gypsy jazz quartet—reached out to me after their bassist left. They needed someone to fill in, and I happily stepped up.
After playing a few gigs together, I suggested we record a demo. Rather than booking expensive sessions, we kept things simple: a mix of live concert recordings and studio takes, using a stereo mic at the front of the stage. When I mastered the recordings, I was struck by how well we had captured the essence of the band. Sure, none of us played flawlessly, but the atmosphere, the spontaneity—it was all there. I convinced the others to release it as an album instead of just a demo, and I took on the responsibility of handling the administration, promotion, and costs.
Then, before we even sold a single CD, two members decided to leave. They felt that the push to promote the album took away from the carefree nature of the band. With Swing 41 no longer an active group, I made the decision to focus on sharing the album rather than trying to put together a new lineup just to market it.
The recording gained a lot of attention, especially after Woody Allen selected an excerpt for Midnight in Paris, which later won an Oscar and a Grammy for Best Soundtrack. The album also received international airplay and interest from advertisers, though further licensing deals couldn’t be agreed upon by the former members.
And that’s why Swing 41 only ever recorded one album. It was a brief but magical moment in time—one that I’m grateful to have been a part of.
You can hear the album on Spotify, there’s a link to the artist profile on my discography page
