| Swing Swindlers | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Tallinn, Estonia |
| Genres | Swing orchestra |
| Years active | 2004 - present |
| Website | www.martsander.com |
Swing Swindlers (also known as the Bel-Etage Swing Orchestra) [1] is an orchestra specializing in dance music from the thirties and forties. The 16-member orchestra was formed by Mart Sander, singer and conductor, in Tallinn, Estonia, in 2004. The group consists of young musicians, most of them the members of the Estonian National Opera.
The Swing Swindlers attempts to recreate the sound of the thirties, using authentic recording locations and experimenting with sonic landscapes and sound equipment. In 2005, the Swing Swindlers issued an album in the UK called Five-Fifteen: A Tribute to the BBC Dance Orchestra,[2] which was nominated as Jazz Album of the Week by the Evening Standard in January 2006. Other recordings include Nüüd Lendame! (Come Fly With Me, 2005), Tantsud Tähtedega (Strictly Come Dancing, 2006), Deutsche Swingmusic / German Swing Music 1939-1945 (2006). This programme was also filmed, recreating an authentic look and atmosphere of a 1945 film, as "Musik unter Bomben" (Music under bombs, 2007). The Swing Swindlers has released 12 albums of swing music and 3 albums of theatre and concert music.
In addition to Sander, the featured vocalists include Kelli Uustani, Nele-Liis Vaiksoo, Rolf Roosalu, Koit Toome, Maarja-Liis Ilus, Hanna-Liina Võsa, Pirjo Levandi, Mariliina von Üxküll, Gerli Padar and Mikk Saar. The orchestra also features a ballet troupe.
In 2006 the Swings Swindlers were the official orchestra of the first season of Estonian version of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, with Sander also hosting the programme. Since 2007, the orchestra has worked in the semifinal of the Estonian Pop Idol (Eesti otsib superstaari). Some of the singers that the orchestra accompanied, including finalist Luisa Värk and the winner of the second season, Birgit Õigemeel, have since performed with the orchestra.