Last updated: 3 hours ago
Some bands last for decades. Swing 41 lasted just long enough to record one unforgettable album.
In 2008, I joined Swing 41, a Danish gypsy jazz quartet, as a stand-in bassist. After a few gigs, I suggested we record a demo, capturing both live and studio performances with a simple stereo mic. When I mastered the recordings, I realized we had something special—an atmospheric, authentic snapshot of the band. I convinced the group to release it as an album rather than a demo and handled all funding, promotion, and administration myself.
Before we sold a single CD, two members left, feeling that promotion efforts conflicted with the band’s original spirit. Rather than form a new lineup, I focused on getting the album heard. The track Seul Ce Soir caught the attention of Woody Allen who featured it in his film Midnight in Paris, which won an Oscar, and a Grammy for Best Soundtrack. The recording gained international airplay, and I still receive licensing requests from advertisers and compilation albums, though further licensing deals could not be agreed on by the band members.
Though Swing 41 never recorded again, the album remains a testament to that moment in time. I continue making music under my own name, Peter Williams.
Swing 41 Lineup:
Jørgen Martinsen – Violin
Peter Williams – Bass
Flemming Honig – Rhythm Guitar
Martin Walker – Lead Guitar
— Peter Williams
In 2008, I joined Swing 41, a Danish gypsy jazz quartet, as a stand-in bassist. After a few gigs, I suggested we record a demo, capturing both live and studio performances with a simple stereo mic. When I mastered the recordings, I realized we had something special—an atmospheric, authentic snapshot of the band. I convinced the group to release it as an album rather than a demo and handled all funding, promotion, and administration myself.
Before we sold a single CD, two members left, feeling that promotion efforts conflicted with the band’s original spirit. Rather than form a new lineup, I focused on getting the album heard. The track Seul Ce Soir caught the attention of Woody Allen who featured it in his film Midnight in Paris, which won an Oscar, and a Grammy for Best Soundtrack. The recording gained international airplay, and I still receive licensing requests from advertisers and compilation albums, though further licensing deals could not be agreed on by the band members.
Though Swing 41 never recorded again, the album remains a testament to that moment in time. I continue making music under my own name, Peter Williams.
Swing 41 Lineup:
Jørgen Martinsen – Violin
Peter Williams – Bass
Flemming Honig – Rhythm Guitar
Martin Walker – Lead Guitar
— Peter Williams
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