Down for the Count was founded in 2005 by pianist, musical director and conductor Mike Paul-Smith when he and a group of school friends from Aylesbury Music Centre in Buckinghamshire decided to put their love of jazz and swing music to use by performing for local events and parties.
For the first few years of its existence, Down for the Count primarily performed for weddings and private events - then, in 2012, Mike happened across a swing dance event in London.
He quickly caught the swing dance bug, and not long after that Down for the Count started performing for Lindy hop and vintage dance events in the capital.
The following year, Down for the Count headlined vintage festival Twinwood Festival for the first time, and soon after that began performing at London jazz clubs, including Ronnie Scott's and Pizza Express Jazz Clubs.
In 2019 Down for the Count started touring regional UK theatres, and also formed the Down for the Count Swing Orchestra - a big band with strings, styled on the Capitol Studios orchestras of the 1950s.
Constantly in demand, Down for the Count is now recognised as one of the busiest and hardest swinging bands in the UK - performing at over 100 public and private events every year.
Find out more about Down for the Count's musicians below - you can also visit our Blog where you'll find some in-depth interviews with some of our band members!
Vocals
Who are your top musical influences?
Nat Cole, Kurt Elling, My Dad (Stuart Gillies), Jack Black!
What is your favourite musical experience?
Performing with Down for the Count at Ronnie's Scotts, and in Trafalgar Square for Pride)
What is your favourite album?
The Beautiful Game (Vulfpeck)
What are your favourite things in life?
Subscriptions, MMA, board games, a good scotch
Vocals
Top musical influences?
Vocally, Judy Garland, Helen Forrest, and Ivie Anderson! But I also listen to hip hop and opera...
What is your favourite musical experience?
Being on the road with the American Glenn Miller Orchestra and touring snowy Canada and New England!
What are your favourite things in life?
Riding my bike around the city when it's quiet, dressing up for no reason, an oat flat white, and the amazing vintage music scene here in London.
Where are we most likely to find you when you're not gigging?
Narrating audiobooks, thrifting, or going swing dancing!
Vocals
Who are your top musical influences?
Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney, Mel Torme, Aretha Franklin, The Manhattan Transfer
What was the best gig you've ever been to?
Billy Joel at Wembley
What is your favourite album?
Ella at Juan-Les Pins (Ella Fitzgerald) and Songs In The Attic (Billy Joel). They're both live albums and I couldn't choose between them!
What are your favourite things in life?
Books, coffee, podcasts, ballet classes (I'm awful but it's fun)
Vocals
Who are your top musical influences?
Ella Fitzgerald, Joni Mitchell, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand
What was the best gig you've ever been to?
Stevie Wonder at Hyde Park 2016! Gorgeous Day, incredible band, buzzing crowd and Stevie Wonder
What is your favourite album?
Ella's Fitzgerald "Gold" - my first Ella CD from Santa.
Where are we most likely to find you when you're not gigging?
On muddy country walks
Vocals
What are your top musical influences?
Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan for singing, Carole King and Joni Mitchell for songwriting
What was the best gig you've ever been to?
Earth Wind And Fire Experience headlining Love Supreme Festival 2014 - ultimate disco!
What is your favourite album?
Tapestry (Carole King)
What are your favourite things in life?
Oil painting, walking around the Kent countryside, teaching piano/singing, G&Ts
Vocals
Coming soon!
Vocals
Who are your top musical influences?
The list is endless and contrasting, but I’d have to say Ella Fitzgerald, Amy Winehouse, Jill Scott and Jazmine Sullivan. This definitely didn’t take 30min to decide.
What is your favourite musical experience?
My first Pizza Express gig I did earlier this year. I was terribly ill and completely voiceless. Somehow decided to go ahead with the gig. It was SO much fun and I’ve never felt more freedom on stage. A massive learning curve that unlocked something new in me as an artist.
What are your favourite things in life?
The first sip of coffee in the mornings, sitting by the sea listening to the waves, music, and time spent with my family and loved ones.
Where are we most likely to find you when you're not gigging?
You’ll probably find me at my friends’ gigs or napping.
Musical Director & Piano
Mike Paul-Smith is a musical director and pianist from Aylesbury, Bucks. His musical education began at Aylesbury Music Centre where he received classical piano tuition from former BBC Young Musician of the Year Anna Markland and jazz piano tuition from Gwilym Simcock and Jo Ruddick.
With the bands at Aylesbury Music Centre, Mike performed at The North Sea Jazz Festival and alongside jazz greats including Kenny Wheeler and Norma Winstone.
At university, Mike was the student director of the University of London Big Band, who he directed for two shows at the 2015 Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Mike also performed with Oxford Millennium Orchestra, The Oxford University Big Band and numerous other student ensembles.
In 2005 Mike formed swing and soul band Down for the Count, a band he runs to this day. Under his direction, the band has performed at top jazz festivals (The London Jazz Festival, Twinwood Festival) and at world-famous jazz clubs (Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Pizza Express Jazz Club, Hideaway Streatham, Caveau de la Huchette in Paris). The band is recognised as one of the UK’s top swing bands and has been invited to perform at The Leeds Castle Classical Concert in 2021 and 2022, where they supported The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in front of an audience of 10,000 people.
In addition to his work orchestrating and arranging for the Down for the Count Concert Orchestra, Mike has also orchestrated work for The London Musical Theatre Orchestra and the West End Scratch Orchestra concerts at London’s Cadogan Hall. Mike has also arranged music for City String Ensemble. In 2022 Mike played keyboards for shows on the UK tour of Les Misérables.
Mike was a founding member of Songbird Productions which went on to become Aylesbury Vale Youth Theatre, creating performance opportunities for 16- to 25-year-olds in Buckinghamshire. Mike co-produced and musical directed their first show City of Angels and has also musical directed a number of student musicals including Anything Goes, Oklahoma!, Carousel and A Chorus Line.
Piano
What was the best gig you've ever been to?
Jacques Loussier Trio performing The Four Seasons
What is your favourite album?
Oscar Peterson Songbooks, but an honorable mention goes to the Conférence de Presse recordings with Michel Petrucciani
Where are we most likely to find you when you're not gigging?
In the office writing code, or under my car
What are your favourite things in life?
Two words for you: Tubular. Bells.
Bass
Who are your top musical influences?
Paul Chambers, Ella Fitzgerald, Bobo Stenson, Chucho Valdes
What is your favourite musical experience?
Performing with Down for the Count at Ronnie Scott's
What is your favourite album?
Mi Tierra (Gloria Estefan)
Where are we most likely to find you when you're not gigging?
Painting with acrylics or baking tasty pastries!
Drums & Percussion
Who are your top musical influences?
Count Basie and His Orchestra, Quincy Jones, Ray Brown, Jeff Hamilton.
What was the best gig you've ever been to?
Monty Alexander at Ronnie Scott's
What is your favourite album?
Sinatra at the Sands
What are your favourite things in life?
Service stations
Bass
Who are your top musical influences?
Ray Brown, James Jamerson, Chuck Rainey
What was the best gig you've ever been to?
Queueing up for returns at the Barbican to see Oscar Peterson and getting the last ticket available
Where are we most likely to find you when you're not gigging?
Dancing balboa or lindy hop
Drums
Who are your top musical influences?
Bernard Purdie, Steve Jordan, Sonny Payne, Bill Withers
What was the best gig you've ever been to?
Stevie Wonder at Hyde Park
What is your favourite musical experience?
Performing with Down for the Count at Ronnie's, or at Twickenham Stadium in front of 82,000 people for the Rugby World Cup finals in 2015
What are your favourite things in life?
Swimming and learning Spanish. Also peanut butter is pretty great too.
Bass
Who are your top musical influences?
Charles Mingus, Christian McBride, Ray Brown, Carol Kaye, Esperanza Spalding.
What is your favourite musical experience?
Playing to a sold out Bridgewater Hall in Manchester with Karen Hauer and Gorka Marquez' Firedance UK Tour in March 2020.
What is your favourite album?
Ah Um' (Charles Mingus)
What are your favourite things in life?
Road cycling, sushi and Mario Kart.
Saxophone
Who are your top musical influences?
Charlie Parker, Joe Henderson, Sonny Rollins, Lester Young
What is your favourite performance that you’ve given?
My own quartet at Ronnie Scott's Late Show
What is your favourite album?
The Bird (Charlie Parker)
What are your favourite things in life?
Coffee, beer and jazz
Saxophone
Who are your top musical influences?
As a saxophonist, Sam Butera for the raucous solos, Gerry Mulligan for the sweet baritone sound, and Lester Young for the gentle tenor.
What was the best gig you've ever been to?
The Cat Empire at The Shepherd's Bush Empire - it was a great gig, but it later turned out I was stood next to my future wife, without even realising it!
What are your favourite things in life?
Jamie likes trains. The rumours are true.
Where are we most likely to find you when you're not gigging?
Keeping the Tube running, or at home eating the tasty food his fiancée cooks!
Saxophone
Who are your top musical influences?
Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Snake Davis
What was the best gig you've ever been to?
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra playing along to Jurassic Park live at The Royal Albert Hall
What is your favourite album?
Dangerous (Michael Jackson)
What are your favourite things in life?
Food - cooking it AND eating it!
Saxophone
Who are your top musical influences?
Sam Butera, Dave O'Higgins, Oscar Peterson, Paquito D'Rivera, Metropole Orkest
What was the best gig you've ever been to?
Michel Camilo at Ronnie Scott's
What is your favourite album?
Night Train (Oscar Peterson)
What are your favourite things in life?
A strong coffee and a Pastel de Nata
Trumpet
Who are your top musical influences?
Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Wayne Bergeron, Lee Morgan
What was the best gig you've ever been to?
Stevie Wonder, 2016 at British Summer Time in Hyde Park, OR Benny Golson at Ronnies with Mike
What is your favourite album?
Songs In The Key Of Life (Stevie Wonder)
What are your favourite things in life?
Music, a nice beer with friends in a pub, and our dogs Pablo and Panna
Trumpet
Who are your top musical influences?
Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, Cootie Williams... plus Ella Fitzgerald, Nelson Riddle, Oscar Peterson, Jacob Collier, Benjamin Britten, Claude Debussy, Dmitri Shostakovich, on it goes...
Favourite gig you've performed at?
Got to be our debut at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, it was a privilege to have some of my arrangements performed in such an exciting venue.
Random fact?
I appeared in the fourth Harry Potter film as a trumpet-playing Hogwarts student
Where are we most likely to find you when you're not gigging?
Composing/arranging, painting watercolours, making websites, out on a lovely walk, or in the pub (or more realistically pushing my toddler on the swings)
Trumpet
What was the best gig you have ever been to?
Star Wars: A New Hope performed by the LSO Live
What's your favourite performance you've ever given?
Performing live on Radio 3 with NYJO and the BBC Singers
What are your most favourite things in life?
Cricket, friends and a beer at sunset!
Where are we most likely to find you when you're not gigging?
Teaching maths, watching cricket or playing cricket
Keyboards & Cello
Who are your top musical influences?
Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway & Amy Winehouse
What is your favourite musical experience?
Down for the Count's first performance at Twinwood Festival in 2013
What is your favourite album?
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Where are we most likely to find you when you're not gigging?
Hunting for bargains in charity shops or cooking big one-pot meals for my family.
Cello
Who are your top musical influences?
Beyoncé, Earth, Wind and Fire, John Williams
What was the best gig you've ever been to?
Muse 'Drones' Tour at the O2 Arena.
What is your favourite musical experience?
Performing at a celebrity birthday party to many distinguished guests and realising that Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Lord Voldemort himself were all there listening.
Where are we most likely to find you when you're not gigging?
Watching movies or F.R.I.E.N.D.S, reading Harry Potter, doing escape rooms, board games and quizzes!
Violin
Who are your top musical influences?
Janine Jansen, Nicola Benedetti, Maxim Vengerov and Freddie Mercury
What was the best gig you've ever been to?
The Jonas Brothers at Capital One Arena, Washington DC
What is your favourite album?
Bach: Sonatas & Partitas by Sergey Khachatryan
Where are we most likely to find you when you're not gigging?
At home practicing or watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Cello
Who are your top musical influences?
Ravel, Mozart, Alan Menken, James Taylor, Karine Polwart
What was the best gig you've ever been to?
Of course tricky to choose, but… Nickel Creek at Union Chapel in 2023
What is your favourite album?
At the moment it’s Spell Songs, featuring a stonking line-up of folk musicians including Karine Polwart, Julie Fowlis, Seckou Keita and Kris Drever. The origin story of the whole project is beautiful and moving. Have a listen! (Especially to ‘The Lost Words Blessing’.)
Where are we most likely to find you when you're not gigging?
Interrailing around Europe or sitting on my sofa dreaming up my next trip, writing about the last one and watching the birds on the Thames estuary.
Violin
What is your favourite musical experience?
Depping for the first time on Phantom of the Opera…that was pretty cool.
What are you favourite things in life?
My cats, Merry and Pippin.
Where are we mostly likely to find you when you’re not gigging?
Ideally the gym or on a run or doing something productive…truthfully in the pub with a glass of red.
What is your Favourite Album?
This one took a while, and I have come to the conclusion that one cannot simply have just one favourite album, and there is a reason my Apple Music library is full.
Viola
What was the best gig you've ever been to?
My family took me to see Phantom of the Opera for my 18th birthday and we could see right into the orchestra pit. I remember thinking “I wanna do that!” and, a decade later, starting to dep on the show was a dream come true.
What is your favourite musical experience?
Playing in Amadeus at The National Theatre. I loved being onstage with the actors and we played mostly from memory which was an exciting challenge!
What is your favourite performance that you’ve given?
Performing in a circus tent at the top of a mountain in Switzerland. Fortunately there was a chairlift so we didn't have to climb the whole way!
Where are we most likely to find you when you're not gigging?
If there’s tea and cake, I’m probably there.
Sound
What was the best gig you've ever been to?
Angels and Airwaves gig in London - the first gig I ever went to, the sound and lighting for this show was mega! It's where I first found my love for the production side of a show.
What is your favourite album?
Swing Into Christmas (Down for the Count)!
What are your favourite things in life?
My little home studio and drums drums drums!
Where are we most likely to find you when you're not gigging?
Swing dancing or mixing
Marketing
What was the best gig you have ever been to?
Tom Misch at O2 Academy, Birmingham in 2018.
What is your favourite album?
Geography by Tom Misch (spot the theme here)
What are your most favourite things in life?
Thrifting, books, theatre, and travelling!
Where are we most likely to find you when you're not gigging?
On my laptop, telling everyone to come to Down for the Count shows!
