About La Dolce Vita Swing Collective

They promise to keep your toes a tappin' and your hearts a dancin' as they bring the sound of Rat Pack & Friends to life with a swing!!

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Rat Pack jazz band

Scotland, UK

Public liability insurance of £1 million

From performing for some of Hollywood’s elite to playing sell out concerts, La Dolce Vita Swing Collective doff their hats in honour, celebrating the music of the Rat Pack and they’re friends. Music by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Bobby Darin, Louis Prima and many more from this classic Vegas era, primarily using their own arrangements. They also make full use of their Italian connection, performing many of those treacle thick Dean Martin iconic melodies such as Evening in Roma and Volare as well as giving their own particular swing/jazz treatment to some vintage Italian pop!! The band are built from seasoned jazz musicians so be rest assured, they bring with them a sack full of experience ranging from West End musical’s, the BBC house band, Celtic Connections, Orchestra's, session work to the Jools Holland Band. What ever your requirements are, La Dolce Vita Swing Collective will set your thang off with a swing!!! The band are suitable for any occasion from Theatre Venues, Jazz Festivals, Christmas Show's (Cool Yule), Weddings, Theme Nights and any type of Corporate Events and Anniversaries!!

Musicianship

Genres:

Swing, Jazz, Postmodern jukebox jazz, Cabaret

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Types:

Rat Pack jazz band, Jazz band, Swing & Jive band

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Event types:

Concert, Wedding, Bar / Club / Venue event, Private event, Corporate event, Charity event, Wedding proposal, Theatre / Show, Cruise, Birthday party, Christmas party, New Year's Eve, Hotel / Restaurant event

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Song list

SAMPLE SET LIST

Let There be Love - Nat King Cole

King of the Road - Dean Martin

Don't Get Around Much Anymore - Tony Bennett

Come Fly with Me - Frank Sinatra

All I do is Dream of You - Dean Martin

Fly Me to the Moon - Frank Sinatra

Straighten Up and Fly Right - Nat King Cole

You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You - Dean Martin

You Make Me Feel So Young - Frank Sinatra

When I Fall in Love - Nat King Cole

On an Evening in Roma - Dean Martin

I've Got the World on a String - Frank Sinatra

Mack the Knife - Bobby Darin

Nice 'n' Easy - Frank Sinatra

Come Prima - Tony Dallara

Volare - Dean Martin

The Lady is a Tramp - Frank Sinatra

Unforgettable - Nat King Cole

In the Wee Small Hours - Frank Sinatra

Arrivederci Roma - Dean Martin

I've Got You Under My Skin - Frank Sinatra

That's Amore - Dean Martin

New York, New York - Frank Sinatra

That's Life - Frank Sinatra

Can't Buy Me Love - Lennon/McCartney

Reviews

It starts with hum, then a toe-tap and before you know it you are singing along to the tunes that you know so well. But what’s better, a night with the La Dolce Vita Swing Collective introduces you to new arrangements of those popular songs with an Italian-esque twist – as well as showcasing a selection that won’t be so familiar. The five-piece swing/jazz band – featuring piano, bass, sax, drums and vocals with those specially designed new arrangements – pays homage to likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett and other Rat Pack favourites. Vocalist Tony Delicata put together the band with a collection of musicians whose previous talents range from West End musicals to The Jools Holland Band. Their debut concert at Le Monde, Edinburgh started strong with Tony’s powerful vocals on the likes of ‘I’ve got you under my skin’ and ‘Nice and Easy’ starting to carry the audience. ‘Come Prima’ and ‘O Sole Mio’ gave us the first real feel of the Italian influence. But it was after the interval that the Collective – and the audience – found their stride. The timeless – and age-less – appeal of the Rat Park tunes soon had the crowd moving from humming along and a foot-tapping, to full on sing-a-long mode as the band ripped through classics such as ‘Come fly with me’, ‘King of the Road’, ‘That’s Amore’ and ‘Volare’. By the time of the closing numbers of the near two-hour long show, ‘La Dolce Vita’ and (of course) ’New York New York’, the crowd was sold. It really does show that it does mean a thing, when it does have that swing.

Not knowing what to expect I was ready for anything on a warm September night in Edinburgh. This was a Sunday night and the setting was complete in the nightclub atmosphere that is the Dirty Martini lounge. This band can swing, bass and drums groove sweetly while sax and piano trade solos making this a full sound like there are more on stage. Tony is a seasoned performer from London’s West End to sold out Edinburgh Fringe shows both as writer/director but on stage on vocals and on song. Blending his Italian roots with Volare, On An Evening In Roma and O Solo Mio we were escorted to warm Italy with cool sounds and cocktails to suit. Some of the audience order their chilled wine by the bottle and the Covid safe spaced tables made this comfortable to experience with no restricted views. The second half opened with I Wish I Knew, an instrumental from the days when Cinema was a TV series before Tony returned with more signature arrangements. By now the audience were itching to dance and with peaks like Mack The Knife and (Theme From) New York New York they were at one with the band. The closing title song was a creative masterstroke and a deserved ovation followed.