Ten Doctors of Syncopation

Background

In 1986, thirteen close-knit jazz musicians with a passion for big band music of the late 1920s and early 1930s came together from the renowned Swedish university student orchestras. From this union, a foundation was laid for an old-style big band, and BasKlas and His Ten Doctors of Syncopation was born.

Blending the spirited energy and “happy touch” of the student orchestra tradition with the authentic sound of early big bands, the group created a truly distinctive style. Since then, the band has taken the stage time and again, captivating audiences and ensuring that neither hands nor feet remain still—or silent.

Ideology

The band’s top priority is to share the joy of its music with the audience, creating a lively, party-like atmosphere wherever it performs. The repertoire centers on the often fast-paced “stomps” that filled American jazz clubs during Prohibition around 1927—an energetic style the band proudly calls Machine Gun Jazz.

Many of the arrangements are carefully transcribed from the works of legendary bandleaders such as Fletcher Henderson, the pioneer of the big band sound, as well as Duke Ellington, Don Redman, Cab Calloway, and Fats Waller.

History

The band was formed in 1986 in Stockholm, Sweden. Alongside continuous performances at home, the band has toured widely across Europe and beyond — tours that remain true highlights in its history.

The first international tour took place in 1989, with a week-long engagement at the renowned Nijmegen Marches in Holland. In 1991, the band stormed through Scotland, leaving pubs in joyful chaos and audiences spellbound. A year later, in 1992, the tour reached St. Petersburg, Russia, where performances attracted national television coverage broadcast across the country.

In 1993, the band appeared at the Lysekil Jazz Festival, one of Sweden’s most prominent jazz events, followed by Hungary in 1994, performing at the Miskolc Jazz Festival. Germany came next in 1995, with the Dillenburg Jazz Festival, where the band truly won the hearts of discerning jazz connoisseurs.

By 1998, the band reached France to play the Oeuf de Jazz festival in Le Mans, and in 1999 Prague audiences were thrilled by concerts at legendary venues such as Baracnicka Rychta and Malostranska Beseda.

In the summer of 2000, the band crossed the Atlantic for the first time, performing in Greenland. From the capital Nuuk’s elegant hotel stages and lively pubs to the tiny Inuit village of Kapisillit (population: 120), the band shared its hot jazz in unforgettable settings — surrounded by ice, fjords, whales, and midnight sun.

The next stop was Italy in 2001, with outdoor performances in Rome and Genzano di Roma, and two memorable nights at Il Posto delle Fragole, a Scandinavian cultural center where the warmth of the reception was extraordinary. One evening’s guest of honor was none other than Anita Ekberg, the Swedish film star, who was soon to celebrate her 70th birthday.

In 2003, the band traveled to London for a two-day workshop in Windsor with Keith Nichols, followed by a performance at the Swedish Embassy. The following year, a tribute concert celebrated the 100th birthday of Coleman Hawkins, featuring Dutch saxophonist Robert Veen and bass saxophonist Frans Sjöström, who had met Hawkins personally.

In 2005, two recordings produced with the legendary Gert Palmcrantz resulted in the album Screaming Jazz. In 2006, the band organized the Pajazz concert in Stockholm, featuring early big band jazz ensembles such as Rydskogens Joymakers, Southern Syncopators, Kustbandet, Jazzin Topzies, and, of course, BKAHTDOS itself.

The band competed in the 2007 Swedish Traditional Jazz Contest, winning both Stockholm finals and placing third in the national final. Two years later, in 2009, they were invited to the Whitley Bay Jazz Festival in the UK, where their concerts were highly appreciated. In 2011, the band appeared at Sweden’s largest traditional jazz festival, Hällevik Tradjazz Festival, performing for more than 20,000 visitors.

In 2012, the Doctors, with guests, proudly presented Bonk Henly – Nordic Jazz Pioneer, a tribute concert at Stockholm’s Mosebacke, honoring the little-known Finnish musician associated with the legendary Bonk Industries.

Over the years, the band has performed at iconic Stockholm venues such as Nalen and Stampen, while also bringing music to weddings, funerals, and private celebrations — spreading joy wherever syncopation is needed.

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