My impromptu New Year’s Day Photo project
New Year's Day Portraits
Lindy Focus All Star Big Band Scorecard
You'd be this happy too if you were playing at Lindy Focus.
Jonathan Stout's Lindy Focus All Star Orchestra is delivering the goods, and people are taking note with more and more people crowding around the bandstand each night to bask in the aural glory. Here are a few things to watch and listen for over the next remaining nights of unprecedented musical goodness.
DCLX 2011: Encore! Encore! Encore!
I also took a number of videos this weekend. I’m posting three of them here with a little back ground. These videos are of the last band of the weekend, The Boilermaker Jazz Band. Despite the heavy hitter line up that preceeded them, including bands led by Glenn Crytzer, Jonathan Stout, Gordon Webster, Craig Gildner, and Stacy Brooks; the Boilermakers were still able to rally the near exhausted DCLX-ites to such a frenzy that they held them hostage onstage for THREE encores. You would think batting clean up behind one of the most exciting musical nights in modern Lindy Hop history would be tough, but BMJB hit one out of the park.
Ernest Goes to School
I still don’t have a lot of time to do a longer blog, but I thought I’d share a few videos in addition to the pictures I took in Atlantic City this past weekend. I don’t make it a secret that I’m a big fan of The Boilermaker Jazz Band, and one of the many reasons is bassist Ernest McCarty. I’ve talked about him before, (there’s a lot to talk about this super interesting guy) but he’s also the main reason for these videos. He was On from the very beginning. Within a minute of their first song, he caused me to go grab my camera to capture the funk he was laying down.
DCLX 2011: The Greatest Lindy Hop Exchange EVER
One of the best line up of swing dance musicians of our generation will be playing at the DC Lindy Exchange this year. I tried thinking of different ways of writing this up without being as hyperbolic, but this is about as plain as I can make it.
Favorite Videos 2010: Music
Just a note: This blog is going on automatic for the next week. There should be a post every day Monday through Thursday with the rest of my favorite videos. I’m not sure how often I’ll be able to check it while I’m at home or at Lindy Focus next week, but feel free to leave a comment and I’ll reply whenever I can.
Northeast Girl Jam 2010 Mable Lee with the Boilermaker Jazz Band
The people who organized Northeast Girl Jam did a great service by giving people the opportunity learn and be entertained by the legendary Mabel Lee. Here she sings with the Boilermaker Jazz Band who once again demonstrate their versatility and virtuosity.
Snowball 2009 - Gordon Webster Sextet - Down By The Riverside
One of the good trends that has developed over the past few years is the growing relationship between dancers and musicians. Here’s the godfather of Lindy Hop, Steven Mitchell, channeling a bit of James Brown alongside a couple other dances, Malcolm Holt and Naomi Uyama tearing it up with Gordon Webster’s band over at the last Snowball.
ILHC 2010 Jonathan Stout & His Campus 5
Yeah, I know it’s my video. I’m biased that way. Just before this jam broke out, I checked my clock and knew Jonathan was going to end with a hot one. I figured that someone would film the jam, so I set up in front of the band. I always wanted to get footage of a great dance band like Jonathan’s during a jam.
And just for comparison’s sake, the jam itself.
ILHC 2010 LED Talks Preview
It was the time of your life and you know it.
Uptown Swing Class Review Peter Strom & Stacia Martin
Best use of music to make an instructional point.
Wherever you are and who ever you are, have a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and/or a wonderful holiday. Good luck and God Bless. Take care, fare well, and all that Jazz. I hope to meet you on the dance floor sometime soon in the coming year.
Believe It x2
It’s not too often that you get to hear the same band with the same personnel play the same song on the same recording date and give it two entirely different feels. The band I’m referring to is basically a one time deal called “The Chocolate Dandies.” This particular aggregation recorded for Commodore Records in New York City over 60 years ago on May 25, 1940. They made six recordings that day including two versions of “I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me.”
Greatest Hits Pt. 2: The Hits Strike Back
This is why I don’t post off the cuff that often, because I forgot a whole section of thoughts I wanted to include in my last post. I talked about why DJ’s can and have to play lots of unfamiliar stuff.* Simply because if they don’t then everyone stagnates. The dancing, the music, your breath, your mom's breath etc. However, I've come to realize that it’s easy to forget that most people that come to a dance very rarely listen to this music outside of the dance floor. Many don’t listen to it at all. The few that do probably just have those well worn hits that they really like, and they get excited to dance to those same tunes when good dance partners are around.
Humility
Benny Powell passed away this weekend just at a time when I’ve been considering the concept of humility quite a bit lately. Benny played trombone for Count Basie through much of the New Testament period of that orchestra. I had the pleasure of meeting him while working on Frankie95 last year. He was one of the more prolific musicians during the weekend. He co-led the band for Frankie’s memorial service. Then the next night my man just showed up to play when he didn't have to. He confused the heck out of everyone because we thought he just got his nights mixed up since he was scheduled to play with Wycliff Gordon and Art Baron on Monday night. But he heard of the three big bands playing on Saturday, and just wanted to be there.
BMJB & TCO in DC
I like dancing. I like it even more with great live music. This was a fun weekend for that here in DC. Actually, more like Glen Echo Park in Maryland. The Boilermaker Jazz Band played the Bumper Car Pavilion on Friday night while The Tom Cunningham Orchestra held its monthly dance in the Spanish Ballroom on Saturday evening. It was a beautiful Friday night for the Boilermakers. Donna Barker and Mike Marcotte hosted Paul Cosentino on clarinet and saxophone, Rich Strong on drums, Mark Kotishion on piano, and Ernest McCarty on bass with Jenny Luvv singing.