Balboa

Lindy Focus Playlist

I decided to put together a playlist of all the tunes I sang with the Jonathan Stout Orchestra (aka Jonathan Stout and the Lindy Focus All Star Orchestra) that have been published on the Lindy Focus YouTube channel for my personal reference, then decided it might be good to share it with followers of this website. Here they are, videos available (there were many more performed than recorded, but we are grateful that so many were recorded) from each night of Lindy Focus XIII – I’ve made a YouTube playlist or you can watch them individually below:

COUNT BASIE NIGHT, December 27, 2014 (which was really Billie Holiday night for me, since there were no available old testament Basie female vocal charts):

ARTIE SHAW NIGHT, December 28, 2014 (no videos were filmed of my songs from this night)

DUKE ELLINGTON NIGHT, December 29, 2014

BENNY GOODMAN NIGHT, December 30, 2014

NEW YEAR’S EVE, December 31, 2014 (unofficial known as Kitchen Sink night)

Hot Rhythm Holiday in Austin, Texas – January 17, 2015

The Mint Julep Jazz Band will be performing at Austin, Texas’ unique and awesome event, Hot Rhythm Holiday, a weekend of dances, workshops, and live music focusing on the dances Balboa and Collegiate Shag. This is the band’s first fly-out gig and we’re excited, but hope everything goes well at the airport. Cross your fingers for no delays! Once we get there on January 17, we hope we’ll have the afternoon to explore a Austin a bit before we perform at The Fed that night. We’ll be sharing the stage with Austin’s own Thrift Set Orchestra for four sets of live music at the Saturday night dance!

Lindy Focus 2014 – Five Nights with the Jonathan Stout Orchestra

It’s not every day that you get to sing with a big band, much less FIVE NIGHTS of big band music! This year I return to Lindy Focus to lend my vocals to the Jonathan Stout Orchestra, which will be featuring the music of a different bandleader each night of the event – Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and New Year’s Eve will feature all the other great tunes in Jonathan’s big band book. The lineup of musicians has been referred to as a “murderer’s row” of jazz/swing musicians and I’m delighted to be among their ranks – to have the opportunity to work with all of them and perform for so many wonderful dancers is such a joy! I’ll also be lending my DJ skills to the late night Balboa room – see you soon!

Singing with the Jonathan Stout Orchestra at Lindy Focus, New Year's Even 2013. Photo courtesy of Mike Thibault.

Singing with the Jonathan Stout Orchestra at Lindy Focus, New Year’s Eve 2013. Photo courtesy of Mike Thibault.

Six Weekends on the Road – SC, NY, VA, NH, MD, and TN!

I’ve probably lost my mind, but I am beyond excited about the events coming in August and early September! The first two are for fun and the last four are gigs, which also happen to be fun – I love that singing has afforded me such great travel opportunities this year, performing with several different bands! Here’s where I’ll be, barring forces majeure:

August 8-10, 2014 – competing and social dancing at the Southeast Summer Brawl in Columbia, SC

August 16-17, 2014 – immersing myself in a 1920’s alternate universe and dancing like a mad flapper at the Jazz Age Lawn Party in New York City

August 21-24, 2014 – I’ll be pulling double duty at the International Lindy Hop Championships in Arlington, VA, DJ’ing and singing with the Jonathan Stout Orchestra and Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five!

August 28-29, 2014 – I’ll be joining Michael Gamble’s Rhythm Serenaders on vocals at Swing Out New Hampshire!

September 6, 2014 – the Mint Julep Jazz Band returns to the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park, Glen Echo, MD, courtesy of the Jam Cellar!

September 12-13, 2014 – I’m back with Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five for the Knoxville Lindy Exchange!

So many exclamation points!!! Six states in six weekends – see you on the road!

DJ’ing at Lindyfest

I’m thrilled that I’ve been asked to DJ and coordinate music for the Balboa competitions at this year’s Lindyfest and the Lone Star Championships in Houston, Texas. It will be my first time attending an event in Texas and this particular event has been on my bucket list for some time, due to the alchemy that occurs in their competitions. It must be something in the water, or just that it’s Texas, because the grand performances that come from this event are a highlight of my YouTube dance video viewing for the year. I have also heard that I may be DJ’ing a tea dance, which sounds adorable. I’ll leave you with this video, one of my favorites from the 2012 Lonestar Championships – see you soon, Texas!

Rocky Mountain Balboa Blowout with Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five

On the heels of Lindy Focus, I will be making another appearance with Los Angeles’ own Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five at the Rocky Mountain Balboa Blowout in Denver, Colorado, for two nights of performances, February 21 and 22, 2014. I have enjoyed DJ’ing this event in the past and am excited to return as a part of the live music for the weekend. Denver is such a fun place to visit – looking forward to dancing, singing, and dinner and cocktails at Steuben’s. 😀

Lindy Focus: December 27, 2013 – January 1, 2014

I’m excited to announce that I will be DJ’ing and singing at Lindy Focus this year! I’ll resume my spot, along with DJ Kristy Milliken, at the Avalon Balboa Dance Party, the late night Balboa room at Lindy Focus. I’ll be joining Jonathan Stout‘s bands on vocals for three nights, singing with Campus Five, the Rhythm Busters, and the Jonathan Stout Orchestra on New Year’s Eve! To say that I am excited would be an understatement – looking forward to it and all the dancing, as well! 😀

Eastern Balboa Championships – 10th Anniversary!

This weekend is the 10th and (possibly) final Eastern Balboa Championships – it has been an amazing experience over the past 7 years to be able to attend this event and watch it grow into an international event, right in my backyard. I’ll be pulling DJ duties, as well as appearing with my band, the Mint Julep Jazz Band, on Saturday night! Looking forward to the costume contest, the Raleigh Vintage trunk show, and seeing all my Balboa friends. 🙂

August 15, 2013 – Rent Party: Oregon Trail Edition featuring Bumper Jacksons

August brings a new band to the RDU Rent Party lineup, the incredibly fun Bumper Jacksons. This five piece band from the DC/Baltimore region is a relative newcomer to the dance scene but is already making impressions and drawing attention for their versatility and showmanship. They’ll be playing two Triangle dances on their trip down south, one at TSDS focusing more on trad jazz while their Rent Party debut will trade out a band member and bring pedal steel to the mix giving the RP night a Western swing and country blues flavor.

And, of course, we can’t think about going out West without immediately jumping to that penultimate game of river fording and buffalo slaughter, Oregon Trail. Nothing quite rings in our childhood quite like the frustration of that 200lbs weight limit on carrying meat back from a 5 buffalo hunting excursion. Or pushing the party hard when someone got dysentery just so you could scrawl inappropriate messages on a digital headstone. And of course you’d choose to be a banker and load up on bullets because who cared about the points bonus when you could be rolling 20 oxen deep like a stretch limo of the open plains? This Rent Party will help you relive all those memories without the 2000 mile journey and you won’t have to change disks at Fort Laramie.

To check out why we are so excited for this band go to www.bumperjacksons.com

Rent Party dances are pay-what-you-can with a suggested $10 donation and all money collected going directly to the band.

Triangle Dance Studio
2603 S Miami Blvd Durham

Beginner lesson at 8
Band plays 9-midnight

NOTICE: Please be aware that street parking is NOT allowed. Please park at the dentist’s office or veterinary office across the street. Last Rent Party we got complaints about people parking on Rolling Pines in front of houses. Your cooperation in respecting the neighbors’ space is integral to us keeping Rent Party going. Thank you for your cooperation.

Mint Julep Jazz Band at the Triangle Swing Dance Society Dance, March 2, 2013

On Saturday, March 2, 2013, the Mint Julep Jazz Band will be back at the Murphey School for a swing dance, hosted by the Triangle Swing Dance Society. TSDS is also hosting a day of swing dance workshops that Saturday called Localpalooza, which features many of the local swing dance instructors teaching a range of classes for all levels. If you are interested in learning how to dance, this would be a great beginner crash course! If you already know how to dance, there’s a little something for everyone – information on the workshops can be found on the Triangle Swing Dance Society website.

MJJB at the TSDS dance on December 1, 2012

As for the dance, we’ll see you at the Murphey School!

Murphey School
3717 Murphy School Road
Durham, NC 27705

Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m.

Band plays from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Admission: Members/students $8.00, non-members $12.00

Laura Windley

Hot jazz and swing vocalist