band

Introducing the Mint Julep Jazz Band

After a week of brainstorming and polling our friends on Facebook, Lucian Cobb and I have a name for the new band we are forming: Mint Julep Jazz Band!

We are excited about having a name because this means we can start marketing the band and setting up all those things bands need, like a website, business cards, a Facebook page, and other identity-related things. It’s hard to book a band without a name, right?

Speaking of booking, we are also excited to announce that the Mint Julep Jazz Band already has two gigs lined up for next year, a wedding and a Lindy exchange – we’ll be playing the Queen City Lindy Exchange in Charlotte, NC on March 10, 2012!

Closed Doors, Open Windows, and Starting a New Band

In light of recent events and a lot of questions from friends and fans, I feel the need to clarify a few things. A couple of weeks ago I received an email from Atomic Rhythm All-Stars bandleader, George Knott, terminating my involvement with the band as the vocalist and as the marketing person for the band. My involvement was terminated over a dispute regarding intellectual property rights. As of two weeks ago, I will no longer be performing with the Atomic Rhythm All-Stars and have been removed from all future performance dates.

I’d like to thank those of you who have been supportive of me during this time. It’s tough to pour your heart and soul into a project for three years, use your contacts to obtain gigs for the band, invest time and effort into developing an online presence and fan base, share in the joys and woes of being part of a band, and see something you got into on the ground floor grow and flourish, only to have your efforts and talents be deemed unnecessary.

To borrow from lyrics, the song is ended, but the melody lingers on…after hearing the news, my friends expressed that I should start my own band. I discussed this with my husband, trombone player and arranger Lucian Cobb, who is leaving the Atomic Rhythm All-Stars as well, and we both decided that we love this music too much to stop playing it. As our options for joining other bands as regular members are non-existent in Raleigh/Durham, we will be forming our own group to play 1920’s, 30’s, and 40’s jazz, featuring Lucian’s arrangements from Atomic and many more new arrangements. We will also need a band name, equipment, ideas for songs, a book, a website, and gigs, among other things I’m sure we haven’t considered. It’s hard to start all over again, but, hopefully, we will continue our dreams of playing vintage jazz music and share the joy of this music through a different conduit.

We already have a gig on the books for next year and are accepting gigs for dates in March 2012 and beyond. Thank you to everyone who has faith in my abilities as a vocalist, organizer, and business-woman. I look forward to performing for you again!

RDU Rent Party: Glenn Crytzer Takes the Cake Edition, October 13, 2011

Glenn Crytzer and his Syncopators played for the Gatsby Edition Rent Party last year and burned it down, so RDU Rent Party is honored to be hosting Glenn on his birthday and would like to cordially invite you to attend and help us celebrate in style.

We will be providing a cookie cake and beverages, you provide the energy. Feel free to bring other refreshments and let’s make sure and give Glenn an unforgettable birthday!

In preparation for the Eastern Balboa Championships, Chris & Holly Owens will be teaching Balboa for the Intermediate and Beginner lessons. Bring your slick shoes and canning wax.

This Rent Party will be held at the Trotter Building in lieu of/collaboration with the normal Thursday night Hot Club of Durham festivities.

The Trotter Building
410 W. Geer St.
Durham, NC

Admission is pay-what-you-can with a suggested $10 donation.

7:00 p.m. – Intermediate Balboa lesson
8:00 p.m. – Beginner Balboa lesson
9:00 p.m. – Birthday boy takes the stage and plays until midnight

Peter Lamb and the Wolves at Carrboro Arts Center

Peter Lamb and the Wolves will play a concert at the Carrboro Arts Center this Sunday, October 2, 2011. I will be joining the Wolves onstage for a few songs and so will Lucian Cobb, the Atomic Rhythm All-Stars‘ trombone player extraordinaire.

From the Arts Center website:

“The dance floor will be open for Peter Lamb and The Wolves’ Arts Center debut! Named best Jazz group in the Triangle, this young quintet lives up to their fairy-tale namesakes. The Wolves peddle languid sophistication that is always a little bit dangerous–their repertoire reaches back to New Orleans’ earliest syncopaters but also forward to hipster bards like Bob Dylan and Tom Waits. http://www.peterlambandthewolves.com. Recommended for fans of: James Hunter, Sam Cooke.”

Single Admission: $11
Members Single Admission: $9
Day-of-show non-members: $13

Get your tickets in advance through the Carrboro Arts Center’s website: http://artscenterlive.org/event/performance/527

Atomic Rhythm All-Stars at Motorco Music Hall, September 3, 2011

The Atomic Rhythm All-Stars return to the stage at Durham’s Motorco Music Hall, located in the thriving Central Park District near Fullsteam Brewery and Geer Street Garden, and is the unofficial food truck Mecca of Durham. Spend your Labor Day Saturday night at this great concert venue and bar, with live hot jazz and delicious food you can bring into the building. The show runs from 8:00 p.m. to 11 p.m. and the cover is $10.00 – I’ll let you know as soon as I know!

RDU Rent Party: Some Like it Hot Edition featuring the Solomon Douglas Sextet

On September 1, 2011, RDU Rent Party is partnering with Hot Club of Durham to bring you a special Thursday edition swing dance at the Trotter Building in Durham, featuring Seattle bandleader Solomon Douglas and his sextet. A special 7:00 p.m. intermediate Role Reversal class will be offered as well as the usual 8:00 p.m. beginner class. The Solomon Douglas Sextet goes on at 9:00 p.m. and plays until midnight. We will also be hosting a J&J (that’s Joe & Jerry) role reversal dance contest!

The Trotter Building
410 W. Geer St.
Durham, NC

As always, Rent Party is pay what you can with a suggested $10 minimum donation to the band. For more information about the event, see http://www.rdurentparty.com.

Sound Situations, Episode 4 Featuring The Atomic Rhythm All-Stars Online Now

Watch the Atomic Rhythm All-Stars make their documentary debut in this Triangle, NC based television show highlighting the music scene and various musicians in the area, with all episodes available online. We are featured in the first half of Episode 4 – available at http://soundsituations.com/eps/4/

Sound Situations Episode 4 Featuring the Atomic Rhythm All-Stars Airs This Week

Episode 04 of Sound Situations featuring Birds and Arrows and the Atomic Rhythm All-Stars is set to air Thursday and Saturday at 6pm on Channel 10 of Raleigh Television Network! Web episode hits next week at http://www.soundsituations.com. We are excited to be featured on this fantastic documentary television show that highlights the music scene in the Triangle area of North Carolina. Stay tuned!

Rent Party: Piedmont Blues Edition featuring th’ Bullfrog Willard McGhee and Tad Walters, August 12, 2011

On Friday, August 12, 2011, RDU Rent Party is playing host to the swing dance debut of Bullfrog Willard McGhee. Simply known as th’ Bullfrog to many of his fans, his bio describes him as “A multi-instrumentally talented, rambling-shaggy-dog-story-​telling, torch-song-sentimental-bee​r-hall-bawdy-songwriting genius.” He is every part a serious blues man, storyteller and historian of Piedmont and Mountain blues. If you have any interest in blues, southern culture, or serious dance music, you owe it to yourself to be here.

And if you are not blues dance inclined, never fear! There will still be plenty of danceable music for at a variety of tempos and a beginner blues dance lesson before the dance.

Triangle Dance Studio – upstairs studio
2603 S. Miami Blvd.
Durham, NC

Beginner blues dance lesson from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., band plays from 9:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Admission is pay what you can with a $10 suggested donation.

The Best of Our State at Pinehurst

The Atomic Rhythm All-Stars are looking forward to playing at the historic Pinehurst Resort on August 6, 2011 for Our State Magazine‘s “The Best of Our State,” an event that is “a celebration of North Carolina music, history, humor, art, and food.” Atomic is appearing as part of a weekend of special events at the Pinehurst Resort, featuring storyteller Donald Davis, author Michael Parker, historian Dr. Tom Hanchett, singer/songwriter Laurelyn Dossett, author Libby Bagby, author Diane Daniel, and artist/musician William McNeill. For more information on the weekend, visit the Our State Magazine website: http://www.ourstate.com/events/pinehurst