David Jellema

Michael Gamble and his Very Swinging Friends – Four EPs of Remote Recordings

Conceived and executed entirely during the pandemic, Michael Gamble has assembled four lineups of musicians from across the US for a remote recording project and is releasing four EPs, two at a time, on the September 4, 2020 and October 2, 2020 Bandcamp Fridays (where Bandcamp donates their share of the proceeds to the artists)!  I’m excited to be the featured vocalist on each EP with an incredible lineup of musicians, so many I’ve met over the past decade of performing at swing dance events all over and, while we can’t make music together in person, it is so nice to hear these familiar “voices,” who have been such a wonderful part of my life.

Michael wrote a post that sums it all up nicely, so I’ll share that here and I’ll update with links as they become available:

“ISOLATION SESSIONS, PARTS 1-4

All recordings from this series were made remotely, each of the 18 musicians (from 9 states) playing either in their homes, home-studios, or whatever they could make work! Despite the obvious logistical hurdles, we were determined to make an artistically cohesive and exciting project. Sections of music were pieced together painstakingly to make sure that no part was recorded prior to something that it needed to react creatively to, which often required multiple takes by the same musician on the same tune, spread over weeks. We believe the result — while certainly different in feel than prior Rhythm Serenaders albums which were recorded live in a single room — is a special set of recordings with their own completely unique flavor. We hope they’ll be enjoyed for years to come!

RELEASE SCHEDULE AND PERSONNEL
As many of you know, bandcamp.com allows one day per month where all sales go to benefit the artists. Since many of us are struggling to make ends meet without gig income, I am making sure to time my releases of these sessions to match those days. That way you know all of your money is going straight to the musicians.
Each session has a unique combination of performers that you’ll recognize from their lifelong contributions to our scene.
SESSIONS #1 & 2 RELEASE DATE: Friday September 4th, 2020
Laura Windley – Vocals
Dan Levinson – Clarinet & Tenor Saxophone
Noah Hocker – Trumpet
Jonathan Stout – Acoustic & Electric Guitars
Chris Dawson – Piano
Michael Gamble – String Bass
Hal Smith – Drums
Laura Windley – Vocals
Dan Levinson – Clarinet, Tenor & Alto Saxophone
Chloe Feoranzo – Clarinet & Tenor Saxophone
David Jellema – Cornet
Charlie Halloran – Trombone
Jonathan Stout – Acoustic & Electric Guitars
James Posedel – Piano
Michael Gamble – String Bass
Hal Smith – Drums
SESSIONS #3 & 4 RELEASE DATE: Friday October 2nd, 2020
SESSION #3 PERSONNEL:
Laura Windley – Vocals
Keenan McKenzie – Clarinet & Tenor Saxophone
Gordon Au – Trumpet
Jonathan Stout – Acoustic & Electric Guitars
Craig Gildner – Piano
Michael Gamble – String Bass
Riley Baker – Drums
SESSION #4 PERSONNEL:
Laura Windley – Vocals
Keenan McKenzie – Clarinet & Tenor Saxophone
Jacob Zimmerman – Clarinet & Alto Saxophone
Gordon Au – Trumpet
Lucian Cobb – Trombone
Jonathan Stout – Acoustic & Electric Guitars
Chris Dawson – Piano
Michael Gamble – String Bass
Josh Collazo – Drums”