Be sure to tune in to “What Makes This (Swing) Song Great?” this Saturday, March 21, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. EST, where Jonathan Stout, Michael Gamble, and I will reprise our panel discussion/musical geek out session from Cal Bal in an online format so that more people can enjoy this during these isolated times! Thanks to much to Pasadena Balboa and Jam for sponsoring this – the cost is $15, for more information and to register in advance, visit the Facebook invite.
In light of the present pandemic and the cancellation of events and gigs for so many musicians everywhere, Gordon Au decided that his “involuntary unpaid sabbatical” project would be to put together an album from the live recordings of his Louis Armstrong All-Stars Tribute at Lindy Focus and give the proceeds to the musicians who participated in this tribute who rely on music income to meet their needs. The lineup for the Armstrong tribute includes our fearless leader, transcriber, and arranger Gordon Au plus Jonathan Stout, Josh Collazo, Jen Hodge, Jacob Zimmerman, Keenan McKenzie, Lucian Cobb, Jim Ziegler, and yours truly.
You can pre-order the album and listen to the first track on Bandcamp now – the album is $15 with an option to give a larger donation and all the pre-order profits will go to the musicians on the album. The album is scheduled to be released on April 15, 2020.
This performance was not live streamed from Lindy Focus because it was a late night, but I can tell you that the energy in the room was a unique electricity felt by all and I’m eager to hear the mixes for this album because we had a blast performing it. Did I mention we only had one rehearsal and didn’t get to run all the songs? I’m blessed to work with such pros to pull something like this off. I don’t know if you’ll get to hear any of Gordon’s insightful narration, but I hope that his thoughtfulness and love for Armstrong shine through even without the words.
I love this quote from Gordon on the Bandcamp page:
“I grew up listening to Louis Armstrong. Last year I had the chance to do something I’ve wanted to do for a long time: bring the music of Louis & the All-Stars to swing dancers. I heard a few hip DJs play Louis for lindy hoppers over the years, but I always wished there was more, and I knew that I myself would love dancing to the All-Stars. I wanted to give dancers the chance to hear the music of the All-Stars with a live band, and to dance to it and fall in love with it.
Last December, that wish came true. At Lindy Focus XVIII, I presented a tribute to Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars with a dream team of 10 musicians, and finally got to share that music I love with hundreds of people dancing their hearts out, late at night in a packed ballroom, surrounded by smiling faces, at the largest lindy hop event in the nation. And I now I’m happy to share it with all of you.”
I’ll also give a shout out to the incredible artist Conan Zhao who painted the album artwork before this album was even a thought – the timing of its completion and the pandemic hitting the US is rather serendipitous and it’s just perfect.
Consider supporting this project by pre-ordering the album – if you love jazz and/or you’ve always wanted a Lindy Focus live album, this is the ticket!
One of the most delightful human beings and ardent jazz fans is also a prolific blogger – Michael Steinman of the blog Jazz Lives covers the news and music of early-jazz performers of today and yesteryear. I was fortunate enough to be at the San Diego Jazz Festival on all accounts, but particularly because Michael is a delightful conversationalist and happened to be in same space with his video camera. He caught Michael Gamble and the Rhythm Serenaders‘ first set and persevered, in spite of the dance noise, dancer chatter, and a herd of children in tap shoes, to capture 10 videos from the set and write this lovely blog post. Check it out and spend a set at the San Diego Jazz Festival in the comfort of your home.
When dancer/bandleader/event organizer Megan Lange does something, she does it right – which is why I’m excited to be performing with Michael Gamble and the Rhythm Serenaders at the inaugural Rhythm Is Our Business, a workshop weekend in Nashville, Tennessee, October 12-14, 2018. Megan, as a dancer and musician, has some great ideas on the interplay between the two, here’s a statement from the event website about this weekend’s focus:
“Live music is, arguably, one of the most pivotal parts of Lindy Hop – the history of our dance is steeped in the sounds of Duke Ellington, Jimmie Lunceford, Count Basie, and all of the swing bands we know and love. But when it comes to the partnership between dance and live music, we’re missing something – and Rhythm Is Our Business looks to bridge that gap.
We’re here to bring you the best in partnership – the partnership between dancers and live music, the partnership between song form and flow of movement, the partnership between dancers and their dance partners, and the way all of these come together to create a perfect dance. In a world where emphasis is put on steps and technique in movement, we want to remind you how to bring it back to the original roots of moving to and with the music you dance alongside.
Rhythm Is Our Business brings you back to the music. Let’s re-acquaint ourselves with that partnership together!”
I hope to see you in Nashville this weekend!
Laura Windley 