********************************************************************** SWING NEWS, OCTOBER 2001 (Monday 10/1/01), ISSUE #78 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Submissions to this newsletter XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Addition/deletion/address-change requests XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - All other correspondence http://www.SwingNews.com - Swing News web site Next Issue: Submission Deadline 5pm, 10/26/01; Publication on 10/29/01 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi everyone, Usually I write an intro for each Swing News, but this time, there's an editorial at the bottom instead. See you at this month's events! Sam ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DANCE CONCERTS Fri Oct 5: Swing Time w/ Pretty Boy Freud @ Centro Asturiano All Ages, Nonsmoking, $10, 9pm-1am (Lesson 8-9); Ybor City: Palm Ave & Nebraska; (813) 274-4950. Sun Oct 14: Johnny Varro Swing Seven @ Egypt Shrine Temple All Ages, Nonsmoking, $10-$15, 2-5:30pm; Tampa: 4050 Dana Shores Dr; (727) 584-0585. Fri Oct 19: Johnny Angel & the Swingin' Demons @ Coliseum All Ages, Nonsmoking, $14-$16, 8pm-12am (Lesson 7-8); St Pete: 535 4th Ave N; (727) 892-5202. Fri Nov 2: Swing Time w/ Toni Lynn Washington Band @ Centro Asturiano Sat Nov 10: Eight to the Bar @ Zendah Grotto Sun Nov 18: Ray Gelato @ Zendah Grotto Fri Dec 7: Swing Time w/ Pepper & Fine Thyme @ Centro Asturiano Sun Dec 9: Jive Aces @ Zendah Grotto This Friday (Oct 5), Pretty Boy Freud headlines Swing Time at Centro Asturiano in Tampa. The band hails from Jacksonville, where they were voted "Best Band in N.E. Florida" seven times. This unique band swings in the hot-jazz style of the 1920's & 30's, and employs a full range of string instruments including upright bass, violin, and acoustic guitar. Female & Male vocalists lead one great dance number after another, a mix of both classic and original tunes. For full band and event info, visit www.StudioRetro.com . * Live Swing Music & Dancing w/ Pretty Boy Freud -- 9pm-1am * Dance Instruction by Sam & Rachel -- 8-9pm * Dance Show/Contest at 11pm -- The Band Plays for the Dancers! * Prizes -- Trivia Prizes, Contest Prizes, Drawing Prizes * Elegant Grand Ballroom / Smoke-Free / Full Bar * All Ages Welcome / Friendly Social Atmosphere * $10 Admission includes Free Parking & Free Lesson * Visit www.StudioRetro.com for a Map or More Info * E-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX or Phone 813-274-4950 Address/Directions/Parking: Centro Asturiano is located in Tampa at the corner of Palm Ave & Nebraska Ave on the edge of Ybor City. It has its own free gated parking lot right next to the building, and it's located many blocks from Ybor City's center, allowing easy access on lightly traveled streets. Take I-4 to Exit 1, go south, turn right at the 1st light (Palm Ave), turn left at the 2nd light (Nebraska Ave), and make an immediate left into Centro Asturiano's parking lot. Sunday (Oct 14), the Johnny Varro Swing Seven plays a 2:00-5:30pm event sponsored by the Suncoast Dixieland Jazz Society. It's at the Egypt Temple Shrine in Tampa, which has a good-size dance floor and a cash bar. The event is nonsmoking and open to all ages. Admission is $15 for anyone who's not a member of the Society. Call 727-584-0585. "Johnny is a real veteran of the jazz music business.... Born in Brooklyn, NY, he began studying piano at the age of ten.... Johnny's first professional job was touring the east coast with Bobby Hackett's quartet. In 1954 he worked at Nick's with Phil Napoleon and later with Pee Wee Erwin. In 1957 Eddie Condon asked him to be his club's intermission pianist, which led to his becoming Condon's band pianist. Other band members at this time included Buck Clayton, Wild Bill Davison, Pee Wee Russell, Cutty Cutshall, George Wettling, Yank Lawson, and Peanuts Hucko. In 1965 Johnny moved to Miami and worked on the Jackie Gleason Show, with Flip Phillips and Billy Butterfield, and toured with the Dukes of Dixieland. Then, it was to Los Angeles for 14 years, and finally here to the Tampa Bay area...." [Jazz Me News] Address & Directions: Egypt Temple Shrine is located west of Tampa International Airport and just west of Rocky Point Golf Club, at 4050 Dana Shores Drive in Tampa. Take Veterans Expressway towards the air- port, and exit at Independence Parkway. Proceed to George Rd (there will be a traffic light), and turn left onto George. Turn right onto Dana Shores Drive and follow it right around the curve. Continue and you'll see the Egypt Temple Shrine buildings on your left. Turn left. It's in the "Units" building, the smaller of the two, on your left. Friday (Oct 19), Johnny Angel & the Swingin' Demons play the Second Annual Harvest Moon Swing Dance at the St Pete Coliseum. This group is known as New Orleans' favorite swing band and is a regular at the famed "Rock 'N' Bowl". Fronting the band are Julia LaShae (vocalist) and Johnny Angel (bandleader/vocalist), whose retro costumes, hairdos, and stage antics mix with an upbeat musical repertoire of neo-swing originals to create an exciting show. Visit www.johnnyangel.net for more band info. Details: * Swing Dance Lesson, 7-8pm * Dance, 8pm-Midnight * All Ages Admitted * Nonsmoking * BYOB & Food; Snacks & Setups Available * Largest Dance Floor in the area * Tickets $14 in advance or $16 at the door (VIP tickets are also available for $35, with cabaret seating up front, hors d'oeuvres, and a special Johnny Angel meet & greet session) * Phone 727-892-5202 (10am-4pm Mon-Fri) for tickets or info * Presented by Artist Productions & Strictly Swing Entertainment with the help of the Suncoast Swing Gang * Address & Directions: The Coliseum is located at 535 4th Ave N in St Pete. Directions: Take I-275 to I-375 in downtown St Pete; look left at bottom of ramp where I-375 ends. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DANCES Sat Oct 6: LindyHop411 @ Pinellas Park Auditorium All Ages, Nonsmoking, $5-$23, 12:30pm-12:30am; Pinellas Park: 7690 59th St N; (727) 577-6684. Sat Oct 6: Tampa Bay Beach Boppers @ Zendah Grotto Ages 18+, Nonsmoking, $7-$9, 8pm-12am; Tampa: 4109 N Lauber Way; (813) 962-2754. Fri Oct 19: Lindy Swing Night w/ DJ Abdel @ Swing City Dance Studio All Ages, Nonsmoking, $5-$12, Starts 9pm (Lesson 7:30-9); Tampa: 7532 N Armenia Ave; (813) 935-7458. Every Sun: Swing Sundays @ Zendah Grotto All Ages, Nonsmoking, $4-$5, 8pm-12am (Lessons 6:30-8); Tampa: 4109 N Lauber Way; (813) 985-8216. Every Wed: Swing Dance @ Moose Lodge All Ages, Nonsmoking, $5, 8pm-12am (Lesson 7-8); St Pete: 2525 58th Ave N; (727) 527-8394. Every Thu: Swing Dance @ Magnolia Bldg All Ages, Nonsmoking, $4, 8-10pm (Lesson 7-8); Lakeland: 702 E Orange St; (863) 603-6281. This Saturday (Oct 6), LindyHop411 puts on a workshop & dance at the Pinellas Park Auditorium. The schedule is: 12:30pm - 1:00pm Warm Up / Shim Sham 1:00pm - 2:30pm Lindy Hop Fundamentals 2:45pm - 4:15pm Lindy Hop Variations 4:30pm - 6:00pm Swing Rueda II (prerequisite: Swing Rueda I) 8:00pm - 12:00am Dance w/ DJs Tim, Abdel, & Gabe Admission is $5 for just the dance, $7 for just one class, or (for those attending the dance and at least one class) $5 + $6/class. (The Warm-Up class is free.) The workshop & dance are all-ages, smoke-free, and held on the Auditorium's 2500 sq ft wooden floor. For more information, phone 727-577-6684. Pinellas Park Auditorium is located at 7690 59th St N in Pinellas Park. Directions: From I-275, take Exit 15. Go west on Gandy/Park Blvd. When you cross the railroad tracks, turn right onto 59th St N. Cross the tracks again. The Auditorium is on the left. This Saturday (Oct 6), the Tampa Bay Beach Boppers hold a dance at the Zendah Grotto in Tampa, 8pm-midnight. The theme is Octoberfest, with German food, door prizes, and drink setups available (it's BYOB). Dancing is primarily West-Coast Swing, with some Carolina Shag, East-Coast Swing, and other dances. Admission is $7 for members and $9 for nonmembers. Phone 813-962-2754 or 813-933-4230 for more info. The Zendah Grotto is located at 4109 N Lauber Way in Tampa. Take I-275 to E Dale Mabry (Northbound). Turn left onto Tampa Bay Blvd (just before Raymond James Stadium). Pass HCC, pass Lois, and turn right onto Lauber, two streets after Lois. Zendah Grotto is the only building on the right. Park free in Zendah's lot. Friday (Oct 19) is Lindy Swing Night with DJ Abdel at Swing City Dance Studio in Tampa. The evening starts off with a 7:30-9:00pm workshop by Tim & Jenny Faye, covering lindy hop fundamentals, technique, and patterns. The dance features swing line dances such as Shim Sham and Big Apple, as well as lots of lindy hopping and snacks. Cost is $5 for just the dance, $10 for just the workshop, or $12 for both. Swing City is all ages, nonsmoking, and located at 7532 N Armenia Ave in Tampa, between Sligh & Waters. Phone 813-935-7458. The Zendah Grotto swings every Sunday night in Tampa. This Sunday's dance (10/7) is the only one in 2001 for which a Bucs football game may present a traffic problem. (Zendah Grotto is near Raymond James Stadium.) The game on 10/7 starts at 4:15pm. If you head to the Grotto early (say before 9pm), it's advisable to take the back route ( in www.swingnews.com/tampabay/past/2000/sn065.txt ) to bypass traffic. - Dance 8pm-Midnight w/ DJs Abdel & Paul - Swing Lessons 6:30-8:00pm -- Free w/ paid admission: Beginning: 6:30-7:00pm; Beginning/Intermediate: 7-8pm - Large (2200 sq ft) floating-wood Dance Floor - BYOB; Soft Drinks & Snacks may be purchased at concession counter - All Ages & Smoke-Free - Admission $5 ($4 for Students) - Phone 813-985-8216 - Address & Directions: 4109 N Lauber Way in Tampa. Take I-275 to E Dale Mabry (Northbound). Turn left onto Tampa Bay Blvd (just before Raymond James Stadium). Pass HCC, pass Lois, and turn right onto Lauber, two streets after Lois. Zendah Grotto is the only building on the right. Park free in Zendah's lot. Swing continues every Wednesday night at the Moose Lodge in St Pete. New additions include big prizes and free admission for military personnel (proper military ID required). Details: - Beginner's Lesson 7-8pm w/ James & Arleene - Dance 8pm-Midnight w/ DJ Jumpin' James - Shim Sham at 9pm - Prize Drawing at 9:15pm - All Ages / Smoke-Free / Free Parking - $5 Admission; $3 for Children under 10 (must be supervised) - Phone 727-527-8394 - Address & Directions: 2525 58th Ave N in St Pete. Take I-275 to 54th Ave N. Go west. Take first right after the interstate ramps. Follow road to 58th Ave N. Entrance is at 58th Ave N & 25th St N. Every Thursday, Lakeland swing continues at the Magnolia Building: - 7-8pm Lesson by Darryl & Sherri - 8-10pm Dance w/ DJ Ron - All Ages / Smoke-Free / Large Dance Floor - BYO Drinks & Food, but No Alcohol is Permitted - $4 Admission - Phone 863-603-6281 - Address & Directions: 702 E Orange St in Lakeland; I-4 to Exit 16 (Memorial Blvd), East to N Florida Ave, South to downtown Lakeland, Left at Orange St, Pass the municipal parking garage, and the Magnolia Bldg & its parking lot will be on your left. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CONCERTS Sun Oct 14: Swingin' & Singin' in Stride @ Sarasota Opera House All Ages, Nonsmoking, $25, Starts 8pm; Sarasota: 61 N Pineapple Ave; (941) 366-1552. Sat Oct 20: Bellevue Cadillac @ Clearwater Jazz Holiday All Ages, Outdoors, Free, 3:15-4:30pm; Clearwater: Coachman Park; (727) 562-4788. Thu Oct 25: Chuck Berry & Little Richard @ Ruth Eckerd Hall All Ages, Nonsmoking, $49-$75, Starts 8pm; Clearwater: 1111 N McMullen Booth Rd; (727) 791-7400. Thu Oct 25: Verizon Music Festival @ Coliseum All Ages, Nonsmoking, $20-$25, Starts 7pm; St Pete: 535 4th Ave N; (727) 892-5202. Fri Oct 26: Buddy Verde Band @ Royalty Theatre All Ages, Nonsmoking, $5-$10, 2 Shows: 2pm & 7pm; Clearwater: 405 Cleveland St; (727) 441-8868. Thu-Sun Nov 15-18: Suncoast Dixieland Jazz Classic @ Sheraton Sand Key Tue Dec 4: Tommy Dorsey Orchestra @ Ruth Eckerd Hall Mon Dec 10: Manhattan Transfer @ Van Wezel Sat Dec 15: Manhattan Transfer @ Ruth Eckerd Hall Sat Dec 29: Dan Barret's Blue Swing Band @ Van Wezel Sunday (Oct 14), the Sarasota Jazz Society presents "Swingin’ and Singin’ in Stride" with vocalist, Terry Blaine, and pianist, Mark Shane. The concert starts at 8pm at the Sarasota Opera House. The Society writes: "Everybody loved them when they were here several seasons ago, and they’re better than ever! Mark plays outstanding swing and stride style piano and Terry’s singing will remind you of Mildred Bailey and other great jazz stylists of the swing era. They will be accompanied by Allan Vache on clarinet, David Jones on trumpet, Phil Flanigan on bass, and Eddie Metz Jr on drums. You’ll be swinging all evening!" Tickets are $25 for any seat available 10 minutes before the concert. The Sarasota Opera House is located at 61 N Pineapple Avenue in Sarasota. Phone 941-366-1552. Saturday (Oct 20), Bellevue Cadillac (out of Boston) makes its third consecutive appearance at the Clearwater Jazz holiday, 3:15-4:30pm. Admission is free. (Check out www.bellevuecadillac.com for band info, and see the article below for other local appearances by this band.) Other famous names in the jazz world will appear at the Jazz Holiday; for a full lineup, see www.jazzholiday.com . The Jazz Holiday is held in Coachman Park in downtown Clearwater. If this is your first time to the festival, be sure to plan for heavy traffic and for being part of a crowd of thousands. Directions: Take 60 West to downtown Clearwater and park wherever you can. Thursday (Oct 25), the Verizon Music Festival takes place at the St Pete Coliseum, with three jazz bands: George Wein & the Newport All- Stars featuring Warren Vache, the Johnny Varro Swing Seven, and Ken Peplowski & Howard Alden. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door for this 7pm show. Phone 727-892-5202. Thursday (Oct 25), rock & roll legends Chuck Berry and Little Richard are in concert at Ruth Eckerd Hall. It starts at 8pm and tickets run $49-$75. Phone 727-791-7400. "Rock & Roll pioneer, Chuck Berry, combined boogie woogie and blues to create the sound that still influences modern music to this day. Berry, as flamboyant and charismatic as ever, gets down to classic hits like 'Johnny B Goode' and 'Maybelline'. Little Richard adds his 'awop-bop-a-loo-mop-alop- bam-boom' to the show with his signature showmanship and songs such as 'Good Golly Miss Molly' and 'Lucille'." [Ruth Eckerd] Friday (Oct 26), the Buddy Verde Band is scheduled for two shows, at 2pm and 7pm, at the Royalty Theatre in downtown Clearwater. (Be sure to call and confirm beforehand, since last month the show time was changed from what the Theatre had originally announced.) The Royalty Theater is a beautifully restored, 1920's-era theater which seats up to 500 and features a wooden dance area in front of the stage. It is smoke-free and all ages are welcome. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, and $5 for students. The Royalty Theatre is located at 405 Cleveland St (the main road in downtown Clearwater). Phone 727-441-8868. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BELLEVUE CADILLAC HITS TAMPA BAY Bellevue Cadillac (www.bellevuecadillac.com) will appear in Tampa Bay the weekend of October 19-21 for the Clearwater Jazz Holiday. They're playing a 3:15-4:30pm set at the Jazz Holiday on Saturday, October 20. (See the Concerts section above for details.) In addition to that gig, the band is rumored to playing three others in the Tampa Bay area. The band says they're playing a free after-hours jam on Fri & Sat, Oct 19 & 20, 10:30pm-2:00am at the Belleview Biltmore in Clearwater. The hotel, however, when called, was unable to confirm or provide any information. The hotel's number is 1-800-237-8947. The band also lists a gig at Stump's Supper Club in the Channelside area of Tampa on Sunday, October 21, with an admission price of $10. Stump's, when called, knew nothing about it. Their phone number is 813-226-2261. Be sure to call and confirm gigs before heading out! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CLUB MORE CLOSES After four years of bringing live music to downtown Clearwater, Club More held its final concert on September 8th. While it was open, Club More hosted many rockabilly, blues, and swing shows with acts such as Lee Rocker (former Stray Cat), the Cigar Store Indians, Roomful of Blues, Rocket 88, and the Swingin' Mooks. Club More's owner, Flash Gordon, shut down after the City of Clearwater decided to eliminate most of the club's parking spots. For more info on the closing, see www.greenbenches.com/club.htm . ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LINDY HOP CLASSES Lindy Hop classes at Swing City Dance Studio in Tampa have moved from Wednesdays to Thursdays, 6:30-7:30pm. They're taught by Tim & Jenny Faye and cost $7 per person. For more info, phone 813-935-7458. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DOOR PERSON WANTED "Need reliable, responsible, mature door person for future swing events. Appropriate dress and positive attitude required. Different paying positions available. Call Rachel at 727-894-1893." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- JOHNNY ANGEL & JULIA LASHAE TO APPEAR ON LOCAL TV PROGRAM James Norman writes: "On Friday, October 19, at 11am, the same day as their big show at the St Petersburg Coliseum, Johnny Angel and his beautiful red-haired Canary, Miss Julia LaShae, will appear on News Channel 8's Daytime Show. Johnny and Julia will sing their hit, 'Absent Minded Lover', and will possibly be interviewed or mix a vintage cocktail." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ORLANDO BENEFIT FOR SEP 11TH FUND TO FEATURE OVER 30 ENTERTAINERS Thursday (Oct 11), Peter Scott's Supper Club in Orlando is holding a giant benefit for the September 11th Fund. David Miles, Peter Scott's General Manager, writes: "About 30 entertainers are donating their time as are all Peter Scott’s personnel. All revenue from the evening will be donated to this very worthy cause. The benefit dinner will consist of a Shrimp Cocktail, Grilled New York Strip with vegetables and starch, followed by Cheesecake. The minimum donation for the dinner and show will be $100. Every cent of this money will go to the cause. The evening will commence at 7:00pm until late! The Queen Of Woodstock, Melanie, has agreed to attend the evening, plus all of the following entertainers: Rockin’ Robin, Lori Lightfoot, Cathy Merkal, Ashley Locheed, Kimberly Kaye, Michelle Amato, Jackie Jones, Denise NeJame, Brenda White, Yvette McGregor, Barbara Jones, Michael Andrew, Kathleen Kane, Shelly Burch, Michael Kramer, Tracy Alexander, David Witte, Laura Jager, and host for the evening, Miss Sarah Hayes. This list is growing daily and will be updated. I can also inform you that some international entertainers have also been approached. The evening will also include auctions and other activities to assist in the raising of money for this very special cause. All food donated by Sysco. For more information please call David Miles at 407-834-4477. God Bless America." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ORLANDO SWINGERHEAD NEWS StaceBass, Swingerhead publicist, tells us that Michael Andrew is finishing up two albums for release this fall, and that the MGM movie, "Heartbreakers", in which Michael Andrew performs, will soon be released on DVD. (The soundtrack is available on RCA Victor.) Michael Andrew & Swingerhead play Timpano's Italian Chophouse in Orlando on Oct 25 & Nov 15 (407-248-0429), as well as a big holiday show with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra at the Bob Carr Centre for Performing Arts in Orlando on Nov 24. See www.swingerhead.com for details. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- UPCOMING LINDY HOP EXCHANGES Oct 12-14 2001: Austin Texas - www.austinlindyexchange.com Oct 31 - Nov 4: Phoenix Arizona - http://www.azls.com/exchange/ Nov 9-11 2001: Pittsburgh PA - www.PittStopLindyHop.com Nov 23-25 2001: Melbourne Australia - http://oz-music.com/exchange/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL Last month, the biggest news affecting our local swing community had nothing to do with dance, or music, or any of the many things we enjoy in life. The biggest news affecting our local swing community was the same news that most affected every community in the USA, no matter how -- geographically, politically, occupationally, ethnically, age-wise, hobby-wise, or otherwise -- you define that community. After the tragic attacks of September 11th, most everything seemed to either slow down or shut down the remainder of the week. However, the following week, people started coming out again, even attending local swing dances in seemingly larger numbers than before. Part of it was a restlessness to get out once again, or maybe it was a sense of patriotism -- an answer to our leaders' calls to resume normal and productive lives. But perhaps the biggest reason underlying our swing community's strong re-emergence is the essence of what this dance and this music is all about, which today makes it more relevant than ever: the interaction with others, without need of words, that creates understanding and connection that cuts across cultural boundaries; the freedom of being in the moment; and the celebration of life. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Swing News Managing Editor: Sam Mahfoud (XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX) Contributing Editor: Arnold Kasemsarn (XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX) Subscriptions: Lynn D Hopper (XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX) Know any upcoming swing happenings or other news? Send them in to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . Editors reserve the right to edit submissions or select based on relevance. Please call & confirm events before going! Send additions/deletions/address-changes to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . Check out the Swing News website at http://www.SwingNews.com . **********************************************************************