Bill Allred's Classic Jazz Band is a powerhouse of jazz and swing, a band that's currently enjoying world-wide acclaim as one of the most talented and versatile in the industry.  This 8-member ensemble creates a jazzed-up, full-throttle, big-band sound by combining a 5-piece horn section (doubled up on the trumpets & trombones) with a superb vocalist and an outstanding rhythm section.

The band's musical repertoire is huge and highly versatile, ranging from 1920's jazz, to 1930's & 40's swing, to just a touch of boogie-woogie and jump-blues, to present-day arrangements custom written for them.  Bill Allred's Classic Jazz Band has developed a reputation for their varied, exciting, and sometimes outrageous choice of material, and for their unbelievable power and musical fire!  All of this is wrapped up in a neat package that also includes superb individual improvisation, soulful vocals, and a lot of good musical fun.

The band has recorded nine albums, and enjoys frequent air-play on many of the nation's leading jazz radio stations.  This has earned them an ever-growing base of followers, plus an international fan club of nearly 1200 loyal members!

Bill Allred's Classic Jazz Band is highly active on the jazz festival circuit, and has played prestigious festivals and venues around the world -- from California, to Switzerland & Rome, to Hong Kong.  In fact, right after playing Swing Time, the band will depart on a May-August grand national tour of jazz festivals and clubs that will take them to Sacramento, Las Vegas, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Davenport Iowa (for The Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Festival), Connecticut (for The Great Connecticut Jazz Festival), and to many other cities across Illinois, Indiana, California, and Wisconsin.  Swing Time is currently this incredible band's only scheduled Florida appearance for the rest of 2002 !

NEW Dance Contest!  Any couple may enter -- choose your own partner.  Each couple gets about 30 seconds to show off their best moves for the crowd, and anything goes!  Grand prize winners take home the Swing Time mens & ladies Bowling Shirts, and 2nd & 3rd place finishers win some great Swing CDs and other special prizes!  The contest happens midway through the evening, at about 11pm.

Back by popular demand, the Ten O'Clock Band brings the big-band experience to Swing Time!  At their Swing-Time debut earlier this year, this 17-member big band received rave reviews and delivered an exceptional performance that kept people dancing from the first notes to the finale encore!

When people speak of "the big bands", this is what they mean -- five saxes, four trumpets, four trombones, plus piano, bass, guitar, and drums.  The band's bold & brassy sound will fill the Grand Ballroom, with minimal need for amplification, letting you experience the classic days of swing as it was meant to be played, heard, danced to, and otherwise enjoyed.

The Ten O'Clock Band's repertoire includes the swinging hits of Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, and all the major big bands of the swing era, plus more contemporary swinging jazz arrangements as well.  Exciting soloists, excellent musicianship, and great coordination as a unit have earned the band the praise of fellow musicians across the Bay area.

Since its formation in 1996, the band has performed frequently and rehearsed weekly, all the while maintaining a stable core membership of talented musicians -- no small task for a 17-member ensemble!  They've played numerous public and private engagements, including dances and shows at the St Pete Coliseum, Largo Cultural Center, Hampton's House of Jazz, and many other venues throughout the area.

"Nowhere but Swing Time will you hear a big band play an entire evening of swinging music... and nowhere else will you dance in a grand ballroom to an authentic big band for the bargain retro price of $10!  This will be the Ten O'Clock Band's final appearance of the year at Swing Time, so take advantage of this unique opportunity to swing in vintage style and to experience the excitement of the original big-band era!"  [Swing Time]

The evening starts with an intro swing-dance lesson, 8-9pm, taught by Sam & Rachel. It continues with live music & dancing, 9pm-1am, a dance contest at 11pm, and prize giveaways throughout the night. Centro Asturiano features a full bar, a spacious ballroom, and free parking.

LindyHop411 holds an afternoon of workshops, followed by an evening dance. Admission is $7 per class, and $5 for the dance, with a $1 off the dance for each class taken. The dance runs 8pm-midnight. For a schedule of workshops, check out www.LindyHop411.com closer to the date. It all happens on Pinellas Park Auditorium's 2500 sq ft wooden dance floor.

Lindy Swing Night is a night of lindy hopping, with DJ Abdel spinning jazz, big band, and blues from 9pm until late. Prior to the dance, Tim & Jenny Faye teach a workshop covering different aspects of lindy hop and related dances. Admission is $5 for just the dance, $10 for just the workshop, or $12 for both. Lindy Swing Night provides a nice dance floor and a great assortment of free snacks. In addition to lindy hop, expect to see (or dance) a few swing circle & line dances such as Big Apple, Shim Sham, & Rueda.

LindyHop411 holds an afternoon of workshops, followed by an evening dance. Admission is $7 per class, and $5 for the dance, with a $1 off the dance for each class taken. The dance runs 8pm-midnight. For a schedule of workshops, check out www.LindyHop411.com closer to the date. It all happens on Pinellas Park Auditorium's 2500 sq ft wooden dance floor.

Swing every Sunday night at the Zendah Grotto, a weekly swing dance put on by the Suncoast Swing Gang, Tampa Bay's nonprofit swing organization. DJ Abdel or Paul spins the tunes, while Fran teaches the lessons (6:30-7:00pm for beginners; 7-8pm, intermediate). The Zendah Grotto features a large (2200 sq ft) floating-wood dance floor. You may BYOB or buy soft drinks & snacks at the concession counter.

Every Wednesday is swing night at the Gulfport Casino in southern Pinellas County. The night starts with a 7-8pm beginner's lesson with James & Arleene, and continues with dancing until midnight with DJs James & Arleene spinning music for east-coast swing, lindy hop, foxtrot, and more. The dance features prizes, a huge dance floor, a full bar, and free street parking.

The Tuesday night Swing Jam continues at the Sandbar, hosted by band, Lucian & the All Stars. All singers, musicians, and dancers are invited to join in. The Sand Bar, located at the foot of the Tierra Verde Bridge, has a restaurant and a full bar.

A note from the band: "We have been playing to standing room only crowds for the past three months and several of the patrons have mentioned seeing the announcement in Swing News.... Just a word of thanks for the wonderful job you do with Swing News...."

Tampa Bay's community radio station hosts its 21st annual festival, featuring an eclectic mix of 31 bands. Adult tickets are $27 in advance, $32 at the door, or $16 for late-night (after 11pm). Admission is $16 for those 21 and under, and free to children 12 and under. Some of the bands are swing or rockabilly related, including the Florida bands: Urbane Cowboys, Midnight Bowlers League, and Jennifer & the Venturas; the Dempseys (Memphis rockabilly); and James Mathus & his Knockdown Society (juke joint music from the leader of the Squirrel Nut Zippers). The crowd is always huge, with standing-room only.