http://bostonswingcentral.org Boston Swing Central's info Sat, 04 Feb 2012 06:59:57 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The Grand Street Stompers are yet another band from the Brooklyn Jazz Renaissance scene. Led by the Jazz encyclopedia: Gordon Au on trumpet, who was just here for New Year's playing with Baby Soda. He also frequently moonlights along side Gordon Webster. Speaking of moons, ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2012/02/03/the-grand-street-stompers-featuring-tamar-korn/ There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold... Gordon Webster returns to Boston Swing Central for the first time since the Dirty Water Lindy Exchange and this time he's bringing with him a very very special guest...New Orleans street performer, Loose Marble and chanteuse extraordinaire: Meschiya Lake. Meschiya is a ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2012/01/27/gordon-webster-showcase-introducesmeschiya-lake/ Got a New Year's resolution to learn Lindy Hop? Or maybe you've wanted to learn to swing dance but don't have time to commit to a weekly class? This is your chance! Our next weekend “crash course” workshop for 3 hours on Sunday January 22nd, 1pm-3:30pm Come learn from ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2012/01/22/swing-boot-camp-2/ Enter the Dragon! It's time to ring in the Chinese New Year this Friday at Boston Swing Central, Texas-style with Odessa Rose...a Western Swing band. And it's the Year of the Dragon that we're ushering in! All that Tebowing must've worked because our order of custom BSC Fortune ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2012/01/20/odessa-rose-4/ Carsie Blanton is an amazing dancer, singer, songwriter from Philadelphia and now she has a hit song that we wanted to share with everyone...and you might not know a lot of these dancers, but they too are awesome Chance Bushman of New Orleans dancing with Giselle Anquizola of Los Angeles ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2012/01/14/test/ So it’s Monday morning, and you’re standing at the coffee machine talking to your work buddy.  “What did you do for New Year's?”  You went swing dancing!!!  You’re so excited, and you want your friends to come too!  But inevitably, no matter how many times you ask them, something always ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2012/01/13/tba-2/ Got a New Year's resolution to learn Lindy Hop? Or maybe you've wanted to learn to swing dance but don't have time to commit to a weekly class? This is your chance! Our next weekend “crash course” workshop for 3 hours on Sunday January 8th, 1pm-3:30pm Come learn from ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2012/01/08/swing-boot-camp/ It's January, and hopefully you've made a New Year's resolution to dance more! Yes, that's the ticket! Dance more=be more happy, right? So it's now time to hunker down and get some great dancing in and reconnect with all our friends. Our 2012 schedule starts ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2012/01/06/swingy-wonderland/ Boston Swing Central is hosting a New Year's Eve Gala in the style of the famous Great Gatsby. For those of you fretting over New Years plans, worry no more! What is the New Year's Eve Great Gatsby Gala?...a swing dance party harking back to the roaring 20s! Vintage black ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/12/31/new-years-eve-great-gatsby-gala/ We'll hopefully see you sometime real soon, if not on New Year's Eve! http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/12/23/closed-have-a-swingin-christmas/ Merry Merry Christmas, Happy Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Joyous Kwanzaa, or whatever you might celebrate.   Tonight DJs Amy Kucharik and Ogden Sawyer aim to give you their best Holiday Swing tunes and general good cheer. As the mercury falls, so falls the snow...and we'll need some swing dancing to ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/12/16/holiday-party-dj-party/ Have you ever wondered why you're so dizzy after doing a bunch of swing outs? Or perhaps you're a little wobbly when you do a turn. This class will give us some techniques and exercises to make us more comfortable and aware of ourselves which will give us more confidence ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/12/15/holiday-class-series-spins-balance-and-body-awareness-class/ You might have seen folks doing Charleston at a dance, likely they are doing side-by-side Charleston. Perhaps you know how to do this already and use the effervescent Charleston as part of your dance. But do you know Tandem Charleston? This is the crowd pleasing Charleston where ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/12/15/holiday-class-series-tandem-charleston/ Help us tune up our newly donated piano. Donate by buying a white key for $10 or a black key for $25 (there are fewer black keys making them a rarer commodity.) A little help goes a long way and you can take a 2011 tax deduction now! ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/12/12/piano-key-drive/ Ever want to learn to swing dance but don't have time to commit to a weekly class? This is your chance! Our next weekend “crash course” workshop for 3 hours on Sunday December 11th, 1pm-4pm Come learn from experienced teachers who are also social dancers in the Lindy Hop scene. We ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/12/11/holiday-class-series-boot-camp/ Frank Shieh and the Beantown Swing Orchestra are back and they're in a gift giving mood... Tonight Frank and all 17 of his elves in the BSO are filling up their sleigh and our stage with a boatload of Holiday music...on Dasher, on Dancers...on Vixens! Get ready for ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/12/09/holiday-cd-release-party-beantown-swing-orchestra/ Originally a dance entitled "Goofus", the Shim Sham appeared in 1927 and was choreographed by Leonard Reed. Beloved, Founding Father of Lindy Hop, Frankie Manning had his own variation on this line dance which has since become sort of the defacto National Anthem of Swing Dancers (poetically speaking of course). ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/12/08/holiday-class-series-shim-sham/ Have an upcoming Holiday, New Year’s, or other special engagement coming up this winter? Or just want to check out of swing dancing? Well, the Holiday Swing crash course is just for you! We promise you’ll be leaving with enough skills to impress your friends (that only ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/12/08/holiday-class-series-beginning-swing-crash-course/ We are so excited by the energy our dance has had this Fall. We look forward to every Friday night! And after eating our turkey, we're ready to dance! This is Bria Skonberg's first Boston Swing Central appearance. And guess where she hails from? That's ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/12/02/bria-skonbergs-hot-five/ Yes, it's that time of year when thoughts of turkey appear in our heads and a lot of it ends up in our tummies. Tonight we're going to dance off the previous nights yams and pies (or at least try to). What better way to burn off all ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/11/25/thanksgiving-swing/ Ladies and Gentlemen, we're happy to have the Blue Vipers of Brooklyn play the Crosby Whistle Stop again!   They've played for us once before, and we're very excited to have them back.  Their unique brand of hot jazz which features some virtuosic washboard, pots and pans playing and their ready ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/11/18/blue-vipers-of-brooklyn/ Friday, November 11th is Veteran's Day and we'd like to say a big Thank You to our Vets (and active service men and women) by throwing a special USO style* swing dance, like they did back during WWII. Though we have no political agenda here at BSC, it seems ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/11/11/uso-night-with-white-heat-swing-orchestra/ Keeping up our relentless Fall schedule of great live music, we're happy to welcome back Swing Legacy! It has been a while since we had this six-piece little big band play for us. Swing Legacy has been a fixture of the Boston swing scene since 1991, playing with the style and ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/11/04/swing-legacy-3/ Calling All Zombies*! It's time to heed the bell toll for another ghastly, ghoulish and grim Halloween party at Boston Swing Central. It's our 4th year and this time we're making it a Boilermaker Halloween. What does that mean? Well, you guessed it!  We're being invaded by ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/10/28/calling-all-zombies-iv-a-boilermaker-halloween/ Boston Swing Central is very excited for the debut performance of the Red Hook Ramblers from Brooklyn, NY.  Yet another great band from the Brooklyn Authentic Jazz Revival scene.  And this band is going to be a BSC favorite, we have a sixth sense for these things. New Orleans-style ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/10/21/red-hook-ramblers-from-brooklyn-ny/ Some of you might know A Day at the Races as a title of an album by the rock band Queen. And indeed it was. In fact, Queen's most famous song, "Bohemian Rhapsody" was featured on the companion album, A Night at the Opera. What's this have ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/10/14/a-day-at-the-races-with-djs-isaac-marx-gina-helfrich/ The Grand Street Stompers are yet another great jazz band from Brooklyn. There is definitely something in the water there. We like to refer to this scene of players as the Brooklyn Authentic Jazz Revival scene. Many of the bands share players and this band features some ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/10/07/grand-street-stompers/ We at Boston Swing Central hope you were energized by the Dirty Water Lindy & Blues Exchange, we'll do it all again next year, but in the meantime...we get to continue on with our relentless parade of amazing bands this Fall. It continues on with the Phil McGowan Quintet. A ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/09/30/phil-mcgowan-quintet/ Those who have nevered tried Fried Bananas are in for a treat! Shawn Hershey has been a local favorite both on the dance floor and from the bandstand. His remarkable Lindy & Blues vocabularly makes him an awesome dancer and an excellent bandleader. He always knows a ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/09/25/dirty-water-shawn-hershey-the-fried-bananas/ Swingin' at Piers Park. With one of the best views of downtown, this East Boston park is a hidden jewel. We've danced here before and it's really awesome. Since we're right on the water, and it is the ocean, it can be a little windy and ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/09/25/dirty-water-swingin-at-piers-park/ The Great Escapade, could just put you in a reality show where you're the star, is it a farce? Is it an adventure? Is there too much ballyhoo? Can you solve all the puzzles and win the prize? First, you'll need to check out the ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/09/25/dirty-water-the-great-escapade/ Saturday Blues Cafe Late Night at Springstep in Medford. Gordon Webster and his band are going to set down the perfect late night groove to cap off an exciting evening of dancing. There will be more special Boston treats as well, so you'll have plenty of energy to ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/09/25/dirty-water-saturday-late-night-at-springstep-w-gordon-webster/ Gordon Webster probably needs very little introduction to most of you. He's been one of most in-demand bandleaders in the swing world for quite a few years, playing everywhere from Sweden, South Korea to Australia and all points in between, including right here in Boston. We are extremely ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/09/24/dirty-water-gordon-webster-band/ What a way to kick off Fall here in Boston with a Lindy & Blues Exchange celebrating our awesome swing & blues scenes...which is, in fact, the sum total of all the people here in Boston that dance, our guests, the bands, the amazing landscape and the city that we've ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/09/24/dirty-water-lindy-blues-exchange/ Late Night Party at Springstep in Medford. Don't despair, you will not go hungry in between Baby Soda and the late night. We've got some special Boston treats in store for you! (You will not need to go to IHOP or another 24-hr restaurant for sustenance.) Dancing: 1:00am- ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/09/24/dirty-water-late-night-at-springstep-in-medford/ Sitting around the breakfast table, we once asked Peter Ford, leader of Baby Soda how they got their name...turns out that someone suggested Baking Soda as they saw a box sitting in the cupboard, and as all great band names are formed, someone else misheard it and said, "what, Baby ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/09/23/dirty-water-baby-soda-jazz-band/ Swing & Soul Party lead by the awesome DJ, Downtown Julie Brown! And featuring a special Blues lesson on "playing with the music" from Devona Cartier & visiting instructor Dan Repsch. Dan will also DJ a set for us. Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm - 9:00pm Dancing: ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/09/22/dirty-water-swing-soul-kickoff-party/ Last May, BSC had Miss Tess & the Bon Ton Parade play the Crosby Whistle Stop and they were fantastic! What a high energy evening of New Orleans inspired, rockabilly inflected, swingin' jazz! We're really looking forward to this return! Here's a video of her all dressed ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/09/16/miss-tess-the-bon-ton-parade/ Boston Swing Central is excited for Fall, the cooler weather and the return of lots of bands makes the dancing a little more comfortable. Plus our A/C can keep up with the weather. Kicking off our Fall Season here at the Crosby Whistle Stop, we've enlisted the spectacular ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/09/09/beantown-swing-orchestra-2/ That's right folks, we just don't know what to do with all that stuff people keep leaving in our space, so we're going to have a fashion show. Some of our House Managers and Board Members will model all of the stuff that's been lying around...and hopefully you ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/09/02/boston-swing-central-lostfound-fashion-show/ Tonight we have another one of our Summer blockbusters in store for you. Join us for our tribute to summertime soul and the smooth Shag dancing as exhibited in Shag - The Movie.  An unforgettable flick starring Phoebe Cates and Bridget Fonda as they head to Myrtle Beach for a ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/08/26/shag-the-movie/ Yee Haw! Odessa Rose brings Western Swing back to Boston Swing Central. It's almost the end of a great summer (*sniffle*) and we're excited for some energetic fiddle-banjo-guitar playing and their down home back porch swing. Just in case you are unfamiliar with what Western Swing is, don't worry, ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/08/19/odessa-rose-3/ This is the 2nd in Boston Swing Central's 2011 Summer movie inspired themes, this time out it's Cabin in the Sky. Which features the music of Duke Ellington, Ethel Waters, Lena Horne as Sweet Georgia Brown. This musical comedy features some strong racial stereotyping that, today is cringworthy, but it ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/08/12/cabin-in-the-sky/ Everybody loves summer and our summer is not complete without our annual Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest. It was quite a sight to see, everyone puckering up and spitting all at once on the back patio. Right out of a 1940s Life Magazine photo...or a Norman Rockwell painting. This Friday ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/08/05/watermelon-seed-spitting-contest/ Tonight we take our inspiration from Whitey's Lindy Hoppers and their appearance in the obscure film, Hellzapoppin' (1941).  Who were Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, you ask?  Whitey's Lindy Hoppers were a dance troupe formed by the inimitable promoter Herbert "Whitey" White back in 1935 in Harlem.  The group  featured none other than late, great Frankie ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/07/29/hellzapoppin/ "The Dixie Chick" is definitely a head-scratcher of a theme, you're probably thinking Alex is out of his tree by suggesting that we swing dance to the Dixie Chicks.  Well actually, he was torn with indecision on whether he'd like to introduce us to some of his awesome remastered versions of ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/07/22/the-dixie-chick-with-guest-dj-alex-abdoulaev/ Tonight, Boston Swing Central welcomes the International String Trio to the Crosby Whistle Stop for their debut dance.  The International String Trio is a Gypsy jazz combo led by guitarist, Slava Tolstoy.  Check these cats out.   We've got a virtuosic violin player from England, an equally talented Russian guitarist, and ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/07/15/international-string-trio/ No, the Lemonade Stand is not a new jazz combo gracing our venue...even better!  It's exactly what you think it is, a full-blown Lemonade Stand, with fresh squeezed lemonade to parch our heatwave-strained brains.  So c'mon out, enjoy the libations... ...and dig the summer good vibrations supplied by the Shawn Hershey Quartet...it's ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/07/08/shawn-hershey-quartet-the-lemonade-stand/ Boston Swing Central is ready for a great 4th of July weekend, and to kick things off we're hosting a night of All-American Swing on Friday, July 1st. That means that the Bjork, Swedish and French songs DJ RetroMike occasionally plays will have to wait another day...for tonight we're going ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/07/01/red-white-blue-all-american-swing/ Sorry for the last minute rescheduling of this theme, but we had a special request from one of our House Managers (Wayne) to support a worthy cause.  So tonight, BSC is donating a portion of tonight's admission to:  Love146.  This will not cost you anything extra, same dance price for ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/06/24/tread-on-trafficking/ It's been  a while since we've been lucky enough to have Josh Fialkoff and his groovy, funky soulful swing outfit J Street on our stage.  Tonight, we'll welcome him back to the Whistle Stop.  Josh will regale us with his buttery croon, his clever, interesting and decidedly curveball cover songs and some ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/06/17/j-street-featuring-josh-fialkoff-2/ Boston Swing Central is excited for the debut of the Phil McGowan Quintet.  A band of hot players assembled by a sometimes drummer for Baby Soda.  Phil's concept is centered around his electrifying drumming and some hot guitar playing...so we're thinking that this will be jumping in the vein of ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/06/10/the-phil-mcgowan-quintet/ Tonight, Boston Swing Central is relocating to Springstep for the evening (we have a weekend-long, Tango marathon borrowing the Whistle Stop). Sorry if this presents any inconvenience, be sure not to show up at the Whistle Stop tonight as we won't be there... Also note that 93 will be closed at ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/06/03/something-old-something-borrowed-something-new/ May 26, 1914 was the date Frankie Manning came into this world. If he was still alive today we would be celebrating his 97th Birthday this Friday night and most of us would likely be in New York at a special celebration. Sadly he passed away just shy of his ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/05/27/frankie-manning-tribute-night-with-the-shim-sham/ Ladies and Gentlemen, the Blue Vipers of Brooklyn play their Crosby Whistle Stop debut.  They've played for us once before, but it's been a good long while, so we're very excited to have them back.  Their unique brand of hot jazz which features some virtuosic washboard playing and their ready to tear it ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/05/20/the-blue-vipers-of-brooklyn/ Gordon Webster is back again, and this time he's bringing the same line-up that he used to record his most recent CD, Live in Philly.  It's an exciting album and an even more exciting band.  For one reason or another, he has not been able to bring this band to ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/05/13/gordon-webster-2/ We are happy to welcome back Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade.  Many of you will remember her from the Sweet & Lowdown.  This Friday she returns with the band she leads, the Bon Ton Parade, which promises to keep things lively and swinging with their reimagined 21st century Golden-age ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/05/06/miss-tess-and-the-bon-ton-parade-2/ Boston Swing Central is excited to be offering a weekend "crash course" workshop for 2.5 hours on Sunday May 1st, 1pm-3:30pm. Perhaps you haven't had time to take some Lindy Lessons during the week or maybe you always wanted to try Lindy Hop but were a little bit afraid, ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/05/01/swing-dance-boot-camp/ Yes, April is drawing to a close, baseball season has started and the Red Sox finally starting to win a few, and we're looking forward to May flowers. A perfect chance for us to talk about a classic swing tune, "When I Get Low I Get High" as popularized by ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/04/29/when-i-get-low-i-get-high/ Yee Haw!  Odessa Rose brings Western Swing back to Boston Swing Central for their 2nd appearance.  This past January, they wowed us and warmed our Cold Cold Hearts with some energetic fiddle-banjo-guitar playing and their down home back porch swing.  Just in case you are unfamiliar with what Western Swing is, don't worry,  it's got ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/04/22/odessa-rose-2/ Boston Swing Central is happy that this Friday marks the end of tax season!  And now we can enjoy Spring without that nagging specter of the taxman hanging over us like some college paper that needs writing.  To celebrate, tonight we have Cara Ball and Tina Desorcy back as our guest DJs.  Cara ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/04/15/taxman-taxman-go-away/ Boston Swing Central is happy to have The Rusty Scott Trio back for his first appearance in our new space.  Yes, it's been about a year since we last danced to Rusty Scott.  And this time we've asked him to play with guest vocalist Alicia Wagner.   Rusty is a soulful and groovy pianist who ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/04/08/rusty-scott-trio-with-guest-vocalist-alicia-wagner/ It's the beginning of April and as the luck of the calendar would have it, Friday is April 1st, April Fool's Day.  A day for a merry prankster (like the staff of the BSC) and the Jailhouse 5+2, who happily agreed to be our musical Court Jesters for the evening.  Juggling quartertones ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/04/01/april-fools-with-the-jailhouse-52/ The Mad Hatter and the March Hare invite you to share a cup of some Earl Grey or Darjeeling...and perhaps a swing or two or three or seventeen, after all switching places at their table is sort of like the mechanics of a typical dance.  Tea Time!  Change partners!  The dormouse ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/03/25/why-is-a-raven-like-a-desk-dj-night/ Boston Swing Central welcomes back, local Diva extraordinaire, Toni Lynn Washington. Toni Lynn rocked the the Crosby Whistle Stop on several occasions last year.   And we are looking forward to her hearing her soulful voice and her deep grooves this Friday. She is a local legend, an institution, a master, a treasure, and the hottest ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/03/18/toni-lynn-washington-band-2/ Keeping up our relentless schedule of great live music, we're happy to welcome back The Swing Legacy! It has been almost a year since we had this six-piece little big band play for us, and this will be their debut at the Crosby Whistle Stop. Swing Legacy has been a fixture ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/03/11/swing-legacy-2/ Sinti Rhythm and their twin-guitar attack, hot gypsy jazz band are back! And it's a Saturday, so you're wondering, what gives?  Boston Swing Central has partnered with Blues Cafe to put on a special dance which will be Balboa-friendly, in support of the Bobby & Kate workshops. They are also bringing ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/03/05/sinti-rhythm-with-guest-vocalist-special-saturday-dance/ Baby Soda Jazz Band returns to BSC! And once again, our cup runneth over with anticipation. The last time they played for us, the Whistle Stop steamed with energy...they blew us away, and nobody wanted to go home! Their heart-pounding brand of hobo street jazz sends us into the stratosphere! ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/03/04/baby-soda-jazz-band-2/ Boston Swing Central is happy to welcome back Jake, Tamar and the rest of the Cangelosi Cards for their first gig in Boston in a long time. If you have not seen them, it's because they've been in such high demand all over the World, mostly in Europe and China. ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/02/25/cangelosi-cards/ According to the Internet Anagram Server, there is a saying that "anagrams never lie", so we plugged in some of our favorite things, first, "Swing Dance" and lo, right away, it said, "Dance Wings", well that seems all too simple and too obvious, so next we tried "Lindy Hop" and ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/02/18/anagrams-never-lie-with-guest-dj-gina-helfrich/ Boston Swing Central is very excited for one of our most beloved dances of the year!  I >heart< Swing (our 3rd year), featuring our super-cool custom-made Valentines, and our Cupids to deliver them to you! And as our musical guests, this year we have the full White Heat Swing Orchestra, all ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/02/11/i-2/ Boston Swing Central is proud to present The Boilermaker Jazz Band, Pittsburgh's finest and one of the premier swing bands in the country. We've been spoiled lately with the amount of talent coming through our doors and the Boilermaker Jazz Band continues our awesome Winter run...you don't want to miss ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/02/04/boilermarker-jazz-band/ Yes, it's time to dress away the blah of white-washed Winter with some color...so we're encouraging you to bust out a burst or a splash of color...reds and oranges to warm us up...guest DJs Tina Desorcy and Micki Balder will provide us with a soundtrack of full spectrum tunes. Lesson (included ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/01/28/the-wonderful-world-of-color/ Don't let the snow scare you away! Come and dance the night away! Ok. We admit, the opening line is a bit cheesy but we got your attention. Here's the deal. It's Friday!  Yay!  It's another snowstorm.  Boo!  But the good news is that we're still running the dance tonight and the p.m. ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/01/21/the-pm-stompers/ Boston Swing Central kicks off our 2011 with a new band called Odessa Rose.   Let's dust off that winter chill this Friday, Texas-style with Odessa Rose...a Western Swing band.   Just in case you don't know what Western Swing is, don't worry,  it's got nothing to do with West Coast Swing...it ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2011/01/14/odessa-rose/ Boston Swing Central is hosting a New Year's Eve Gala in the style of the famous Great Gatsby. For those of you fretting over New Years plans, worry no more! What is the New Year's Eve Great Gatsby Gala?...a swing dance party harking back to the roaring 20s!   Vintage black ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/12/31/announcing-the-new-years-eve-great-gatsby-gala/ Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, or whatever you might celebrate.   Tonight our DJs aim to give you their best Holiday Swing tunes and general good cheer. As the mercury falls, so falls the snow...and we'll need some swing dancing to keep our popsicle toes warmed. ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/12/17/white-christmas-swing/ Boston Swing Central is proud to announce the Crosby Whistle Stop debut of Beantown Swing Orchestra! Yes it's been a while since we've been able to host a big band with so many musicians, and tonight they told us they are bringing a 4-piece string Quartet with them in addition ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/12/10/beantown-swing-orchestra-holiday-party/ The Jailhouse Five Plus Two returns with their authentic and enthusiastic Dixieland jazz...and we're ready for a night of great music and fine dancing. This fantastic band brings an air of authenticity, as you can easily tell this is the music that they grew up with, cherish, and love and ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/12/03/jailhouse-five-plus-two-dixieland-jazz-band/ Yes, it's that time of year when thoughts of turkey appear in our heads and a lot of it ends up in our tummies. Tonight we're going to dance off the previous nights yams and pies (or at least try to). What better way to burn off all those added calories ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/11/26/the-great-turkey-swingout/ Yes- it's November, we're almost at the end of the decade and perhaps our themes are running a little nutty (tweed, slick)... Perhaps we'll redefine ourselves as we leave the oughties behind. For now, we're going to pay tribute to former Monday Night Practice stalwart and DJ, Mike Smith, aka ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/11/19/aint-we-slick-a-tribute-to-mike-smith/ It's a tweed tweed tweed world and we at Boston Swing Central just live in it. Not really, but, it's time to get dressed up again and this time it's tweed that we're celebrating. Why tweed you ask and not gabardine or suede? Well, tweed is for distinguished ladies and gents. And it reminds ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/11/12/tweedlee-deedlee-dee-how-tweed-it-is/ Baby Soda Jazz Band makes their BSC debut tonight! And we couldn't be more excited - we've been trying to get them to play at the BSC for almost a YEAR!  Some of you may remember them when they played at Uptown Swing Dance during BIX this past May, ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/11/05/baby-soda-jazz-band/ Calling All Zombies*! It's time to heed the bell toll for another ghastly and ghoulish Halloween party at Boston Swing Central. It's our 3rd year and this time we're in 3-D (I think we always were, but that seems to be the thing to do when you get to that ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/10/29/calling-all-zombies-3-d/ Gordon Webster is back once again with his stellar Quartet featuring vocalist Brianna Thomas. Gordon is one of the most in demand swing band leaders in the country, maybe even in the world. He’s played at every camp, exchange and special event from Sweden to Seoul and we’re lucky ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/10/22/gordon-webster-quartet-featuring-brianna-thomas/ If you have not yet heard the Sweet & Low Down, you are in for a treat, and if you have heard them, then you know how great they are. The harmonies of Miss Tess and Rachel Price are the "Sweet" part and the rhythm section brings the "Low Down". ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/10/15/the-sweet-low-down/ This week we've appropriated the title from the Nancy Sinatra classic as our theme for tonight's stellar line up of lady DJs!  We had a similar evening earlier this summer which was a huge success. Since we weren't able to fit all of the ladies we wanted to invite on the ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/10/08/these-boots-are-made-for-swingin/ Are you feeling lucky? At Boston Swing Central, we are feeling so lucky! ...and for you we've got a Fortune Cookie Surprise!  That's right, we'll be passing out REAL, ORIGINAL, Boston Swing Central fortune cookies just for you dancers!  Come tonight and see what the future holds...we're up to our old ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/10/01/fortune-cookie-surprise/ Josh Fialkoff brings his smokey voice and his fantastic band: J-Streetback to Boston Swing Central. J-Street is one of our favorite acts, and Josh is a long time friend of the BSC.  Tapping into his influences, Josh summons up Lou Rawls, Ray Charles and maybe a little bit of Harry ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/09/24/j-street-featuring-josh-fialkoff/ Boston Swing Central is looking forward to the return of Toni Lynn Washington. This summer she played 3 glorious sets for us and inspired by all of the great dancing, she kept on playing right up until closing time at 12:30am! Toni Lynn gives us her all! ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/09/17/toni-lynn-washington-band/ Labor day marks the end of summer.  Time to start moving the fun activities inside (Although, those of us who love to dance don't ever stop, do we?) Here's the schedule for September.  Sign up today at http://newschoolswing.com .  If you missed the first week of classes on Sept 7th, you can still ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/09/14/september-lessons-start-tuesday-september-7th/ It's gotten back to us that the Jimmy Fund will be in Copley Square this Sunday.  Unfortunately, the City of Boston issued us a permit on this day forgetting there was a major conflict with this space.  It also looks like Sunday will bring rain, so perhaps it's all for ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/09/12/copley-square-swing-free-outdoor-dance/ The Back Bay Rhythm Makers make their Crosby Whistle Stop debut!  You might remember them, as they've played Boston Swing Central dances quite a few times over the last couple of years.  To refresh your memory, BBRM is a smaller combo featuring members of White Heat Swing Orchestra.  Fueled ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/09/10/back-bay-rhythm-makers-band-night/ Alright, so technically this Friday is not after Labor Day (which is when school starts), but school is just around the corner you can feel it in the air. DJ RetroMike plans to kick off the school year with some of his favorite songs that he has discovered ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/09/03/back-to-school-swing-2/ Since we have an extra Tuesday in September, we're doing combination guided practicas and auditions for our fast theme from 7-9pm at Whistle Stop! For $5, you'll get some one-on-one time with a New School Swing instructor who will give you feedback about your dancing and tips about what you should ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/08/31/tuesday-guided-practice-auditions-and-open-practice/ It's nearly the end of summer and Boston Swing Central is singing it's swan song to the end of August with the DJ duo of Julie Brown and Nicole Zuckerman.  They'll start off spinning swing tunes and sink into the soulful grove of motown and blues as the hours tick on. We'll be recreating ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/08/27/swing-and-soul-with-julie-and-nicole/ Bring out the hat, gloves and cane!  We'll be making like Fred and Ginger on this classic swing night.  Just like the movie from 1935, everyone is encouraged to wear black and white fancy dress tonight.  It's also our own Abby Cohen's birthday, so she picked tonight's theme.  Come out in ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/08/20/top-hat/ Everybody loves summer and what summer is complete without watermelon. This Friday Boston Swing Central will bust out all our summer favorites including "Watermelon Man".  And in the spirit of great competitions we'll have a watermelon seed spitting contest out back on our patio...so practice up (if you are lucky enough ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/08/13/watermellon-seed-spitting-contest/   Sidney Bechet has his day!  Tonight, Boston Swing Central welcomes Alex Abdoulaev back to help us pay tribute to New Orleans Jazz progenitor and saxophone and clarinet giant.  BSC DJs have been slipping his tracks into their playlists with superb effect for years.  Everytime, they play "Joshua Fit the Battle ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/08/06/sidney-bechet-tribute-night/ It's a new month and that means NEW CLASSES are starting at the Whistle Stop!  To check out this month's offerings and to sign up on line for a discount, go to http://newschoolswing.com. Here's the schedule for this month: 7-8pm Intermediate Lindy Hop with Shawn Hershey and Gina Helfrich 8-9pm Lindy Hop Basics ... http://bostonswingcentral.org/2010/08/03/new-beginning-and-intermediate-lesson-series-starts-tuesday-august-3rd/