Author Archive

Josh Fialkoff & J Street (+ ice cream)

July 20th, 2012 | Category: dances

Josh Fialkoff & J Street return to Boston Swing Central to release his debut CD that he recorded here this past Winter at Blues Cafe. And to celebrate this party, we’ve decided we need ice cream!

Josh will bring his smokey voice, soulful piano playing and quirky cover choices back to the Whistle Stop for a party to celebrate a major milestone for him and for the Boston Swing Scene. This promises to be a groovy night, here’s Josh singing “Save the Bones for Henry Jones”…

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Phil McGowan & the Easy Winners

July 13th, 2012 | Category: dances

Phil McGowan & the Easy Winners return with some hot jazz that is good for your soul! A new Boston Swing Central favorite, Phil has been refining his band lineup over the past year and we think they’ve finally hit the nail on the head with this incarnation of the Easy Winners…

Here they are back in March, lighting up our stage with their joyous & blissful version of “Everybody Loves My Baby”…

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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All-American Swing

July 06th, 2012 | Category: dances

Boston Swing Central is ready for another great 4th of July celebration, this year 4th of July is on a Wednesday, so we’ll actually be doing our dance and annual back-patio BBQ on Friday after the 4th, this July 6th.
Hot Dogs

Perhaps this year, we’ll have even more people than previous years do to the holiday being midweek. So come out and grab some dinner before the dance and hang out in the back of the Whistle Stop as the BSC staff grills you up something delicious. If you could bring a yummy side dish or dessert that would be great…we’ll have plenty of burgers and dogs, and some sort of veggie options too!

Musically, this dance will be All-American swing, and that means that we’ll be true to the Red, White & Blue and only play American artists! Americans like Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Sidney Bechet (who sounds French but is as American as apple pie). So, come on out and celebrate all that is American with American music and an American dance: The Lindy Hop!

Wear red, white, blue or all three or any combination on this night!

Lesson: 8pm to 9pm (included in price of admission)
Dancing: 9pm to 12pm
Admission: $10 General Admission, $8 for Students and Seniors

Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Jessy Carolina & the Hot Mess

June 29th, 2012 | Category: dances

Tonight Boston Swing Central is excited to debut yet another new band from Brooklyn: Jessy Carolina & the Hot Mess.
Jessy Carolina & the Hot Mess

We’ve been asking our friends in other Brooklyn bands what other bands we should check out and several of them said, “Jessy Carolina!” And right after that Jessy contacted us about booking her band and she really needed this particular date to round out a short tour. So there, you have it…she is coming to Boston Swing Central and we couldn’t be more excited, as what we’ve heard on the web and from friends…well, this band is surely going to become a new favorite. We know there’s a lot going on this summer and tonight in particular…BUT, if you’re lucky enough to be around and feeling up for dancing, Jessy Carolina & the Hot Mess is going to be a great hot mess, check ’em out here:

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Ooh be doo…I Wanna Swing Like You!

June 22nd, 2012 | Category: dances

When we were kids, many of us saw Disney’s Jungle Book and our eyes lit up when King Louie started singing and swinging! Little did we know that years later, we’d be swinging too! Perhaps he subliminally planted the idea in our developing brains…bare necessities indeed!

Tonight our guest DJs will take over the helm at Boston Swing Central and deliver us some high energy swing music.

Lesson: 8pm-9pm (included with admission)
Dancing: 9pm to 12 midnight
Admission: $10 (general), $8 (students and seniors with valid ID)

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Sweet & Lowdown (featuring Miss Tess & Rachel Price)

June 15th, 2012 | Category: dances

We’re happy to welcome back Sweet & Low Down to the BSC.  They haven’t played for us in awhile.  The Sweet & Low Down are a side project of Miss Tess, which features Miss Tess and co-vocalist Rachel Price. And they’ve been in demand with their other projects, so we haven’t been able to book them.  But we’re pretty persistent about asking them to play and they’ve finally been able to make their schedules work.  They have a strong local following and used to live here and where they reguarly played at many prominent Boston Venues, including the Beehive, Precinct, and Toad.

This is Rachel with her other band, Lake Street Dive, and they too are so great…this is WHY you don’t want to miss Rachel anytime she sings!

You can check out some of their music here: http://www.myspace.com/thesweetandlowdownmusic.  We are really excited to have them and hope you’ll come on out and see why!  Check them out here:

Lesson: 8pm-9pm (included with admission)
Dancing: 9pm to 12 midnight
Admission: $15 (general), $13 (students and seniors with valid ID)

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Professor Cunningham & His Old School

June 08th, 2012 | Category: dances

Who is Professor Cunningham? And what possibly is he going to lecture about? Well considering Professor Cunningham is better known as Adrian Cunningham and can often be seen moonlighting as super saxophone/clarinet player with Gordon Webster, Baby Soda and many others….you can probably guess, that he’s going to present a treatise on Trad Jazz…Brooklyn-style (and by treatise, we mean he’s going to play his heart out for us with his awesome band). Here’s the Professor playing with Baby Soda…

And here, our Australian Professor can be seen with the Big 72, playing Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me…

So get ready for a great seminar of red hot trad jazz!

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Rusty Scott Quartet

June 01st, 2012 | Category: dances

Boston Swing Central is happy to have The Rusty Scott Quartet back. It’s been a while since we last danced to Rusty Scott. And this time he’s bringing with him guest saxophonist, Ted Casher. (Ted is quite familiar with the Whistle Stop having played at our dance many times in the past year with Phil McGowan and many other bands).

Rusty is a soulful and groovy pianist who has been a fixture on the Boston jazz scene for some time and has played for us on several occasions. Check out his versions of Night Train and Tuxedo Junction. His playing reminds us of a little bit of Jimmy Smith and Gene Harris combined.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Frankie Manning 98th Birthday Celebration Weekend

May 25th, 2012 | Category: dances

This Memorial Day weekend marks what would have been the 98th Birthday of Frankie Manning. Frankie Manning was a founding father of the Lindy Hop and spent the last 20 years of his life inspiring and teaching the Lindy Hop to an entire new generation of swing dancers. This includes a great many dancers who are currently dancing. As we get farther and farther away from his life, it becomes all that more important that we keep his memory alive by spreading the joy of the dance.

Boston Swing Central, Blues Cafe and Hop the the Beat have joined together to pay tribute to Frankie with 2 dances featuring Shim Sham lessons. The Shim Sham was Frankie’s favorite line dance to lead, it has become the defacto, “National Anthem” of Lindy Hoppers the world over. During his birthday celebrations in years past, there were many scenes which sent Frankie videos of themselves doing the Shim Sham in beautiful and iconic places all over the world, Frankie would also lead the dance when it was performed live during these celebrations. Anyhow, if you’ve seen it done at a local dance and wanted to learn how….now is your chance! Take both lessons and keep practicing. We’ll also perform it at both dances.

Friday Night kicks off at Boston Swing Central. Hop to the Beat‘s Tony & Aurelie, who probably knew Frankie the longest and the best of anyone in Boston will be teaching the Shim Sham at the Crosby Whistle Stop. Later on in the evening, we’ll all perform it with Tony & Aurelie leading us with a “push and you push and you…” followed by a chorus of “crossover!” Then special guest DJ Gina Helfrinch will be spinning Frankie’s favorites into the night!

Frankie leads the Shim Sham:
 

Saturday Night at Blues Cafe, Boston Swing Central’s Abby Cohen will be teaching the Shim Sham. This will be followed up by a special Boston appearance of the Boilermaker Jazz Band. The Boilermakers, as we often call them, hail from Pittsburgh, and because it’s a third of the way across the country, they perform here very infrequently. This is not to be missed! Also includes special balboa performance by Team Balboa of MA and RI!

Find out more about Frankie Manning.

And Gina Helfrich will be our special guest DJ this Friday evening. You can purchase tickets for both nights at a discount at the door!

Friday Night:
Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $10
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $8

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

Saturday Night:
Dancing 8:00pm-9:00pm
Open Dancing 9:00pm-12:30am
General Admission: $18
Students & Seniors (w/ valid ID): $15

Springstep
98 George P. Hassett Dr
Medford, MA
02155

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Baby Soda Jazz Band

May 18th, 2012 | Category: dances

April Showers bring May flowers, and at BSC, that means some great bands. Not only do we get Gordon Webster, but we’ll follow it up with the Baby Soda Jazz Band! We’re extremely jazzed that everyone seems to agree and have been filling up with the Whistle Stop week after week.

The last time Baby Soda played for us, they helped us ring in the New Year! Now we’re almost midway through 2012…time flies when you’re dancing… Their heart-pounding brand of hobo street jazz sends us for the stratosphere! Their horn section, a mere trumpet and trombone was like a herd of happy elephants. And the one-string that bassist Peter plucks is more than enough to keep us moving and grooving all night long. Minimalism at it’s most perfect. Listen to them here.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $17
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $15

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Phil McGowan & the Easy Winners

May 11th, 2012 | Category: dances

Phil McGowan is back with his awesome Quintet (which has grown to a sextet), and they finally have a band name! The Easy Winners, named after a Scott Joplin rag…you can hear it here:

Incidentally, this was recorded in 1901 (same year as our Steinway upright piano was born) on piano roll, which was for playback on a player piano. While it wasn’t Scott Joplin’s actual sound being recorded, this early recording technology was documenting his actual playing of the notes. So playing this back recorded his sense of timing, expressiveness as much as the technology could support at the time.

We’re excited to welcome the Easy Winners back to the Whistle Stop, they’ve been an evolving work, and really started to come together as a band with the addition of Brendan Cooney on stride piano. And this time, they’ll debut virtuoso trumpet player, Trent Austin. Phil says, he sings, plays trumpet and will knock us out with his energy…just what we like to hear! Check ’em out:

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Gordon Webster Band CD Pre-Release Party – Dress to Impress!

May 04th, 2012 | Category: dances

Gordon Webster is back and this is his Boston CD pre-release party for his Live in Rochester album which he recorded last Fall and will be out officially out the following weekend. So, what I think Gordon means by pre-release party is that he’ll have some of these CDs and we’ll get to have them before the rest of the world…but we’re not clear and the guy is so hard to get a hold of these days, he’s in Spain one day and the next he’s in Australia…! That shows you just how in demand he is. Everywhere Gordon goes there’s a big event sure to follow. Tonight is no exception. Along with the CD Pre-Release Party…we’d like you to dress to impress!

Here’s a video of the last time Gordon was here with Meschiya Lake:

And of course, there are some more videos on our YouTube Channel, just follow the links…

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $20
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $17

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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The Recessionals (from Brooklyn)

April 27th, 2012 | Category: dances

These last few years of living in a down economy haven’t been fun for a majority of Americans, and perhaps that’s where the Recessionals derive their name. But don’t let the name fool you…this is a fun band for fun times. Check out a video of one of their songs here:

The Recessionals are the latest band from Brooklyn to grace our stage. A high energy trad jazz outfit that will get you up and dancing all night long. We’re very excited they could make the trek up to Boston to play for us.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Swing Boot Camp with Seth & Jasmine

April 22nd, 2012 | Category: dances

Want to learn Lindy Hop?

Maybe you’ve wanted to go further than our Friday night introductory lesson, 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 April 22nd, 12:30pm-3:30pm Come learn from experienced teachers who are also social dancers in the Lindy Hop scene.

We will cover six count basic (East Coast Swing), basic eight count (Lindy Hop), and Charleston Basic. Moves include swing out, Lindy circle, swing out from closed, and side by side Charleston. At the end of this class, you will be able to attend a social dance and dance to music.

Instructors Seth & Jasmine have been teaching at Boot Camp on a semi-regular basis.   Seth Burgess has been teaching Lindy Hop in Boston and lighting up the BSC dance floor with his gold sneakers and razzamatazz for years!  (He’s also really funny.)

12:30 – 3:30 PM
$25 advanced on-line registration, $30 at the door (register here.)

Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland St
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Swing Boot Camp Part Deux with Shawn & Sachiko

April 21st, 2012 | Category: dances

Some of you may taken our Boot Camp over the last several months have asked us, “When is Swing Boot Camp 2?”   Well, this is your chance to get some more razzamatazz from Shawn (Potter) & Sachiko.  In a nod to Hot Shots Part Deux, we’ve got Swing Boot Camp Part Deux…yes, you too can be a hot shot on the dance floor…Saturday April 21st, 12:30pm-3:30pm.

We will review the Lindy Hop basics, go more in depth and give you some other turn variations, delve more into the “connection”, Texas Tommy and Charleston.  And as always, Shawn & Sachiko will bring their boundless enthusiasm, super revved up energy to class.  Class size is limited to around 24 so that the instructors can give each student one-on-one attention.

Instructors Shawn & Sachiko are founders and senior instructors at iSwingTokyo. Shawn was very instrumental in helping build up swing dancing in Tokyo.  He has since moved back home to Massachusetts and has been teaching quite regularly for Boston Swing Central. He brings a unique, fun and fresh perspective to the Lindy Hop. Everyone that takes his classes leaves with a smile on their face. Sachiko has also recently relocated from Japan and we’re lucky to have her teaching with Shawn as they are a great team!

12:30 – 3:30 PM
$25 advanced on-line registration, $30 at the door (register here.)

Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland St
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Shawn Hershey Quintet

April 20th, 2012 | Category: dances

Spring is in the air, baseball season is underway and we’re happy to welcome Shawn Hershey back to the Whistle Stop stage.  Of course, Shawn is here every week, teaching for New School Swing…but tonight, he gets to play his trumpet. And he’s bringing some fellow dancer/musicians…

Jan Marie a vocalist extraordinaire who is sure to dazzle and mesmerize. And Mike Valdez, crackerjack piano player who helped us find our 1901 Steinway piano.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Swing Legacy

April 13th, 2012 | Category: dances

Swing Legacy, a six piece little big band has been a fixture of the Boston swing scene since 1991, playing with the style and informed of the great big bands from the swing era. Their repertoire concentrates on classic big band swing music including many Duke Ellington and Count Basie numbers ideal for Lindy Hop and swing dancing. Much of their great catalog of songs showcases their phenomenal singer, Debby Larkin. It promises to be a night full of exciting original arrangements that will keep you dancing all night long!

Here’s a short story as told to us by their larger-than-life saxophone player, Ted Casher

(on right) Ted Casher

“I was gigging with Bo Winiker Orchestra at the Faneuil Hall Rotunda for a Wellesley College 10-year class reunion. Bo said that we could play anything we wanted, only as soft as possible! We were playing bebop tunes, the ladies were reuniting, when I noticed a tall, good-looking man listening intently, standing up against the wall. At the end of the set, he came up to me and asked, “Is that the new Dukoff mouthpiece? I’ve heard about it. Sounds good!”

We talked on—he was knowledgeable about reeds and mouthpieces, and I asked “Are you playing now? He answered, “Not much these days. I’m the Governor of Arkansas, and I don’t have time to practice.”

I then asked, “Wanna play?” He said, “Sure!”, and so I grabbed Bo and said “I’ve got a tenor player who wants to sit in—he’s the Governor of Arkansas.” Bo said “Sure”, and so I gave William Jefferson Clinton a spare strap and my tenor sax. I grabbed my alto, and we all played.

We played some blues, followed by “Perdido”, then “Take the A-Train.” You could tell that Bill had spent time with the instrument — he knew such minutae as the out-choruses to “Perdido” and “A-Train”. He also soloed well — didn’t make any blatant errors!

The alumnae were beginning to come up to the bandstand to watch him play, and after the set was over, a lady with brown wavy hair and big hexagonal glasses came up and said to him “You sounded great, Dear!” It was Hillary Rodham Clinton!

The next time I saw Bill Clinton, I was playing a fundraiser for him at the Parker House. And the next time, I was in DC with the Winiker Orchestra, playing lead alto at his Inauguration!”

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Beantown Swing Orchestra – BSC 4th Anniversary Vintage Dress Up Party

April 06th, 2012 | Category: dances

Boston Swing Central is happy to share our 4th Anniversary with everyone. It’s hard to believe that only 4 years ago, we were launching this amazing journey at St Mary Orthodox Church in Central Square, Cambridge. Several venues and years later, hundreds of dances, dozens of bands, thousands of dancers and a piano later and here we are! Swinging on top of the world every Friday night at the Crosby Whistle Stop.

Well, since Beantown Swing Orchestra helped us launch our very first dance, we thought we’d invite them back to help us recapture that feeling we had 4 years ago. We’re also making this a Vintage Dress Up night, so break out those awesome threads and let’s party like it’s 2008! Or more like 1949!

Here are their American Idols’ Jen Hirsch and John Stevens starring in a cute video for the song (it also stars the Green line)…

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Bria Skonberg’s Hot Five

March 30th, 2012 | Category: dances

Bria Skonberg brings her amazing Hot Five back to Boston Swing Central. And after the last time, we can safely say, this is a band that you never want to miss. They are hot jazz that will have you lindy hopping on air! The band tore it up, and we can’t wait for more!

Bria has spent a lot of time playing with Baby Soda, Glenn Cryzter’s Syncopators, and the Louis Armstrong Centennial Band. An accomplished trumpet player, she’s also an excellent singer, and a A-One band leader…we’re so glad she can assemble this kind of talent and bring her Hot Five back to BSC!

Check out her jaunty and jubilant playing in this video:

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $17
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $15

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn

March 23rd, 2012 | Category: dances

The Blue Vipers are back!   They’ve played for us a couple of times before, and we’re hoping they send March out like a Lion (well, figuratively speaking in this non-Winter sorta Winter).  Their unique brand of hot jazz which features some virtuosic washboard, pots and pans playing and their ready to tear it up this Friday night.  You might need to bring a towel and an extra shirt…because it’s going to be an evening on the up tempo side of things.  So for those of you who crave speed…this might be your night.  The rest of us will wait for their singer to croon a blue moon betwixt all the crazy jitterbuggin’ numbers…

The band often busks on the street in New York, and there are plenty of videos of them on YouTube swinging in Central Park, but here we find them at the Long Beach Public Library:

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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The Joint is Jumping with our DJs!

March 09th, 2012 | Category: dances

The Joint is Jumping! If Fats Waller could only sit at our 1901 Steinway like this…

Where is that Flux Capacitor when you need it? …but we’re actually really happy living in this period of time and having such a great dance space as the Crosby Whistle Stop and such a fun crowd of dancers to fill it every Friday night. And when someone like Gordon Webster sits behind our piano, well, he is our Fats Waller! Or maybe he’s our Count Basie (since he doesn’t sing), but anyhow you get the idea.

The talent that has graced the corner of our hall has been nothing less than astounding, we’re really in the midst of an exciting new jazz and swing renaissance. We hope you’re enjoying every minute of it! Boston Swing Central has managed to showcase the best swing bands in the region, if not the country and with a frequency that makes us one of the marquee dance scenes in the country. We look forward to every Friday night with anticipation…and we just wanted to take a moment to contemplate how lucky we are…

This Friday, we’ll be turning over the music to our fine DJs who will comb through their CDs and mp3s for the finest music from roughly 80 years of swing music! The joint will be jumping!

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $10
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $8

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Phil McGowan Quintet

March 02nd, 2012 | Category: dances

It’s already March, and this Winter has been more lamb than lion. But how will March greet us…either way, we know we’ll be dancing and having a grand ole time at the Crosby Whistle Stop!

Phil McGowan is back with his quintet. A band of hot players assembled by a sometimes drummer for Baby Soda, Gordon Webster & Beantown Swing Orchestra.

Phil’s quintet is centered around his electrifying drumming and some hot guitar playing…this is a concept he has slowly been evolving at the Crosby Whistle Stop. His endless enthusiasm for the music is infectious and translates into a band that you won’t want to miss!

And now for a musicology lesson:

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Toni Lynn Washington Band

February 24th, 2012 | Category: dances

Boston Swing Central welcomes back, local Diva extraordinaire, Toni Lynn Washington. Toni Lynn rocked the the Crosby Whistle Stop on several occasions last year.   This is her first time in 2012 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 we’re happy to have her once again!  Not to be missed!

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Keep Punching with DJs Alex Abdoulaev & Isaac Marx

February 17th, 2012 | Category: dances

Some of you might be scratchin’ your heads as to why we’ve called this night the perplexing title of “Keep Punching”, but those in the know will recognize this as the title of the 1939 Boxing movie featuring Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers.  Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers were a dance troupe from Harlem which starred Frankie Manning, Norma Miller and many others.  And we keep mentioning Frankie because he was an inspiration to many of us and we have to let you all know about him.  So you’ll keep seeing us championing him.  In the movie Keep Punching Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers perform the Big Apple in the version that is often taught and performed today, so this is indeed a very important movie in the swing dancing world.  You can see the clip here:

Tonight, DJs Alex Abdoulaev & Isaac Marx will be sharing the spotlight and spinning the tunes. There unique styles compliment each other quite well and are guaranteed to keep you moving and grooving on the dance floor, and perhaps if there’s enough people who know the Big Apple, there will be an impromptu performance!  There are also some copacetic aerials in this scene (please no aerials on the social dance floor)…

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $10
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $8

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Valentine’s Day Ball: I >heart< Swing!with the Red Hook Ramblers

February 10th, 2012 | Category: dances

Boston Swing Central is very excited for one of our most beloved dances of the year!  I >heart< Swing (our Valentine’s Day Ball), featuring our super-groovy custom-made Valentines, and our Cupids to deliver them to you! And as our musical guests, this year we have the Red Hook Ramblers from Brooklyn. This night will be guaranteed to be in our memories for a long time, so dress to impress and put on some red and pink and get ready to send your friends and secret dance crushes some Valentines…

If you missed the Red Hook Ramblers last Fall, they were one of the best bands we discovered last year, they completely tore the house down! Their exciting Hot Jazz can be heard right here Just listen to what will surely make you dance around the room in preparation for a fun night ahead!

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $17
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $15

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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