January 2011
23 posts
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OnAir 2/3: PBS - The Unforgettable Hampton Family →
Deacon Clark Hampton, a son of slaves and man with almost no formal education, taught himself to read the works of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, to paint, and to play numerous musical instruments. Clark had a vision for lifting his 12 children out of poverty by making them performers. In a new 30-minute documentary, The Unforgettable Hampton Family, broadcast on Thursday, February...
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Video: NBC40: TOES ARE TAPPIN' AND HIPS ARE... →
News coverage for the Bally’s Swing Dance-Off
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Bally's $129/Night Discount Room Rate for Swing... →
Guys - here’s the latest from Bally’s regarding discounted hotel rates: A limited number of rooms have been made available online at a rate of **$129**, available on a first-come, first-served basis. Click to get the rate while it lasts!
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Follow-Up: Hot Club of Cowtown
Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
So you may or may not remember that a couple of weeks ago I wrote a ToDo update about a quick three-night stop in NYC by one of my favorite bands, Hot Club of Cowtown. I just wanted to post a quick follow-up on what was (as always) a great show.
The New York Times review was positive but not quite a rave - writer Jon Caramanica seemed more fixated on the...
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Anonymous asked: Is the event at Ballys open to dancers who just want to show up and enjoy dancing without competing.
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NPR Weekend Edition: You're Never Too Old To Begin... →
The New Horizons International Music Association is a nonprofit group that helps people over 50 learn to play an instrument. The group has been around for two decades, but it’s seen a big increase in participation recently — there are now more than 7,000 members.
In a church basement, a rehearsal for the Beginners Swing Band is just getting started. Most of the musicians here...
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NPR All Things Considered: More on the... →
The material dates from around 1930 to around 1950 and marks the first time the Library has received commercial masters from a major label.
They’ll be stored under a grass-covered hillside in Culpepper, Va., that once belonged to the Virginia Federal Reserve — built to house enough coin and currency to jump-start the economy east of the Mississippi in the event of a nuclear...
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DJ Tips: Avoid the Mac volume "boink"
DJs, are you tired of freaking out the dance floor when you increase/decrease your volume directly on your Mac and hear the dreaded boinkboinkboinkboinkboink of the volume feedback sound over the house speakers?
Next time, do yourself and your dancers a favor by holding down the Shift key while you increase/decrease the volume. No more boink!
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Bally's Swing Dance-Off Rescheduled to 1/29! →
This just in from the organizers of the Bally’s Swing Dance-Off in Atlantic City:
Due to this week’s inclement weather in the tri-state area, Bally’s has rescheduled their first Swing Dance-Off to SATURDAY JAN. 29 at the same scheduled time of 6:00pm-12:00am in the beautiful Ocean Ballroom.
All of the performers (including myself) will be attending the new date. Hopefully the new...
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Library of Congress receives 200,000 vintage... →
Universal Music Group has announced it’s donating over 200,000 master recordings of early 20th century music to the Library, which will be cataloged and digitized — for future safekeeping and in order to be streamed online starting in the spring. It doesn’t seem, however, that the intellectual property rights will be passing with these recordings, as the press release...
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ToDoNYC: Hot Club of Cowtown - Fri 1/7 & Sat 1/8 →
One of the best Western Swing outfits around, straight from Austin, TX! I love this band.
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Stuff DJs Hate: DJ Names →
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Tonight: First Frim Fram Jam of 2011! →
I’m spinning tonight at the first Frim Fram back after a two-week holiday hiatus! Jason Ganetsky is the other DJ and Heather Flock teaches the beginner lesson.
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eMusic Pick(s) of the Month: Jazz in Paris Series →
No European city has the same allure for American jazz musicians as Paris. It was ever so: from the moment black Army bands like James Reese Europe’s brought syncopated music to France during World War I, jazz players have found work, appreciation, validation and refuge there. The French saw themselves in the music right away: in New Orleans’ French heritage, and in the iconic...
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