BIG BAND SCENE 10th Anniversary Swing Dance

Big Band Scene, a radio show on KBEM / Jazz 88 hosted by Jerry Swanberg, featuring “Big Bands of today from across the world”, is celebrating it’s 10th anniversary by presenting the “Battle of the Big Bands” Swing Dance on March 28th.
The Battle will feature the Bend in the River Big Band and the Minnesota Jazz Orchestra. The Dance takes place on Saturday, March 28 at 8 PM, at the Bloomington KC Hall, 1114 American Blvd., Bloomington. Tickets are $10 (TCJS & KBEM Members $8) and are purchased at the door. The Twin Cities Jazz Society and Jazz 88 are co-sponsoring this event.

The two Big Bands will alternate hour long sets from 8 - 12 PM, providing four straight hours of Big Band Swing for your dancing or listening pleasure. Kicking off the dance will be the Bend in the River Big Band, directed by Bob Hallquist, and featuring vocalist Lee Engele (also President of the Twin Cities Jazz Society). Their BB repertoire includes works by Sammy Nestico, Dave Wolpe, and Richard Maltby. Some of their key soloists are Paul Rippe – as, Chuck Linderkamp- ts, John Egnell – lead trp, John Zschunke, ld trb, and Ben Anderson – dr. Their second CD, released last year, is titled “Bad Habits, Good Intentions”. The Bend in the River Big Band was formed in 1987 from alumni of Gustavus Adolphus College. They have performed at the MN State Fair, Bloomington Jazz Festival, Jazz on the Prairie, Edinborough, Winter Jazz Fest, Hot Summer Jazz Festival, and they toured Sweden in 1998.. They are very active in the summer at the parks, performing at Lake Harriet, Como Lakeside, Excelsior Commons, Wayzata Depot, and Centennial Lakes. Check out www.brbb.org.
The Minnesota Jazz Orchestra is directed by lead trumpeter Craig Thrane, and their vocalists are Debbie O’Keefe & Gregg Marquardt (President of the Jazz Vocalists of Minnesota). Soloists include Scott Johnson on tenor sax, Todd Mathison on trumpet, Larry McCabe and Dave Budimir on Trombone, and Bruce Pedalty on piano. Several of their regular musicians are deploying to Iraq with the 34th Infantry Division Nat. Guard Band. The MN Jazz Orchestra have recorded two CDs titled “Let’s Dance” and “Live at the Artists’ Quarter”. They play for Swing Dances the second Thursday of the month at the Wabasha Street Caves in St. Paul. Their motto is “Classic Swing from the Big Band Era”, featuring music from the libraries of Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, and others. They perform for many wedding dances (their specialty) around the state. See www.minnesotajazzorchestra.com.

The grand finale on March 28th will be a roaring swing tune performed by the combined bands, totaling 34 musicians, and we’ll have a soloist from each band’s section (trumpet, trombone, saxes) battling it out. So stick around till midnight.
http://www.tcjs.org/content/view/64/2/