[Dixielandjazz] The Swing Dance Community

[Steve Barbone]

Thank you Bob R and Dave R for understanding what I am saying. Namely that
there is a HUGE, virtually as yet untapped, market for OKOM bands to play
for the Swing Dance Community as it exists today. Below is a snipped post
January 2005, from one of the several Washington DC Swing Dance Clubs that
had just "discovered" the fact that the Potomac River Jazz Club, in their
backyard, had quite a few OKOM bands that are ideal for the many swing
dances that club holds.

Point being that this swing dance club has existed for years and did not
even know about PRJC bands and/or the fact that if they attended the monthly
PRJC jazz concerts where these bands perform, they could swing dance to
OKOM. 

This same scenario exists in most major cities in the USA. And most OKOM
Jazz Societies and OKOM festivals have ignored this group of people for one
reason or another.

Prior to this post, the D.C. Swing Dance community was bringing in bands
from Pittsburgh, Ohio and NYC to play for them.

Now local bands like that of Brooks Tegler and others are getting some of
that work.

Similar Swing Dance Clubs exist nationwide. Heck, one of their chat lists
even rated their favorite bands. Among those OKOMers getting votes were:
"Boilermakers", Titan Hot 7, Barbone Street

Musical Content? "How Long Has This Been Going On?"

--- start snip

Below Post by a local swing dance club in D.C. Jan 2005

http://www.swingoutdc.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4693

DC has a huge untapped pool of jazz bands and musicians. You can find links
and contact information for many of these bands on the Potomac River Jazz
Club web site. It amazes me that we haven't had most of these guys at a
swing dance especially since most of them specialize in swing music.

---end snip

(band list deleted because it is very long. See the post at the url above or
google for the PRJC web site and their list of available bands)

For those interested in what Barbone Street does with the swing dance
community in the Philadelphia area, google search for:

"Barbone Street" + Swing Dance

Put in in exactly as above, quote marks and all.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone