David Gasten’s ROCKIN’ SWING formula (see About David Gasten and the City Kids on the right of the screen) uses the Jump Blues of Louis Prima, Louis Jordan, and Sam Butera as its base. This Jump Blues base was carefully recreated under the supervision of post-vaudeville entertainer Anthony Bellante Jr. and Swing Dance teacher and academic professor Dr. Miles R. Jones, both of whom were David’s initial Swing Music mentors.
This Jump Blues base is then cranked up in volume to compete with modern-day noise levels, and infused with a special "FORMULA XY". FORMULA XY consists of components from a myriad of sources, including: classic vaudeville; black and white movies; traditional "Ladies and Gentlemen" gender roles; reconstituted shuffle and swing rhythms; modern musical developments that fit within the Jump Blues context; and most importantly, a potent dose of Male Testosterone, hence FORMULA XY’s name.
David doesn’t mind sharing a more specific ingredient list that constitutes FORMULA XY, but it would take forever to explain and would probably bore you. Who cares what it’s made of; you want to dance, right?
Sounds Like
ROCKIN’ SWING--think danceable, teenage Jump Blues with an extra jolt!
The year is 2009, and the unthinkable has happened. Despite numerous attempts to resuscitate it, ROCK MUSIC has died a slow, painful public death that made Jazz's 1975 death seem like an episode of Highway to Heaven.
Many music fans witnessed Rock Music's death first-hand and mourned the tragic loss, hoping in vain for a Messiah who might arrive on the scene at the last minute to save the genre from its inevitable demise. But what became of these hypothetical musical saviours? The New York Dolls tried, but at their own admission arrived on the scene too late. The Stooges were next in line, but instead chose to release an album that blew.The Darkness were too busy snorting cocaine.The Ark's Ola Salo was too busy trying to be the "Father of a Son".Wolfmother took the wrong road to the scene of the crime and ended up in Emerson, Lake and Palmer territory. Even the great Lizzy Borden tried to resuscitate Rock's lifeless cadaver, only to be unfairly pushed aside due to certain "Hairspray Crimes" that had taken place twenty years prior.
And yet, despite the tragic death of Rock Music, the need for exuberant, fun, danceable TEENAGE MUSIC continued to grow worldwide. Meanwhile, deep in a maze of dark, antiquated catacombs beneath the slums of Denver, Colorado, a black-clad, Ivy League Cap-befitted music collector and part-time dancer was busy in his underground laboratory, formulating a new genre of Teenage Music that he suspected had the power to fill this gaping need. After eight years worth of research, and three years of intensive work in finding partners to assist him, this young musical scientist has ascended from his laboratory to bring a new, unique musical formula called ROCKIN' SWING to a world in desperate need of fun, high-energy Teenage Music. Will David Gasten's FORMULA XY-infused amalgamation bring Teenage Music back to life? Only time and the fans of Teenage Music know the answer.
In the meantime, Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome:
DAVID GASTEN AND THE CITY KIDS!
David Gasten and the City Kids's Friend Space (Top 8)
Hey, that's COOL! We used to LOVE The Door!! I'm about an hour east of Dallas, and back in the day we went there a lot. Even played there once, in a battle of the bands. Saw Whitecross (if you can remember that far back) there.
