Think SWING! Jazz and Blues Festival

Who I'd like to meet:

Think SWING! 2009 Artists include:

THE SHANGHAI WOOLIES play hot music, the 1920’s and 30’s jazz and pop of Chicago and New York City. The eight-piece ensemble, founded by Pink Martini trumpet player Gavin Bondy, is clever enough to approach the magical sounds of the young Duke Ellington, the big band sounds of Benny Goodman, and the orchestral treatments of Paul Whiteman.

The vocalist and songwriter, Mel (Melanie) Kubik, is the centerpiece of each performance. Her early training in music (classical piano from age 3, saxophone from 9) and her experience in traditional jazz (Timbuktu + 5) and pop rock (Quarterflash) combines with her Bohemian lineage and down-home Kansas upbringing to give her versatility, personal accessibility, and musical depth and beauty that is rare.

In its day, this music was energetic, inventive, colorful, rebellious, even scandalous, and always fun. The Shanghai Woolies approach it in the same spirit. From a purist yet postmodern viewpoint, they combine traditional and new elements in order to recall the energy of the original idea and to communicate it effectively to audiences of every generation. Expect world-class musicians, broken conventions, a variety of moods, good humor, and plenty of opportunities for great dancing.

“Though Brian Setzer, Cherry-Poppin’ Daddies, and others have paved this road, the fanciest, coolest machine on the highway is The Shanghai Woolies.” -James Rodgers, Victory Review - NW Roots Music

The Shanghai Woolies perform the headlining dinner concert at Think SWING! 2009, Saturday October 24th at the Lincoln Center. Opening set by 6' Swing at 5:30pm, followed by two complete sets from The Shanghai Woolies!



WASHBOARD CHAZ LEARY: Though comfortable in all forms of our diverse American musical heritage, Washboard Chaz Leary has achieved dominance and international recognition in acoustic country blues. He has played professionally with an impressive array of world-class musicians, both on the stage and in the recording studio. His reputation as a consumate musician and performer - along with a delightful stage presence has brought him countless excellent reviews and wide popularity.

Originally from New York, Chaz lived in Boulder, CO from 1975-1997, and played with a wide variety of bands including the legendary Ophelia Swing Band, Prosperity Jazz Band, BBQ Bob & Washboard Chaz, Judy Roderick and the Forebears, and Bleecker St. During this time, Chaz was a two time finalist in KBCOs Boulder songwriting contest.

Upon arrival in New Olreans in December 2000, Chaz established himself as a seasoned musician, forming his Washboard Chaz Blues Trio with Ben Maygarden on harmonica and Roberto Luti on slide guitar. Shortly afterward, Chaz joined Alex McMurray and Matt Perrinne on sousaphone to form the Tin Men, one of New Orleans' most unique and recognized bands. Since then, Chaz has also played with the cream of New Orleans musicians, including the New Orleans Nightcrawlers, the Iguanas, Tuba Fats, Royal Fingerbowl, and the Jazz Vipers. Chaz's talents are becoming synonymous with New Orleans and he was recently featured in a 2005 New Orleans commercial. He is currently playing a small part in the upcoming CBS movie titled "Just Like the Ones", about miraculus snow storms that hit all over the country, co-starring Mary Tylor Moore and Poppy Montgomery.

Chaz has shared the stage with Bonnie Raitt, John Hammond, Taj Mahal, Anders Osborne and Corey Harris among others. He has opened for many blues greats, including Muddy Waters, Robert Cray, Doc Watson and Keb Mo. Chaz's musical talents have been featured on over 70 recordings, including John Hammonds 1998 Grammy nominated Long as I have You. He has played festivals and clubs from coast to coast, including the Bottom Line in New York City, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Telluride Blue Grass Festival, the American Music Hall in San Francisco and Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver. He has played successful International tours, with his band Bleecker St. in Germany, in Holland and Germany with David Booker, and in Japan with Chris Mule. His talents extend from washboard, congas and other hand percussion, drum kit, lead and background vocals, to songwriting and arranging. Chaz has also developed a strong program of percussion workshops both for adults and for children, as well as having performed for Blues in the Schools programs in Colorado, Kansas and Missouri.

Most recently, Chaz has been featured on the wildly popular YouTube phenomenon "Playing for Change," a documentary series, unique in approach, not only focusing on working street musicians who bring music and encouragement to all walks of life in cities throughout the world, but also recording them together in seamless videos that unite musicians and cultures together. "The act of playing music with people of different cultures, religions, economics and politics is a powerful statement. It shows that we can find ways of working together and sharing our experiences with one another in a positive way. Music has the power to break down the walls between cultures, to raise the level of human understanding." ~ Mark Johnson, founder, Playing for Change

Think SWING! is honored and humbled to be hosting Washboard Chaz Leary in Spokane, offering two sets for public consumption, one set each during Sessions 1 and 3, Saturday, October 24th.

PETE PETERSEN, with special guest vocalist, Heather O'Brien: "Get ready for some swinging, down the center of the groove, well-paced, scintillating straight-ahead jazz and bop from a Portland cat who writes and plays in the best of the tradition," writes George Fendel of the Jazz Society of Oregon. Adds Paul DeBarros of the Seattle Times, "Petersen's an accomplished player. He has a big, throaty tone and a blowzy, swashbuckling style with the conversational touch of old-time sax players." The original creators of this uniquely American art form called jazz were the Rock Stars of their time; more than just notes and rhythms, their music had an energy to it that was intended to connect with audiences and show them a good time.

Petersen's music is the real deal: his blend of skillfully-arranged jazz standards and original compositions succeed at sounding both nostalgic and fresh at the same time, and his band's energetic performance promises to bring the audience along for the ride.

Pete performs two sets, one each in Sessions 1 and 3, with guest vocalist Heather O'Brien of Spokane's 6' Swing.



HOT CLUB OF SPOKANE performs HOT JAZZ, influenced by New Orleans and Paris, taking cues from jazz greats such as Django Reinhardt, Louis Prima, Louis Armstrong, and Jelly Roll Morton. Although named in honor of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, audiences quickly discover that Hot Club of Spokane is not a traditional gypsy jazz string ensemble. Hot Club of Spokane enjoys the musical diversity of not only strings, provided by Andrew Wilson (violin), Kim Plewniak (bass), and Garrin Hertel (rhythm guitar), but also brass, performed by Michael Lenke (trumpet, flugelhorn), reeds, performed by Robert Folie (alto and baritone sax) and Dayan Kai (clarinet and tenor sax), as well as vocals, sung by lead vocalist Abbey Crawford. The band also welcomes an exciting array of guest musicians on lead guitar, reeds, and accordion. Such diversity allows the band to infuse as much hot New Orleans Jazz into their arrangements and performances as they do the swingin’ sounds of World War II-era Paris.

Since forming in 2007, Hot Club of Spokane has shared the stage with exciting musicians and bands such as Matt Munisteri, the Pete Krebs Trio, Hot Club of New Orleans, and Andreas Oberg, and they have opened for swing favorites The Stolen Sweets and The Hot Club of Cowtown. Hot Club of Spokane has also hit the most popular venues in the region, large and small, including The Knitting Factory Concert House, The Martin Woldson Theatre at The FOX, The Panida Theatre in Sandpoint, ID, and Spokane’s hottest music night spot, Club ZOLA.

Hot Club of Spokane also joins forces with other local, regional, and national jazz and swing musicians, including their friends in music, perennial local favorite, 6’ Swing, to promote and perform in the annual Think SWING! Jazz and Blues Festival, founded and organized by Hot Club of Spokane bandleader Garrin Hertel.

6' SWING: Regardless of where they play, whether it’s a swanky night club like the Peacock Room at the Davenport Hotel or a vintage dance floor like the second floor theatre at CenterStage, 6’ Swing entices even the most timid toe tapper to rise up and cut the rug. Founded in Spring of 2007, they’ve become one of the most sought after small ensemble jazz bands in Spokane, playing shows or parties nearly every weekend.

Named the best band by the Pacific Northwest Inlander’s reader’s poll two years in a row, The Inlander describes their music as, “very tight, bouncy and perfect for the kind of acrobatic dancing you’d imagine would accompany it." 6' Swing will be opening for festival headliners The Shanghai Woolies.