On Oct 9th, 2004, in New York, Frank Foster and his 12-piece Swing Plus Band will be joined by Junior Mance, Earl May, Barbara Morrison, Benny Powell, Irene Reid, Dennis Rowland, Clark Terry, Frank Wess and Joe Wilder to celebrate Count Basies Centennial at The Basie Centennial Ball. This incomparable lineup will reunite Basie's music with the dance it inspired: the Lindy Hop -- the original swing dance that evolved in Harlem during the late 20's.
New York, NY (PRWEB) June 23, 2004 -- On Oct 9th, 2004, Columbia University's Roone Arledge Auditorium will be the setting for a magical trip back in time as Frank Foster and his 12-piece Swing Plus Band are joined by several Count Basie Orchestra veterans and other jazz greats including: Junior Mance, Earl May, Barbara Morrison, Benny Powell, Irene Reid, Dennis Rowland, Clark Terry, Frank Wess and Joe Wilder. The event is the Basie Centennial Ball where this incomparable lineup will reunite Basie's music with the dance it inspired: the Lindy Hop -- the original swing dance that evolved in Harlem during the late 20's. 900+ dancers and jazz aficionados are expected to attend.
"Count Basie's music is made for dancing. It's more than just playing notes on a page," says Frank Foster. "We feed off of what the dancers are doing on the floor and they pick up on what we're doing on the bandstand, and next thing you know the night has flown by and you've never played better."
The evening is being co-produced by Jelly Roll Productions, a group of dancers committed to cultivating both lindy hop and live jazz by providing high quality dance events at affordable costs. They've produced events with influential jazz musicians such as the Junior Mance, Ray Bryant, Benny Powell, Earl May, Eddie Locke, Dave Glasser and John Bunch. Their ultimate goal is to reunite the music and the dance by making great live jazz music accessible to dancers and introducing (or reintroducing) jazz artists to the unique creative outlet of playing for dancers.
"This is a minor miracle what Yehoodi.com and Jelly Roll Productions are doing," said jazz historian and WKCR radio personality Phil Schaap, who is also on the Basie Centennial Ball Advisory Board. "To have a beautiful ballroom filled with hundreds of dancers of all ages dancing to the sounds of Basie is something I did not think would happen again on this grand a scale. I'm excited to be a part of it personally and I'm proud that WKCR is a sponsor."
This occasion also marks the sixth anniversary of Yehoodi.com, which has for the past six years dedicated its efforts to fostering the global lindy hop community, online and off. Founded by dancers for dancers, Yehoodi.com receives thousands of visits a week from around the world and is now managed by a volunteer staff of over seven administrators and various technical advisors covering news, calendar events, a discussion board and a 24/7 internet radio show, all focused on this classic, American dance.
"We're thrilled to be celebrating our sixth anniversary with this once-in-a-lifetime event," said Manu Smith, co-founder of Yehoodi.com. "To have the legendary Frank Foster lead a band made up of so many living legends is a dream come true for jazz aficionados and dancers alike."
The Roone Arledge Auditorium is located at Columbia University in Alfred Lerner Hall, 2920 Broadway (114th Street) and features a 9,000 square-foot dance floor. Admission is $40 online at www.Basie100.com until October 4th and $49 at the door. Admission for students and seniors (65+) is $30 and must show ID at the door. This event is produced with the kind support of Columbia University Swing, Legacy Recordings, Verve Music Group and WKCR NY and the William J. Basie Trust.
Contact: Frank Dellario, Yehoodi.com, (718) 599-2591 / frankyboy@yehoodi.com
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