July 10, 2024
Hello, Friends!
We hope that you and your family had an enjoyable Independence Day weekend, and I am delighted to report that Swingtime has already kicked things into high gear as we roll on with our summer 2024 Tri-State concert tour. We received a most enthusiastic response on Sunday at the Madison Theatre to our fun new program, SWINGIN’ ON THE SILVER SCREEN, and let me remind you that you have one more opportunity to hear us perform that special program…
Later this month, we head north for our 16th consecutive appearance at the renowned Music Mountain Festival in Falls Village, CT, on Sat., July 27 (7pm). It’s always rewarding for us to play in the air-conditioned comfort of Music Mountain’s acoustically marvelous Gordon Hall, and we return there once again for their impressive ‘Saturday Jazz' series. For those of you who plan to be up in that area in late July, I strongly encourage you to take this opportunity to come hear us in this idyllic setting (just south of the Berkshires)! Tickets for this special program (featuring cinematic hits from the Great American Songbook and a special 100th birthday tribute to Henry Mancini!) are on sale now, and going fast, so please get yours today: Ticket details and directions.
Prior to that—and a little closer to home base—we eagerly anticipate our return to Manhattan’s Upper East Side for Carl Schurz Park’s ‘Summer Sounds’ Concert Series on Wednesday, July 17 (7pm). We have performed annually on this gorgeous promenade overlooking the East River since 2010, and our audience has grown tremendously during that time. We can’t wait to see all our friends and fans in NYC for this show, which also celebrates the Carl Schurz Park Conservancy’s 50th Anniversary! (Please note: there is a rain date of Thurs., July 18, but we are keeping fingers crossed that we won’t need it!) Click HERE for more details.
When we return from Music Mountain, we head out to Suffolk County for the ‘eastern leg’ of our 2024 tour on Tuesday, July 30 (7pm) for the Rocky Point Summer Concert Series at the St. Anthony of Padua R.C. Church on Rt 25A. We are most excited to be back once again for our 11th appearance on this wonderful community series, presented by the North Shore Youth Council and County Legislator Chad Lennon, with generous sponsorship from Suffolk County. Click HERE for more details.
And last, but certainly NOT least!... We finish our summer season of public concerts with our long-awaited return to the Brooklyn Public Library’s Plaza Swing Series on Wed., August 7 (7pm)! Prior to the pandemic, we played annually on this series from 2011 through 2019, and it was always one of our favorite gigs because of the amazing swing dancers who would turn up to strut their stuff in front of the band! So, we are especially excited to be back on the plaza at the main branch of the BPL, and we look forward to feeding off the energy of the dancers as they spin, swing and sway to our performances of classics from the Swing Era and the Great American Songbook! Click HERE for more details.
In keeping with our annual tradition, all our summer programs will feature a salute to our Veterans and the Troops, plus, we also recognize the 100th birthdays of important artists who created this essential art form. In addition to legendary film composer Henry Mancini’s centennial, we also pay tribute to superstar vocalist Sarah Vaughan, prolific composer/arranger Sammy Nestico, and dynamic vibraphonist/bandleader Terry Gibbs (who is still alive and well in sunny Southern California!). We hope you will add one or more of these dates to your calendar, plus you can always check out the schedule page on our website).
We look forward to seeing you soon at an upcoming concert, and I encourage you to please come say hello at intermission or after the show (and also check out our ‘merch table’ where you can pick up some Swingtime ‘swag’ to take home with you!). In the meantime, we hope you stay cool and enjoy your summer!
Swingingly yours,
