Tonight we take our inspiration from Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers and their appearance in the obscure film, Hellzapoppin’ (1941).  Who were Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, you ask?  Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers were a dance troupe formed by the inimitable promoter Herbert “Whitey” White back in 1935 in Harlem.  The group  featured none other than late, great Frankie “Musclehead” Manning and other legendary dancers such as Frankie’s partner Ann Johnson, Al Minns and Norma Miller.  These cats were the bomb, they wrote the book and this routine is off the hook!  Frankie himself pioneered/invented air steps back in the 1930s.   For those of you who haven’t seen this classic routine, it inspires and humbles us and we like to watch it over and over again here.

If you were around last year, you know that in the Summer, we think of Summer movie blockbusters and we’ve tried to find a few movies to use as themes for our dances. This movie is a monster, it’s top-of-the-heap, A-number-1 of all vintage Lindy Hop routines caught on film, check it out…enjoy. (FYI: Frankie is the dancer in the overalls who get’s his butt kicked by his partner Ann Johnson).

[Please note: this night was moved from June 24th…not a mistake on our site]

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00 midnight
General Admission: $10
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $8

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

“The Dixie Chick” is definitely a head-scratcher of a theme, you’re probably thinking Alex is out of his tree by suggesting that we swing dance to the Dixie Chicks.  Well actually, he was torn with indecision on whether he’d like to introduce us to some of his awesome remastered versions of Chick Webb…or feature some of his great Dixieland jazz… Ahhh the thought processes of great DJs, always wanting to turn us on to their latest treasures and we, of course, wanted to hear both.   So we asked him to mash up Chick Webb with Dixieland, and thus, “The Dixie Chick” was born.

You might wonder- who was Chick Webb?  Good thing we’re here to answer that question. Chick Webb was a drummer and big band leader of Savoy Ballroom house band.  His band would often have Battle of the Bands with such notable bands as Count Basie, Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington.  And more often than not, the dancers at the Savoy would pick his band as the winner for the evening.  Chick’s band also featured a teenage Ella Fitzgerald giving the legend her start in the music business.

Who are the Dixie Chicks?  Do we really care?

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $10
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $8

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

Tonight, Boston Swing Central welcomes the International String Trio to the Crosby Whistle Stop for their debut dance.  The International String Trio is a Gypsy jazz combo led by guitarist, Slava Tolstoy.  Check these cats out.   We’ve got a virtuosic violin player from England, an equally talented Russian guitarist, and a bass player who is Asian who spent time in Australia before converging in the International String Trio.  Three players, 14-strings in total makes for a  unique take on Djangology.

Lesson: 8pm-9pm (included with admission)
Dancing: 9pm to 12 midnight
Admission: $13 (general), $10 (students and seniors with valid ID)

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

No, the Lemonade Stand is not a new jazz combo gracing our venue…even better!  It’s exactly what you think it is, a full-blown Lemonade Stand, with fresh squeezed lemonade to parch our heatwave-strained brains.  So c’mon out, enjoy the libations…

…and dig the summer good vibrations supplied by the Shawn Hershey Quartet…it’s been a while since we’ve had Shawn play for us with his smaller combo, and we’re really looking forward to it!

Lesson: 8pm-9pm (included with admission)
Dancing: 9pm to 12 midnight
Admission: $15 (general), $13 (students and seniors with valid ID)

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

Boston Swing Central is ready for a great 4th of July weekend, and to kick things off we’re hosting a night of All-American Swing on Friday, July 1st. That means that the Bjork, Swedish and French songs DJ RetroMike occasionally plays will have to wait another day…for tonight we’re going to be true to the Red, White & Blue and only play American artists! Americans like Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Sidney Bechet (who sounds French but is as American as apple pie). So, come on out and celebrate all that is American with American music and an American dance: The Lindy Hop!

We will also have a special guest DJ tonight, Hether “LadyBlues” Samuels from New York City will be spinning for us!

Wear red, white, blue or all three on any combination on this night!

Lesson: 8pm to 9pm (included in price of admission)

Dancing: 9pm to 12pm

Admission: $10 General Admission, $8 for Students and Seniors

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

Sorry for the last minute rescheduling of this theme, but we had a special request from one of our House Managers (Wayne) to support a worthy cause.  So tonight, BSC is donating a portion of tonight’s admission to:  Love146.  This will not cost you anything extra, same dance price for a night of excellent DJing. Speaking of which, tonight we have DJs Cara Ball & Tina Desorcy back to spin for us.

And we will also have a bunch of new dancers showing up to participate in this fundraiser, so come on out and welcome them and help them raise awareness and funds to fight child sex slavery, which is a growing problem around the world.

Love146 was started in 2002 with the purpose of preventing child sex slavery and rescuing and providing survivors of child sex slavery with quality aftercare. It has programs and aftercare houses in the US, Europe and Asia. More info can be found on www.love146.org.

Tread on Trafficking was originated by the Love146 Boston Task Force. ToT is a virtual event that happens across the globe beginning May 1st, 2011. Those who “tread on trafficking” put their foot down to raise awareness about child sex slavery and funds to care for survivors and those vulnerable to exploitation. Treaders ask sponsors to support them for the number of miles or hours they spend running, swimming, biking or working out in some form over the eight week period of May and June. All proceeds benefit Love146.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $10
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $8

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

It’s been  a while since we’ve been lucky enough to have Josh Fialkoff and his groovy, funky soulful swing outfit J Street on our stage.  Tonight, we’ll welcome him back to the Whistle Stop.  Josh will regale us with his buttery croon, his clever, interesting and decidedly curveball cover songs and some his wonderful interpretations of the classics.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

Boston Swing Central is excited for the debut of the Phil McGowan Quintet.  A band of hot players assembled by a sometimes drummer for Baby Soda.  Phil’s concept is centered around his electrifying drumming and some hot guitar playing…so we’re thinking that this will be jumping in the vein of Glenn Crytzer and his Syncopators or Jonathan Stout and his Campus 5…we’re sitting on the edge of our seats with our feet tapping in anticipation! 

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

Tonight, Boston Swing Central is relocating to Springstep for the evening (we have a weekend-long, Tango marathon borrowing the Whistle Stop). Sorry if this presents any inconvenience, be sure not to show up at the Whistle Stop tonight as we won’t be there…

Also note that 93 will be closed at the Springstep exit, we recommend taking 38 up to Medford Center or Rt 28 to Rt 60 and then down to Springstep, sorry for any inconveniences this may cause.

Anyhow, we’re happy to have DJs Gina Helfrich and Micki Balder giving us their handpicked best old classics played by new bands. Simply put, they will be selecting some tracks by new bands like Glenn Crytzer, Boilermaker Jazz Band, Baby Soda, Jonathan Stout and many others that were once classics, but have been re-interpretted and re-recorded into new classics. We’re really looking forward to this night of hot jazz with chafalfah* on the side!

* Anyone know what chafalfah actually is? (this is from the song Frim-Fram Sauce originally by Nat King Cole)

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $10
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $8

Springstep
98 George P Hassett Dr
Medford, MA 02155

May 26, 1914 was the date Frankie Manning came into this world. If he was still alive today we would be celebrating his 97th Birthday this Friday night and most of us would likely be in New York at a special celebration. Sadly he passed away just shy of his 95th birthday.

But a great many of us will never forget him and his impact on our dancing lives. Who was Frankie Manning?

He was one of the original Lindy Hoppers who helped shape the dance back at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem in the 1930s. He was a member of the electrifying dance troupe, Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, who can be seen here in this clip from Hellzapoppin.

He was a dancer, choreographer, teacher and an inspiration, sharing his stories, his effervescent personality and joyous dance moves with a new generation of dancers at camps like Beantown and Herrang. He was a real first class act.

Tonight, we pay tribute to his memory by doing his favorite line dance, the Shim Sham. Here he is leading the dance in Houston from several years ago…

We’ve enlisted Tony & Aurelie Tye of Hop to the Beat studios and Beantown Dance Camp to teach the Shim Sham in our regularly scheduled lesson slot. If you’ve seen the Shim Sham performed and always wanted to learn it, now is your chance! Later on in the evening we’ll do a communal performance tribute to Frankie, and for those who knew him, we can give him some of our thoughts.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $10
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $8

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

Gordon Webster is back again, and this time he’s bringing the same line-up that he used to record his most recent CD, Live in Philly.  It’s an exciting album and an even more exciting band.  For one reason or another, he has not been able to bring this band to Boston Swing Central before, so we’re really really excited, even more so than usual.  This is his full-blown hot-jazz 7-piece band, trombone, trumpet, 2 vocalists, guitar, bass, drums and Gordon behind the 88-black & whites (and if you’re counting that, that adds up to 8, it’s because Jesse Selengut plays trumpet and sings in this lineup).  We will also be treated to Matt Musselman on trombone and Brianna Thomas on vocals.  An all-star Gordon Webster lineup!  And what a great way to spend a Friday in Mid-May!   I know, nothing is gettting between us and this dance…our calendar has been marked for months.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $17
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $15

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

We are happy to welcome back Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade.  Many of you will remember her from the Sweet & Lowdown.  This Friday she returns with the band she leads, the Bon Ton Parade, which promises to keep things lively and swinging with their reimagined 21st century Golden-age jazz.  You will leave with a smile on your face and a spring in your step.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

Boston Swing Central is excited to be offering a weekend “crash course” workshop for 2.5 hours on Sunday May 1st, 1pm-3:30pm. Perhaps you haven’t had time to take some Lindy Lessons during the week or maybe you always wanted to try Lindy Hop but were a little bit afraid, fear no more…We’re going to break it all down for you in simple easy steps. In this hands-on, intensive workshop we will start with Lindy Hop basics and progress to some partner Charleston moves to give you a little bit of flash on the floor.

Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland St
Charlestown, MA 02129

Yes, April is drawing to a close, baseball season has started and the Red Sox finally starting to win a few, and we’re looking forward to May flowers. A perfect chance for us to talk about a classic swing tune, “When I Get Low I Get High” as popularized by Ella Fitzgerald and Savoy Ballroom favorite Chick Webb & his Orchestra…listen here!

I’m sure it doesn’t take an ethnomusicologist to realize that this little ditty was written about drugs and flying high away from the blues. Well listening to it today, it is such an uplifting anthem that we’re going to use that as our mantra. As we hit the street this morning we’re going to think about it all day long until the dance… Then guest DJs Devona Cartier and Isaac Marx are going to pick up on this theme and take us“Hidey-hi-dee-hi” on Cab Calloway and other fine artists from the glory days of the Savoy Ballroom.  And we’re going to do it Nancy Reagan style…”Just say no to drugs”…AND…”Just say, Yes to swing”.  And I guarantee you they won’ t play this.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $10
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $8

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

Yee Haw!  Odessa Rose brings Western Swing back to Boston Swing Central for their 2nd appearance.  This past January, they wowed us and warmed our Cold Cold Hearts with some energetic fiddle-banjo-guitar playing and their down home back porch swing. 

Just in case you are unfamiliar with what Western Swing is, don’t worry,  it’s got nothing to do with West Coast Swing…it is the 1940s Texas interpretation of what Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and Count Basie were doing at the time.   Basically, cats like Spade Cooley and Bob Wills felt that if the Duke and the Count could swing, so could they.   Except they had pedal steel guitars instead of large horn sections.  With the Country and Western instrumentation in place, they played hot jazz country-fried, and country songs hot jazz-style and Western Swing as a genre of music was born.  We highly recommend you check out this blog to get more information on Western Swing…ahh haa!

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

Boston Swing Central is happy that this Friday marks the end of tax season!  And now we can enjoy Spring without that nagging specter of the taxman hanging over us like some college paper that needs writing.  To celebrate, tonight we have Cara Ball and Tina Desorcy back as our guest DJs.  Cara and Tina make a great dynamic duo and we’re looking forward to a wicked good time.  Both of them know how to light up our dance floor, and we’ll surely be leaving the high stress of all those 1099s, 1040s and schedules behind.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $10
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $8

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

Swing Legacy, a six piece little big band has been a fixture of the Boston swing scene since 1991, playing with the style and informed of the great big bands from the swing era. Their repertoire concentrates on classic big band swing music including many Duke Ellington and Count Basie numbers ideal for Lindy Hop and swing dancing. Much of their great catalog of songs showcases their phenomenal singer, Debby Larkin. It promises to be a night full of exciting original arrangements that will keep you dancing all night long!

Here’s a short story as told to us by their larger-than-life saxophone player, Ted Casher

(on right) Ted Casher

“I was gigging with Bo Winiker Orchestra at the Faneuil Hall Rotunda for a Wellesley College 10-year class reunion. Bo said that we could play anything we wanted, only as soft as possible! We were playing bebop tunes, the ladies were reuniting, when I noticed a tall, good-looking man listening intently, standing up against the wall. At the end of the set, he came up to me and asked, “Is that the new Dukoff mouthpiece? I’ve heard about it. Sounds good!”

We talked on—he was knowledgeable about reeds and mouthpieces, and I asked “Are you playing now? He answered, “Not much these days. I’m the Governor of Arkansas, and I don’t have time to practice.”

I then asked, “Wanna play?” He said, “Sure!”, and so I grabbed Bo and said “I’ve got a tenor player who wants to sit in—he’s the Governor of Arkansas.” Bo said “Sure”, and so I gave William Jefferson Clinton a spare strap and my tenor sax. I grabbed my alto, and we all played.

We played some blues, followed by “Perdido”, then “Take the A-Train.” You could tell that Bill had spent time with the instrument — he knew such minutae as the out-choruses to “Perdido” and “A-Train”. He also soloed well — didn’t make any blatant errors!

The alumnae were beginning to come up to the bandstand to watch him play, and after the set was over, a lady with brown wavy hair and big hexagonal glasses came up and said to him “You sounded great, Dear!” It was Hillary Rodham Clinton!

The next time I saw Bill Clinton, I was playing a fundraiser for him at the Parker House. And the next time, I was in DC with the Winiker Orchestra, playing lead alto at his Inauguration!”

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

Boston Swing Central is happy to have The Rusty Scott Trio back for his first appearance in our new space.  Yes, it’s been about a year since we last danced to Rusty Scott.  And this time we’ve asked him to play with guest vocalist Alicia Wagner.   Rusty is a soulful and groovy pianist who has been a fixture on the Boston jazz scene for some time and has played for us on several occasions.  Check out their versions of Night Train and Tuxedo Junction.  His playing reminds us of a little bit of Jimmy Smith and Gene Harris combined.   Alicia is a semi-regular dancer at Boston Swing Central who also happens to be an accomplished jazz vocalist.  We’re very excited for her to join the Rusty Scott Trio as their styles complement each other quite well.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

It’s the beginning of April and as the luck of the calendar would have it, Friday is April 1st, April Fool’s Day.  A day for a merry prankster (like the staff of the BSC) and the Jailhouse 5+2, who happily agreed to be our musical Court Jesters for the evening.  Juggling quartertones with a rapacious delight, the Jailhouse 5+2 display their formidable sense of humor as they swing with a 1920s speakeasy gangster swagger…AND THUS…

…if you have not seen the Jailhouse 5+2, they are a 7-piece (hence the 5+2, simple arithmetic my friend) combo which are informed by New Orleans, Hot Jazz , Dixieland and the lawless era of the 1920s!  Now that’s a mouthful!  And when you hear that ole banjo and those horns come marchin’ in, you will be transported back to the day when Bonnie & Clyde galavanted the countryside from Texas to Minnesota knocking off gas stations and mom and pop general stores.  And we ain’t joking, we’re just April Fools…

…which concidentally (or not so), this day also happens to mark the 3rd Anniversary of Boston Swing Central!  Yeah, can you believe it?!  In a short 3 years: we’ve run hundreds of dances, moved into the Whistle Stop, brought you the finest swing music this side of the Mississippi and we just can’t wait for you to experience all of what we’ve got planned!  Come celebrate with us (so we don’t have to pat ourselves on the back, now that would be really foolish).

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

The Mad Hatter and the March Hare invite you to share a cup of some Earl Grey or Darjeeling…and perhaps a swing or two or three or seventeen, after all switching places at their table is sort of like the mechanics of a typical dance.  Tea Time!  Change partners! 

The dormouse will most likely sleep through most of tonight’s dance, but you won’t.  Yes, it’s our tribute to Alice in Wonderland…and in particular, Chapter 7.  But don’t worry we won’t ask you too many perplexing riddles such as “Why is a raven like a writing desk?”  We will however surprise and regale you with the finest of the swing canon!  A veritible stacked deck of popular tunes from the 1930’s and 1940’s that will be guaranteed to put white roses in eyes of the Queen of Hearts.

…and just so you don’t ask us, Lewis Carroll provided us with an answer, “Because it can produce a few notes, though they are very flat; and it is never put with the wrong end in front!”.   Which makes some sense to possibly only the Mad Hatter and us, and therein lies the key to the riddle of what exactly we’re getting on about with tonight’s theme..

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $10
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $8

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

Boston Swing Central welcomes back, local Diva extraordinaire, Toni Lynn Washington. Toni Lynn rocked the the Crosby Whistle Stop on several occasions last year.   And we are looking forward to her hearing her soulful voice and her deep grooves this Friday. She is a local legend, an institution, a master, a treasure, and the hottest blues diva in New England!  Not to be missed!

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

Keeping up our relentless schedule of great live music, we’re happy to welcome back The Swing Legacy! It has been almost a year since we had this six-piece little big band play for us, and this will be their debut at the Crosby Whistle Stop.

Swing Legacy has been a fixture of the Boston swing scene since 1991, playing with the polish and powerful beat of the great big bands from the swing era. Their repertoire concentrates on classic big band swing music including many Duke Ellington and Count Basie numbers ideal for Lindy Hopping. Many songs showcase their phenomenal singer Debby Larkin. It promises to be a night full of exciting original arrangements that will keep you dancing all night long!

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

Sinti Rhythm and their twin-guitar attack, hot gypsy jazz band are back! And it’s a Saturday, so you’re wondering, what gives?  Boston Swing Central has partnered with Blues Cafe to put on a special dance which will be Balboa-friendly, in support of the Bobby & Kate workshops.

They are also bringing guest vocalist, Charlotte Jordan this time out, so we’re looking for something a little different than their last several appearances at Boston Swing Central. Sinti really loves playing for dancers, and we love them. What’s not to love about a Django Reinhardt tribute band? If you don’t know what they sound like you can check them out here.

Balboa Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

Baby Soda Jazz Band returns to BSC! And once again, our cup runneth over with anticipation. The last time they played for us, the Whistle Stop steamed with energy…they blew us away, and nobody wanted to go home! Their heart-pounding brand of hobo street jazz sends us into the stratosphere! The energy of their horn section, a mere trumpet and trombone was like a herd of happy elephants. And the one-string that bassist Peter plucks is more than enough to keep us moving and grooving all night long. Minimalism at it’s most perfect. Listen to them here.

So mark your calendar; we are! We will also welcome Bobby & Kate for a weekend of Balboa workshops at the Crosby Whistle Stop, they’ll do a demo performance for us, and grace us with their awesome presence.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $17
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $15

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129