Thu 30 Apr 2009
Pictures are probably worth a thousand words and this show was a strange and beautiful thing. I am proud that our little album is now available in Best Buy stores all along the east coast and wherever we may travel! Hopefully this will all amount to something…
Tin Pan at the Best Buy in Chelsea - April 29th
Stefan takes a walk out on to the street.
Stefan on the elevator coming up from rocking the basement.
Stefan rolling around on the floor. Somethings just have to happen.
For sale.
Mon 27 Apr 2009
I only met Frankie Manning once but he made a huge impression on me the same way that any seemingly enlightened individual will make.
The context: I was taking swing dance lessons at Sandra Cameron in 2001. I had been there about six months and was taking a few classes a week. I was really into it and doing well but still very green and didn’t really know anyone in the scene. The first time I even heard about Frankie Manning was when the buzz at the school was that he was going to teach a special class and I would be a fool to miss it. I don’t fancy myself a fool so I signed up.
First Impression: Frankie was in his late 80’s at the time. Already older than both of my late grandfathers and yet he had a vitality, agility and magnetism that filled the room. I saw him dancing and noticed immediately the astounding economy of motion that he possessed. He was so graceful and seemed to be hardly doing anything even as his body was outlining wonderful shapes and his feet we sparkling the floor. My first impression was that of a Tai Chi Master or smiling monk.
The Class: I was just a beginner dancer at the time but knew that I was hooked after that class. His generosity and his level of instruction were generous and universal. I mean that he was giving basic universal truths about dancing and motion that were useful to everyone in the room regardless of level. I find this is also true of the greatest spiritual masters. Everything they teach is applicable no matter where you are on the path.
The biggest take away that I wish more dancers would respect: “Men, Get Low!” Use your knees. The woman is your queen. You want to get low enough so that you are always looking up to her. Get Low! Get Low! This was his big message of the day. His other message was for the ladies, “Ladies, even if you don’t want to be dancing with this guy… he’s down there treating you like a queen. Give him a show. Use it…”
Frankie, I only met you once but I can see how the whole world of lindy-hop revolves around your smile, your grace and your swagger! Be well! It seemed to me that you lived a life as if you were already in heaven. Carry on!
Thu 23 Apr 2009
We all had a great time last night at MarieBelle Sweets. This room is something else. No wonder those Lincoln Center guys are so attracted to it. Acoustically, it is really happening. You can whisper and everyone there will hear you. Think about that for a second. To me, the compelling part of music is dynamic shifts. When we play in the park the softest we can play and still communicate with people is actually quite loud. To add a huge realm of soft, softer and softest to the areas we can explore makes the possibilities for drama that much greater. At one point last night I was just blowing air throw my mouthpiece and getting the faintest harmonic overtone and everyone in the room was aware of it. Stefan within an eight bar stretch went from a faint hiss to a volcanic roar. That’s drama.
And there’s chocolate. The room is so elegant. Its formal but its not stuffy. Somehow the smell of the chocolate and the delightful elegance of all the chocolates and the chocolate drinks get everyone to a pretty endorphined-out state that is very warm, far from stuffy, and quite attractive really. A delightful evening.
It’s all the kind of place where certain fans can make reservations and come hang out. We all got a chance to relax with some folks who had only seen us in the park. They came out to this show and now I feel like I have a few new friends that I will be happy to bump into again and share stories. You know who you are! Hi!!
It looks like we will be back every month or so. The feeling in the room after our performance was that we deserve all the recognition we’re getting right now and more! From your lips to god’s ears, MarieBelle Sweets.
Wed 22 Apr 2009
Happy to announce that we will be performing every Monday night for two months straight (July and August) at Pete’s Candy Store in Williamsburg. This is a very special room that they made out of what appears to be a boxcar. The stage is and the room make for a great and intimate listening environment. A lot of really interesting bands like Howard Fishman have had residencies here so we are also in good company.
The big idea is that we plan to record and release a live album culled from the best morsels of our 9 sets there. It’s an ideal combination of good acoustics, a listening crowd and a room that is intimate enough where we don’t need any microphones or PA to distort of natural sound. So, just an announcement for now but also a preview of good live and recorded music to come.
Tue 21 Apr 2009
Some new info and an incriminating photo of actual Edward Forty-Hands participants. Please see the following update: http://tinpanbluesband.com/wordpress/?p=440
Sun 19 Apr 2009
A completely tiny post written from the cargo hold of a rental moving van. Clifton is Dj-ing, Rob is driving, Stef is laying on his back, groaning with his head resting against the bass. We’re driving to Ithaca to do radio show and then a gig later tonight at the lost dog. This is our first multi-city tour albeit only two cities long. We’re holding up pretty good.
Totally fun last night at Stompolgy. I won’t go too much into detail as I am moving in a moving van. Great dancers – especially back at Mike Theibault’s house (aka the Lindy Compound). The large rooms are great but the house parties are just magical. Folks are looser.
Some people were askng us to play “San” because they had seen Eve’s YouTube video. We started to do it our regular stupid-fast tempo but were immediately shut down by a great dancer (David Thurber) who was just flat out too drunk to dance that fast, “nope. No. That is not gonna happen. I was Edward Forty-Hands a minute ago.” We started it positively glacially compare to what we usually do with the whole band singing. Soon the whole room was singing along! Awesome. (David is on the right in this photo pictured with fellow ScissorHand, Mike Faltesek. Thanks for the photo, Michelle!)
Quick shout-outs to Lizza and her folks for hooking us up with such a confortable place to stay the night! Thanks! Also to Michelle and Beth for getting us on board to play and to T-bow for the late night! So much fun thanks.
Tin pan, the band that played at the Saturday night dance. They were a fantastic Jazz band that knew how to play some groovy tunes and didn’t just play crazy fast lindy hop music. YAY! The singer had an Amazing Voice!! Then when we showed up for the late night we found out the Tin Pan had decided to come play for us! I was so happy, because unfortunately the first late night was a bit disappointing as they were still playing fast lindy music at 2:30 am. Crazy lindy hoppers!
Mon 6 Apr 2009
Such madness! All the stars aligned to make this a perfect day: the first beautiful day after many days of rain, the first Sunday in April. My family was in town and I had my sisters, brother and little nephews to share the day. This tune is called “San” and its about as fast an silly as we get. Props to Eve Polich at Avalon Jazz for the clip! Featured here: Stefan Zeniuk – leaping clarineto!, Jesse Selengut – screaming trumpet blat, Clifton Hyde – machine gun fire, Dr. Cassidy Holdin’ it down – thank goodness.
Sat 4 Apr 2009
Tonight was the monumental world premier of our version of the Joey Reynold’s Show Theme Song. It occurred at precisely 1:44am on live national radio. We had been tossing around ideas for about a month. We were asked to write something for him on our first appearance on the show about a month ago and knew that we had to have it done by tonight. Necessity is the mother of invention and deadlines are inspirational to get the crap ideas out of the way.
I pieced the song together in my head on the way to our afternoon gig at the Long Island Rail Road station and sang it to Clifton and Cassidy. By the time Stefan arrived we had the whole thing nearly assembled. Stefan added his growly snarly sound and Clifton added a sweet little background part that echoed “Sherry Baby,” a song dear to the heart of the Joey Reynolds mythology. The lyrics of our ditty…
Joey Reynolds.
You stole my girl.
You told me how
I’d never get her back again.
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