"The Ladies Who Swung The Bands"

Our overall theme for 2012 will be a celebration of the lives and music of the many women – musicians, arrangers, singers, composers and bandleaders - who helped shape the first 40 years of jazz development. Our title, "The Ladies Who Swung The Bands", refers to a tune written by the great Mary Lou Williams, pianist and arranger for Andy Kirk & His Twelve Clouds Of Joy. Other female musicians whose work we plan to feature include Lil Armstrong, Lovie Austin, Una Mae Carlisle, Blanche Calloway, Dolly Armenra, Lee Morse, Valaida Snow, Hadda Brooks, Thelma Terry, Julia Lee, Lillie Delk Christian and Eva Taylor.

Other concert themes under consideration include King Oliver’s Dixie/Savannah Syncopators; Jimmie Noone Tribute; Red Nichols' Five Pennies/Red & His Big Ten; Halfway House Orchestra; Sidney Bechet Tribute; The 1937 Benny Goodman Orchestra; New Orleans Rhythm Kings; Giants Of Boogie Woogie; Frankie Trumbauer Orchestra; Jack Teagarden; Bix & The Whoopee Makers; Al Bowlly Tribute; McKinney’s Cotton Pickers; Banjo Virtuosi; Fats Waller Piano Solos; Red McKenzie Tribute; Benny Carter & The Chocolate Dandies; The Lyttelton-Bell Recordings; Sing Me A Torch Song; Eddie Lang/Lonnie Johnson Duets; The 1926 Red Hot Peppers Sessions; Clifford "Ukulele Ike" Edwards; Salute To Teddy Wilson; Encore, Billie! Louis Armstrong’s Fifty Hot Choruses For Trumpet; Jimmy Bertrand’s Washboard Wizards – and more!