19-Piece Compaq Big Band w/ Vocalist Bella Holtz at Swing City

When:
Saturday, Mar 08, 2025 9:00p -
Sunday, Mar 09, 2025 12:00a

Where:
Swing City
680 Huron Avenue
Cambridge, MA 01238

EventScheduled OfflineEventAttendanceMode

Admission:
$20pp

Hosted by:
alsaloky Al Saloky

Categories:
Date Idea, Good for Groups, Meetup, Music

Event website:
https://www.compaqbigband.com/250308.php

Late (hopefully near-done…) New England winter blahs? Something to celebrate more sunshine comin’ on Daylight Savings Time Eve? Haven’t been able to find a swing dance event that has a great, authentic-size big band, a fabulous vocalist, a terrific sound system, AND *BOTH* a FREE Beginner Lindy Hop/Swing Bootcamp Workshop, AND a group-friendly swing lesson included in admission? WOW!!! Spring ahead with the 19-piece Compaq Big Band on Saturday March 8th when we return to New England’s longest running - and in our opinion *THE BEST* - public, commercial swing dance in the region, Swing City!  


The band plays 9:00pm-12:00am. Beginner Hindy Hop/Swing Bootcamp Workshop 6:30pm-8:00pm (https://www.facebook.com/events/469359116114436). Group-friendly beginner lesson 8:00pm-9:00pm included in admission to the dance (no entry between 8:15pm-9:00pm, please). Both the workshop and lesson are led by expert swing instructors. Come early and stay all evening, or just drop by later for the last couple of sets if you’d like. More info at www.swingcityboston.com.


Admission is just $20pp – at the door, Cash Only, please. Swing City is held at the West Cambridge Youth Center located at 680 Huron Avenue in Cambridge, Massachusetts. That’s situated on the northwestern side of Cambridge, only 3.5 miles from the Alewife ‘T’ station, with easy access via Route 2 from points north, south, and west of Boston. SC has a spacious dance floor, and water & soft drinks are available for cash purchase.

 

There’s free parking, on-street or in the small municipal lot across the road.


Swing City is famous for being inclusive, welcoming singles, couples, collegiate swing dance club members, and meetup groups. Dancers of all ages and experience levels have flocked to SC for decades, and you’ll always find great partners, from novice to expert. Most importantly, just plain nice people. And, SC’s always been faithful to their rich tradition of booking terrific swing bands - from New England and beyond.  


Casual clothing with proper shoes for the dance floor are fine. Vintage attire is totally optional - wear what’s comfy for you.

Especially if you’re new to swing dancing – or even just want to take it on a short ‘test drive’ - Swing City is *THE* iconic dance to environment to dip your toe in the water.  


Fronting the band on March 8th will be Bella Holtz, enjoying a second long-term stint with us, channelin’ Diane Schuur, Ella Fitzgerald, Natalie Cole, and more. We’ll also be hittin’ the audience with some of our best instrumental arrangements, too. Think Sammy Nestico, Frank Foster, Billy Strayhorn… 


Bella Holtz has deep New England jazz roots, including vocal studies at the Vermont Jazz Center with the likes of Sheila Jordan, Jay Clayton, and Peter Eldridge, and stage time with Samirah Evans, Charles Neville, and Houston Person. After performing extensively with the Compaq Big Band from 2011 to 2014 as our feature vocalist, Bella moved to Oakland, California for several years, where appearances with both San Franciso’s SFJAZZ Monday Night Band (full big band) and Sidenote acapella octet awaited. Fortunately for us, Bella’s been back from the West Coast for a few years now, and is a wonderful addition to our rotation of ultra-talented New England- and New York City-based jazz vocalists, and also appears with Keene Jazz Orchestra.


Just as with our first gig at the 'old' Swing City in the 1990s (the West Cambridge VFW at the same street address, with the rocket ship out front...) our sets will be *100% DANCEABLE SWING* – mostly medium, some a little slower, some a little faster. But, *NO BALLROOM, LATIN, OLDIES, ROCK, OR POP!* mixed in. 


Those great sets of will, of course, contain several original arrangements of compositions from the Golden Age of big bands that anchor the evening, but we’ll enhance the dance as only the Compaq Big Band can by mixing in some more modern - and more hip - arrangements of the Great American Songbook and much more! It all adds up to approachable treatments of swingin' tunes you all know.


Another hallmark of our swing dance performances is an organized, no-nonsense approach to minimizing the time between tunes. Also note that we’re a FULL 19-piece big band: 14 horns + 4 rhythm + vocalist.

 

Dancers also appreciate that on every one of our gigs we utilize our own professional, comprehensive, state-of-the-art traveling sound system, operated from start to finish of the event by our very experienced, full-time engineer. That means you’ll hear Bella, the instrumental soloists, and the entire ensemble, very clearly.  

All of this is presented with the band’s passion for production excellence unmatched by other regional competitors.


Check out www.compaqbigband.com | FB: ‘Compaq Big Band’ & 'Swing City' | IG: compaqbigband

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