'Cuz that's how we roll.
Main Music Schedule Map of Events Housing T-Shirts Art Fair

Bands

The Glenn Tucker Quartet
Comprised of highly talented musicians of the U. Michigan School of Music, the Glenn Tucker Quartet (comprised of Glenn Tucker, an accomplished jazz pianist, a saxophonist and clarinet player, Sean Dobbins on the drums, and Jordan Schug on the bass) draw their influences from the greats of the swing era, including Count Basie, Chick Webb, Billie Holiday, and Duke Ellington. Glenn Tucker himself has worked with some of Michigan's most popular swing musicians such as James Dapogny, Phil Ogilvie's Rhythm Kings, and The Easy Street Jazz Band. We are all very excited to have them play us this weekend!

Phil Ogilvie's Rhythm Kings (P.O.R.K)
These guys play some of the hottest jazz Ann Arbor has to offer. A 20's and 30's style dance orchestra playing the original arrangements of the famous bands of the jazz age - Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Jelly Roll Morton, Bix Beiderbecke, and much more! Seriously, these guys are HOT and extremely popular among the swing dancers in Ann Arbor and southeastern Michigan. It would be a shame if you came all the way out here and missed them, so finish out this fabulous weekend with us for one last amazing dance! Check them out for yourself at their MySpace page.


DJs

Kristine Garby (Chicago, IL)
Kristine works as a graphic designer so she can afford her addiction to swing and blues dancing. She has been dancing for 3 years in Chicago, travels for exchanges, and designs promotional materials for national dance events. She last DJ'ed at the Purdue exchange, LAFLX 2008. Give her a heads up if you're coming to Chicago and she'll tell you where to dance every night of the week. She is ridiculuously excited to be DJ'ing for Ann Arbor so please, please, please ask her to dance this weekend!!

Valerie Salstrom (Cleveland, OH)
Coming all the way from Cleveland, where she runs Get Hep Swing Ltd. and is the main organizer for the internationally known All Balboa Weekend, Valerie enthusiastically jumped on board when we mentioned we were looking for DJs. We Ann Arbor kids travel to Cleveland so much, it only makes sense that we have a piece of Cleveland in our exchange. We don't know what she has in store for us, but we've all agreed that it will probably be awesome.

Eduardo Rozo (Columbus, OH)
Eduardo is an all around geek has DJ-ed around the mid-west and as far away as New Mexico. He firmly believes that the classics are classics for a reason, so expect to hear lots of Louis, Ella, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson, and the like. His sets gear towards music with a lot of Ooomph, so people like Lou Rawls and Ernestine Anderson also show up frequently, and blues as exemplified by Nina Simone. If you like your music grounded and hard-pulling, you won't want to miss him!

Deor Orzame (Detroit, MI)
The only thing Deor loves more than music and dancing is his dog, Bishop. He's been in the swing scene for over a decade and he loves to pass on his passion to everyone he meets. From Jazz to Blues, from Soul to Motown, Deor's style of music and dancing has a true Detroit feel. Don't get him too excited. He might grab you for a dance and forget to change the track. Bastard!

JD Skinner (Flint, MI)
JD has been a part time ballroom/swing DJ since 1990, and has spun disks for numerous dance events in the mid-west. However, since he discovered Lindy Hop about 6 years ago, he has narrowed his choice of events closer to his passion for all the forms of swing and blues. He calls Big Band his favorite, but JD actually enjoys most all types of music. Born and raised in Flint, and at least for now, JD calls Flint home. When not out being the swing DJ, instructor, demonstrator, host or organizer of dance events, he tires to squeeze in his real life job as a controls engineer, and sidelines as a flight instructor, computer programmer and furniture maker/woodworker. You might also look for him on the mountain bike trails. Check him out at www.vehiclecityswing.com or just email him at DJ.Rocketman@yahoo.com.

Mike Van Andel (Lansing, MI)
Mike started swing dancing in Lansing a little over three years ago, and he has been hooked ever since. Over the years he has developed a finely hewn sense of music snobbery and in the process has gained a fairly extensive collection of vintage jazz and swing that he loves to share with everyone he can. Having alienated most of his friends that do not dance, he has embraced his dance geekiness and does whatever he can to dance whenever he can, provided he's not flat broke.

Ed Malloy (Pittsburgh, PA)
Ed grew up as a classical musician in a big town just outside a large eastern seaport. He practiced his violin and dutifully went to music camp every summer. But when he became a teenager, a "Pied Piper" visited his neighborhood and he was transported to the land of Jazz and Blues. He had a wonderful time there for a decade or so, until he had to grow up and get back into the rat race. In the past several years, Ed's been DJ-ing at Pittsburgh Blues and Swing dances using the knowledge that he gained as a musician in the 50's and 60's to create sets of music that can transport you back to that mythical swing city.

Adam Boehmer (Ann Arbor, MI)
Adam loves jazz. From the janky, thick-oiled jass of the 1920's to the solid, heavy-hitting big band of the 1930's, all the way up to the brush-smooth and effervescent pre-bop that backed the song stylists of the 1940's and 50's. He is inspired by Coleman Hawkins, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Jay McShann, Chick Webb, Anita O'Day, Sarah Vaughn, Jimmie Lunceford and Sidney Bechet, just to name a few. He adores thrift stores, dumpster-diving, kayaks and marmots. He oftentimes has a large beard and tight jeans.

Janna Kryscynski (Ann Arbor, MI)
If you remember Janna from her teaching days in the Ann Arbor swing scene, you must be "old school" (relatively speaking, of course). And if you don't remember her, come on up and introduce yourself and ask for a dance - she's always ready to make new swing friends! Janna's musical influences include Ella Fitzgerald (duh), Lou Rawls (mmmm), Nina Simone (mmm again) ... aw hell, you don't want to read an endless list of musicians, do you? She likes to watch you groove on the dance floor and plays music that makes you wanna. 'Nuff said.

Laura Morris (Ann Arbor, MI)
Laura loves her some jazz. Hot, cool, make ya move jazz. She's gotta have her Count, Duke, Bechet, Hines, Louie, Henderson, Ella, Lunceford, etc. etc. etc. What the heck, she loves her some blues too. Smokey and low down or hot and anxious. Yum. She serves it up varied and very fun.

Matteo Mannino (Ann Arbor, MI)
Matteo started dancing when a friend paid for his first series of classes, and has been addicted ever since. Matteo loves to dance because he loves music - especially swingin' jazz with a heavy, playful rhythm. He is inspired by all the greats, such as Chick Webb, Duke Ellington, Sidney Bechet, and Benny Goodman, to name a small few. Whether its fast and swingin' or slow and groovy, Matteo prefers to play a solid variety in his sets so that every tune stands out in its own unique way. He'd rather be dancing though, so ask him!