Arthur & The Tall Boys - Arthur & The Tall Boys was formed by 5 members of The J Street Jumpers to provide the best in swing at a more reasonable rate. Along with leader and saxophonist Charlie Hubel are guitarist Rusty Bogart, keyboardist and vocalist Arthur Gerstein, Bassist Adam Friedman and Drummer Jeff Lodsun, which provides well over 100 years of live band performance in this group. Playing many of the same songs as The J Street Jumpers with all of the enthusiasm and passion that made the original 9 piece group the most in demand swing band in the Baltimore/Washington area.

B.G. & The Mojo Hands is a dynamic, exciting Washington, DC based band that performs a variety of blues styles at various venues in the Mid-Atlantic region. The band is available for club engagements, swing dances, corporate functions, fundraisers, private parties, festivals, concerts and weddings. Whether you're looking for danceable Jump Blues, Texas Boogie, Swing, traditional Chicago or down home Delta Blues, this versatile band regularly performs their diverse mix of blues to enthusiastic audiences! The Mojo Hands distinguish themselves in another way, though; they really play with feeling! And that's what this type of music is all about.

Joseph Maher a/k/a "Big Joe" Maher has been a performing drummer/singer over past 30 years. His list of credits is like a "who’s who of blues & jazz," having performed at an early age in his high school jazz band "The Starliners" with the likes of greats like Clark Terry, Urbie Green, Mudell Lowe, James Moody, just to name a few. Thanks to Col. Joe Carley, a retired Air Force Colonel and Director of the Starliners, who knew all of these great musicians and invited them to sit in as guest performers often. After high school Joe went immediately on the road with his own jazz trio. His mission then started to become an accomplished singer/drummer. Over time he shared the stage and backed up musicians like Jimmy Witherspoon, Bullmoose Jackson, James "Thunderbird" Davis, Nappy Brown, Otis Rush, Earl King and more. In the late 80’s after performing with and managing nine piece swing band "The Uptown Rhythm Kings," and after a few years as drummer and touring with the Tom Principato Band, Joe formed his own 5 piece blues jump group "Big Joe & The Dynaflows." In between touring and local performances with the Dynaflows...

Big Tubba Mista is a seven piece swing band hailing from Harrisburg, PA. This veteran Swing act has created an amazing stir throughout the East and West Coasts, bringing their unique brand of Swing to audiences of all ages. If you're a fan of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Brian Setzer Orchestra, or Royal Crown Revue, you'll love Big Tubba Mista. Their hard-nosed, driving brand of Swing is sure to get you movin'!

“The band is not content to sit back and give note-for-note renderings of classics, even though the style sometimes requires it. Whether ripping through classics like “In the Mood” or raunchier numbers like “My Baby’s Puddin',” Big Tubba Mista seems more interested in giving the music an edge and keeping it lively.” “Smooth rhythms, a blast...

The Blue Comets are a Maryland based jump blues band, formed in 1992. Jump blues, the alternative music of the swing era of the 30's, 40's, and early 50's, provided the roots of present day Rock & Roll. Though the music of The Blue Comets is rooted in the jump era, the bands musical style has been self-described as Jazzabilly, taking stylistic influence from blues, swing, rockabilly, and jazz.

The Blue Comets perform covers from Louie Prima's "Jump Jive 'N Wail" and "Caldonia", to Louie Jordan's "Is You Is Or Ain't You Ain't My Baby", to the blues of Charlie Musselwhite's "She May Be Your Woman" as well as original songs. With the release of their new CD, The Blue Comets' roots and stylistic influences come together with a collection of ten original songs which has been described as "The Stray Cats meet Benny Goodman". The album is written and produced by the band, and released on their own label - Hand Made Records.

Blue Sky 5, a swing band based in the Washington/Baltimore area, is a favorite at local ballrooms and a big hit wherever they perform. The band's repertoire consists of songs that Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Louis Prima and Louis Jordan made popular, along with tunes by other swing, boogie-woogie and jump-blues composers. Blue Sky 5’s swing and jazz music provides the ideal musical entertainment for weddings, anniversary celebrations, or company parties. The band's repertoire appeals to guests of all ages and sophisticated couples who enjoy jazz and swing will find this band sets a romantic and memorable tone.

The Capitol Bones Big Band was created the group in 1991 bringing together some of the best jazz trombonists in the Washington, DC area and since its inception, has become a major force in trombone jazz. That same year The Capitol Bones won the Kai Winding jazz trombone ensemble competition sponsored by the International Trombone Association. The sound of this group has always grabbed the attention of other trombonists. More importantly, it has piqued the interest of composers and arrangers from all over the nation. Since its creation, The Capitol Bones has performed arrangements and original compositions from such notables as Conrad Herwig, Mark Taylor, Mike Tomaro and Jim Roberts.

The Tom Cunningham Orchestra plays the best Basie since Basie, the best Goodman since Goodman, the best Ellington since Ellington, the best Miller since Miller. . . the best swing music since the swing era. They've been at it for well over 20 years! During that time, they've collected the finest big band library - not modern, glib arrangements, but the original, hard swingin' charts that made swing music ageless -and that's what makes the Tom Cunningham Orchestra the best for dancing, the best for listening, and "the" best! An impressive resume. Tom and Robin have traveled as far as Australia to perform and teach the history and fundamentals of swing to school students. The band has performed at the Smithsonian, the Barns of Wolf Trap, Blues Alley (all to standing ovations), presidential and gubernatorial inaugurals, the National Cherry Blossom and other major balls. They have been a...

Daryl Davis earned his Bachelor Of Arts Music Degree from Howard University, where he was a member of the famed Howard University choir and renowned Jazz Vocal Ensemble. Daryl is a Composer, Vocalist, Guitarist and Keyboardist Extraordinaire. Pinetop Perkins, one of the founding fathers of Boogie Woogie and considered to be one of the greatest Blues and Boogie pianists, selected the then 27-year-old Daryl Davis to succeed him in the piano and vocal slot of the Muddy Waters Legendary Blues Band. After listening to Daryl Davis play in Chuck Berry’s Band, Johnnie Johnson, Chuck Berry's great original pianist, praised Daryl’s ability to master with authenticity, a style that was popular 30 years before he was even born! As a performer, Daryl has worked with countless greats such as Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley's Jordonaires.

The Hula Monsters have been performing in the Mid Atlantic area since 1988.Originally formed as a trio with Dave Giegerich on steel guitar/dobro, Moe Nelson on bass, and Tom Mitchell on guitar, the group has grown to a quintet with the addition of Ben Holmes on drums and Mark Noone on guitar/ukulele. The band now features Dave Chappell on lead guitar. All five members sing.

The band's repertoire is varied and flexible. A typical concert or night club set by The Hula Monsters includes Swing, Rockabilly, Hawaiian, Blues, and Traditional Country Honky Tonk tunes. At times, the band can feature one style more prominently if necessary. For example, at weddings they often do a first set of instrumentals of Jazz standards, while at a Luau they'll play more Hawaiian music. The Hula Monsters have...

The J Street Jumpers - Combining the swing of Count Basie, the beat of Buddy Johnson, the New Orleans lilt of Fats Domino, and the passion of Dinah Washington, the J Street Jumpers are one of the East Coast's most popular jump-blues and swing bands. They've garnered the respect of the Washington music industry as well, evidenced by two 1998 Washington Area Music Association (WAMA) Wammie award wins: (1) Best Jazz - Traditional Duo/Group, and (2) Best Jazz - Traditional Female Vocalist (Marianna Previti). Their CD release, Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby? was named to The Washington Post's list of favorite local CDs of 1998.

Founded in the early '90s by saxophonist Charlie Hubel, the Jumpers have...

Jimmy & The Blue Dogs - Jim Stephanson's unique style of guitar has been shaped by a wide range of influences such as: Mississippi John Hurt, Chet Atkins, Les Paul and Danny Gatton, and through his own style of music has incorporated Rock & Roll, R&B, Swing, Blues and Jazz. He is equally at home delivering a soulful ballad or cranking up his Telecaster for high-energy Rock. With the great Joe Stanley on sax and vocals, you get the 50's sound of Louis Prima like no other band can. The groups sound comes from a selection of original material and timeless classics reworked with the right mixture of authenticity and originality.

The Joker's Wild is one of D.C.'s hottest new swing bands, performing dozens of the great songs from the swing era by Gershwin, Ellington, Porter, and all of the great composers. Music made famous by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, and many, many more! The versatility of The Joker's Wild makes them perfect for any occasion, whether it be an elegant cocktail party, a jumping swing dance, or any other occasion that might need music. The Joker's wild has performed with stunning success all around the D.C. area at swing nights, weddings, benefits, cigar lounges, and the like. The timeless classics, as performed by The Joker's Wild, set an elegant stage for an electrifying evening of music. A must-see for every swinger out there!

The Natty Beaux unites some of the area’s most talented and respected musicians, most of whom are Washington Area Music Association (WAMMIE) Award winners. The band members bring several diverse styles (Roots Rock, Zydeco, Rockabilly, Klezmer and Jazz) that blend together brilliantly to perform music they have a common love for: classic Jump-Blues, Swing and Rockabilly. In fact, some fans have already begun referring to them as "The Rolling Stones of Swing."

A new fun-lovin', finger-snappin', hoppin' and boppin' combo featuring musicians from Billy Coulter Band, The Junkyard Saints, Alexandria Kleztet and Western Bop. Folks just can’t sit still when they hear ‘em play toe-tappin’ numbers from Louis Prima, Ray Charles, Louis Jordan, Bobby Darin, Elvis, Gene Vincent, Nat King Cole, Jerry Lee Lewis and more. This is good-time music sure to add ...

Mike Lange & Boogie Express is a 5-piece powerhouse band playing Boogie Woogie, Swing, and Blues and they believe in keepin' the dance party rollin'. The band's instrumentation includes piano, saxophone, guitar, bass, and drums. Mike Lange & Boogie Express have been in demand since their inception for club gigs, swing dances and private parties and their music has been featured on many of the areas radio stations including WHFS, WTMD, WRNR, and WPFW. The band specializes in high energy, up tempo, jump blues and swing. Examples of this genre include Louis Prima's "Jump Jive & Wail", Louis Jordan's "Choo Choo Chaboogie" and Roy Brown's classic "Good Rockin' Tonight". Concentrating on this form of music leads to a very lively performance. This band is fun to watch! There are no still toes in the Boogie Express' audience.

Inspired by the great Blues singers, shouters, and players that played and recorded in California in the late Forties and Fifties, Melissa Martin & The Mighty Rhythm Kings have been playing Blues, Jump Blues, and R&B in the West Coast tradition for the past 9 years. They are a smokin’ six (occasionally seven) piece band fronted by one of the most potent voices in the Mid-Atlantic area. They perform stellar West Coast Blues from Roy Brown to Ruth Brown, Big Maybelle to Big Mama Thornton to the piano boogie of Big Joe Turner. From the out and out joy of Etta James “That’s All” to the slow steamy grind of Johnny Guitar Watson’s “Want Me Some Love”. Melissa Martin & The Mighty Rhythm Kings have played Clubs, Swing Dances, and Festivals from New York to Virginia.

Terence McArdle and Big Trouble, Washington, D.C.’s premier jump blues band, will delight swing dancers and blues lovers alike with their combination of swinging guitar, rough hewn vocalizing, boogie woogie piano, and pulsing horns. One of the leading lights of Washington, D.C.’s blues underground, Terence McArdle hones the razor’s edge of jump R&B with a tough dance beat, a sly shuffle, and soulful singing. Big Trouble sounds both retro and modern; danceable fun but still bluesy and deep. Terence apprenticed his way up the regional roadhouse circuit in local bar bands and toured the Midwest with D.C.’s jump blues legends, The Uptown Rhythm Kings. A lifelong disciple of the blues, McArdle lists among his more recent influences swing guitarists Charlie Christian, Kenny Burrell, and Clarence "Gatemouth” Brown, bluesmen Freddie King and T-Bone Walker, and studio legends Mickey “Guitar” Baker and Roland Janes.

McArdle started Big Trouble in 1992 with the goal of establishing an...

Mood Swings Big Band - Mood Swings is proud to be "Baltimore's youngest and swingin'est Big Band," comprising of 17 musicians plus vocalists, most of whom are less than 30 years old. Playing the songs of Jimmy & Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, and Glenn Miller... just to name a few. During World War II, the music of these bands lifted the spirits of a country that danced the Lindy Hop, the Boogie- Woogie, the Two-Step, the Rhumba, the Fox Trot, the Suzi-Q, the Shag, and Tangos. So, no matter what your dance preference is, The Mood Swings Big Band will have you out on the dance floor.

The Sheiks of Dixie play Dixieland Jazz and popular tunes of the 1920s in a variety of styles. They play the popular tunes, many traditional numbers expected by afficionados, and a variety of other styles. They can play in groups as small as 3 musicians or as large as 8 in many different formats, so they can fit in anywhere, on any occasion and their usual 3 to 5-piece formats are mobile. They can then change into tuxedos, switch instruments and become the Sultans Of Swing.

The Sultans of Swing is a "dance band", not a "wedding band", but they play many wedding receptions, and do all the usual wedding events. All band members are professionals. They have a large, varied repertoire, and have fun playing it all. Their enthusiasm and creativity, and the fact that each reception is different and the play lists vary widely, keep them from getting jaded, so their performances are always fresh.

The band plays a wide variety of American popular music, 1900-l961, with unrelenting rhythm, high spirits, good taste, and pleasure in making the audience respond. The Sultans perform at parties, weddings, dances, receptions and concerts, in many different band formats and sizes. They customize their program to fit the occasion, start off softly, experiment to find out what the guests respond to, and solicit requests. Whatever the mix of...

The Swing Central Band got its start in Baltimore in 1978 and has created fun and music for thousands of Baltimore/Washington events for young and old alike. Their wide range of musical styles, including (of course) swing, enables them to span the era from Ellington and the Mills Brothers and with their soothing vocals will put you "In The Mood" with romantic melodies like "Unforgettable", "When I Fall In Love", "Unchained Melody" and "As Time Goes By. And when it's time to step things up, Swing Central also plays The Beatles, Stray Cats, James Brown and REM. A typical evening with The Swing Central Band doesn't include only swing but Jazz, Funk, Rock, Blues, Reggae, Adult Contemporary, and some originals.

Twelve years ago, after decades of backing a legion of top local and national performers, four of Washington's finest sidemen stepped into the spotlight to form Swing Speak. Their dream was to have a band in which they could express the full range of their musical experience. The musical chemistry and maturity of those early performances has evolved into something that is both distinctive and exhilarating. Swing Speak’s early repertoire centered around the swing and standards of the 1930’s and 1940’s, but their musical range soon expanded to include the full range of the American jazz repertoire, including a hearty dose of Latin and rhythm & blues. In this era of techno pop and hype, they make music the old fashion way: with a strong melodic content and deft musical skill. The success of this formula has gained them the admiration of their peers, plus a loyal following on both the jazz concert and swing dance circuit.

Totally Confused & The Totally Hot Horns is an eight piece band based in Baltimore MD. The band plays a mix of Swing, Jump Blues and Motown. Totally Confused has appeared locally and regionally for eleven years at clubs, concerts, weddings and other private functions. Totally Confused was founded eleven years ago and has played gigs (good for musicians, bad for frogs) from upstate New York to Southern Virginia to Kentucky. Some of the more notable highlights was backing Dan Aykroyd, as "The Blues Brothers Band", in a performance in Northern Virginia, and a feature article in Music Monthly (Maryland Musician Magazine). Totally Confused has been playing this Swing Thing ever since the incorporation of the horns 7 years ago.