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| The Joe Clarke 9 Piece Big Band includes the upright bass, drums, piano, and guitar, along with an alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, trumpet, and trombone. The harmonies and fullness of a larger group are present, and the instrumentalist have been selected from the best that the Charleston area has to offer. Many of them hail from other parts of the country and bring there own unique qualities to the group. Joe Clarke sings and plays the piano, and has also arranged many of the tunes in the book. The 9 piece Big Band songlist was created to reflect the best of the big band era. Charleston Swing is very excited to be showcasing The Joe Clarke 9 Piece Band at our Big USO Dance at the Charleston Visitor's Center for Friday evening this year. |
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If you ask which musicians have made enormous contributions to Charleston's jazz scene, the name Bobbie Storm undoubtedly comes to mind. Bobbie has been entertaining Charleston audiences for decades now, offering her takes on classics from Ernestine Andrews, Etta James and much more. Local dancers have savored her mix of soul and blues with jazzy and big band tunes since the inception of the Charleston swing scene! |
 Derrick arrived on the Charleston scene in 2004. A regular guest DJ first for Swing Night at JB Pivots, and now at The Majestic Grill, he has also DJed for other Charleston events including our monthly Gage Hall dance, the Atlantic Junction (2006), and Charles Towne Liberty Jam (2005). Using classic swing hits as his bread and butter, Derrick loves to keep people dancing. Come one and come all. |
 Ginger Brown is an emerging DJ and a formative blues scene dancer from Minneapolis, MN. An experienced dancer (5 years Lindy, 2 years Blues) and now an extensive traveller, she has attended swing and blues events across the nation including Southern Belle Swing Bash, SoFlex 2007, ATLX4, ULHS 2007, Sving Du Nord 2006 & 2007, SOLFest 2007 & 2008, Buenos Aires Blues 2007, Austin Blues Party 2007, Blues Boot Camp 2007 and Enter the Blues 2008. Ginger's love of dancing paired with her extensive exposure to a wide variety of music have lead her into DJing. In her short time as a DJ she's already racked up a great local resume that includes regular dances, house parties, workshops, and the Minnesota Lindy's fundraiser primary Blues DJ. Modeling herself after her idol Tina Davis, the artists Ginger plays will surprise you and keep you dancing all night long. |
 Rigamarole...Pure Rigamarole. Aba loves the chuggy music of the 20's and 30's. She's thrilled when people jump into the 180bpm range and stay there, but she also can be persuaded to come back to groovy-land when the floor demands it. Ms. Browning has DJed and taught swing at events from Atlanta, Georgia to Oahu, Hawaii, and even in Canada. She enjoys feeling out the flow and energy of the dance floor and challenging her dancers with new music that appeals to all styles of swing. You'll see a smile on her face when she plays Sidney Bechet, Slim and Slam, Willie Bryant and Artie Shaw, not to mention Count Basie or Billie Holiday. You'll also see a smile on her face when you ask her to dance ;-D. |
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Michael started DJing back in 2005. In that time, he has become one of Atlanta's popular Music Providers. Playing a wide variety of classic swing, neo swing, jump blues, rockabilly, and R&B, he has created a "broad stroke" style of musical performance. His style is based on the philosophy of providing "a large slice of the American Musical Art Form" and a somewhat eclectic sense of social personality.
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Michael or better known to the Lindy Community as "Moose," has provided music across the Southeast - including the first Charleston Exchange, as well as the Atlanta Lindy Exchanges 3 and 4; "Enter the Blues," and has been a House DJ for Atlanta's very popular "Hot Jam" weekly dance. He has also been instrumental in playing for several college groups start their own Swing Dances - Kennesaw State University, Emory University, Agnes Scott University, and Georgia Tech University. |
 Amy Davenport has been actively involved in the Florida swing scene since 2000. Along with holding regular local dances in the Orlando area, she has led the organization of many events, such as Lindy at Lake Eola, ORLX, and an after-show party for Swing! cast members, as well as hosting after hours breakfasts, karaoke parties and jam sessions in her own home.
A regular DJ in Orlando for a number of years, Amy D's playlists include a diverse collection of big band, standards, classic swing and jump blues, ranging from the 30’s and 40’s to the present day. She keeps dancers engaged with a variety of tempos, focusing on well recorded music that inspires dancing rather than simply accommodating it.
Amy D champions the playfulness and joy of swing music and dancing, and is excited to be making her first trip to Charleston. Look for the spinning ball and say hi! |
Stephen has been a dancer in Charleston for a little over 4 years and a professional dance instructor for the past 3 years. He enjoys dancing all styles of Ballroom dance but his true passion is Lindy Hop. His grandfather was a Big Band musician, so Stephen has the rhythms of Swing running through his veins. Stephen has DJ'd for the local Charleston Swing scene at JB Pivots, Henry's Bar, and Majestic Grill. He was also a favorite at last year's Charleston Lindy Exchange. The local dancers like his eclectic style as he's known to play classic Jazz standards as well as Groovy Blues. However, he loves to surprise the crowd by playing fun Hip Hop and current popular music that Swing dancers can Lindy to as well.
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| Michael has won awards throughout the Southeast for his attention to the crowd and stylistic diversity. He will play rare recordings of hot dance bands of the 20's and 30's, and he will play your favorite vocal standard. He will play modern, groovy jazz when appropriate, classic Savoy Ballroom jumpers, and chunky, bouncy early jazz. He loves the Lindy Hop scene and all it's little baby scenes, and enjoys the challenge of figuring out what each crowd wants to hear. "Every dance floor is unique. It is my job to create as much dance floor pleasure as possible." |
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 Frankie Hagan has been known to teach beginner swing, Balboa and Lindy Hop exclusively in the North Raleigh area, and can be hired for lessons through www.dancefrankie.com. He goes other places to teach dance, too, but he whines about it. Frankie is a known Balboa competitor, a former ballroom instructor, and is really known best for these two things, and is known worst for star-spangled breeches and having dated a heck of a lot of people. |
As one of many "dancing DJs," Patrick has not yet mastered the art of doing both simultaneously while juggling. (It's safer that way.) However, his experience as a DJ has been enriched through more than a decade of experience in music theory as a vocal musician, and several years of experience dancing, performing, and teaching dances of the Swing-Era.
Put simply, his approach to DJ-ing focuses on "music that inspires dancing." He is drawn to and has assembled a collection of music that moves both the body and the soul. As an Atlanta DJ for over 5 years, Patrick primarily DJs at local and regional events including the Atlanta Lindy Exchange.
Patrick's enjoys playing sounds and soul from Jazz and Blues artists such as Count Basie, Fats Waller, Cab Calloway, Dinah Washington, Jimmy Witherspoon, Howlin' Wolf, and Muddy Waters. So, whether you are dancing Lindy Hop, Blues, or Charleston, you'll find inspiration to move, connection with your partner, and joy in what you hear!
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 Daniel McClain is a recent Raleigh transplant from the Charleston swing scene. Like a phantom amputated leg, the Charleston scene has a hard time dancing without him, yet sometimes still feels like he's there. During his days in Charleston, Daniel has DJ'd at JB Pivots, Gage Hall, Majestic Grill and other Charleston events including the Atlantic Junction, Charles Towne Liberty Jam and the Charleston Lindy Exchange. Along with Lindy Hop, Daniel also dances and teaches professionally, with a special focus on his dance favorites: Lindy Hop, Salsa, and Argentine tango. However, his first and last love is still the Lindy Hop. DJ Daniel's playlist includes a diverse collection of big band, standards, classic swing, jazz, and blues. Charleston is excited to see the return of Daniel McClain to his hometown scene! |
 John has been swing dancing and DJ’ing for the past 8 years. Beginning in DC, John has spent the past several years visiting some of the lesser know parts of our country, each place with their own blend of swing favorites. For this weekend, he’ll bring them all together to create a fun mix of the good swing songs you want to hear. |
| Tim Munsell started DJ'ing in 2002 when Music City Motion was started. He wasn't initially a very good DJ because he likes music... ALL music, but not all music was meant for Lindy Hop. But with time and effort Tim learned what makes Lindy Hoppers want to dance, which is a very good thing in a DJ. People like dancing to his music now, you probably will too ;-) And please ask him to dance when the other DJ's are playing, he likes that. |
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 “Arriving in Norfolk in 2005, DJ Bill Speidel quickly established himself as a crowd favorite amongst eastern Virginia’s Lindy Hop and blues dancers. With an uncanny ability to consistently blend hard swinging lindy and slow, simmering groove Bill became a DJ’ing workhorse at local and regional dances and served as head DJ for VBLX 2007.
Bill has DJ’ed NY’s Albany Chill LX, Lindy Focus and won Second place in the 2007 Las Vegas’ National Battle of the Swing DJ's. He’s also won rave reviews for his blistering blues sets at the Dirt Cheap Blues Exchange, RVA Blues and will be DJ’ing The Blues Collective Workshops in NYC in July. |
 Cristina served as house DJ for Swing Night at JB Pivots (Charleston's longest running swing event) from January 2004 until temporarily traveling (for school and swing dancing) to Atlanta, Washington, DC, and San Diego throughout the second half of 2006. She has DJed for other Charleston events including Lindy Night at the BDC, Kickin' It at Kool Beanz, the Charles Towne Liberty Jam Dance Weekend (2005), and the Atlantic Junction Dance Weekend (2006), and the first ever Charleston Lindy Exchange last year in 2007. She served as founding President and primary DJ for the Charleston Swing Dance Association from 2004 to 2006, and is thrilled and excited to be returning this year for CHEX 2008: Back 2 the Beach! |
 Jim has been actively DJ'ing (and dancing) in the Atlanta Area for nearly seven years. He has DJ'ed at several dance clubs and regular events sponsored by the Atlanta Swing Era Dance Association (ASEDA) and the Georgia Tech Dance Association. He was a featured DJ at Atlanta's Summer Swing Jam, where he handled music for the ALHC regional qualifier, and has spun at such events as Swing Diego's Swing Break, WCLX in Chicago and Music City Mini-Camp in Nashville. Jim enjoys spinning and blending various musical styles, including classic jazz, swing, blues and R & B. |
 Corey started dancing in 1998 in Orlando, FL during his time in the Navy. Unfortunately, the Navy had other uses for him once his training in Orlando was finished and stationed him in locations that didn't have a swing scene. So even though he had been bitten by the dancing bug, he wasn't able to continue dancing until he was discharged from the Navy. In 2005, in Memphis, TN, he came back into contact with swing dancing through Red Hot Lindy Hop (www.rhlh.org) and has danced off and on since then while living in Memphis, TN; Kansas City, MO; Santa Clara, CA; and once again back in Memphis, TN. During that time frame, he started DJing and has been a featured DJ at numerous events including: MOKAN Swing 2007, KCLX 2007, Bluesalicious 2008, and can be found later this year at MOKAN Swing and Virginia Beach Blues Exchange. |
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