Speakeasy Night began on March 17th 2005, as a mixed sort of event with two primary goals: to celebrate Saint Patricks Day, and to unload nearly a dozen gallons of home-brewed hard apple-cider. There was only one catch, everyone had to dress to the theme of 1920s through 1940s, or come in their closest to formal attire. I played a collection of old swing and jazz records, and slowly my living room filled with people. The night was a success, and after word passed around, more people started asking about when there would be another one. I sat down with my friend Jason and tried to decide what to do with the event. We took it to the next level and combined our resources, creating a night with a mixture of class and our interpretation of the underground swing movement of occupied Europe during World War 2. We purchased a night in the Presidential Suite of a local hotel, made the evening a secret, and passed out invitations to a wide range of people, keeping the list of guests locked up tight. We ate, we drank, and we danced all night. The number of attendees easily doubled, and so did the events reputation. Weeks went by with a dozen inquiries a day as to when the next one would be, but slowly the time turned to months, and we always replied the same; a smirk and a shrug. Nearly half a year later, we chose a downtown location, reserved the room months in advance, and rented out the Queen Suite of another local hotel, bringing in New Years with a bang. Nearly a hundred people came, and we carried on the Speakeasy tradition, standing shoulder to shoulder, and applauding the vast array of costumes and dress. By the end of the evening Jason and I were nodding silently to one another. We knew wed out grown Suite packages. We do still have secret hotel VIP nights from time to time, but weve expanded to the point weve always wanted to be. Truly reminiscent of the secret parties of the swing kids, weve started hosting events at local clubs: Themed dress is strongly encouraged, theres a full bar, and best of all, a live band.
Europa Jazz: Formed in the spring of 2003, Europa Jazz plays in the tradition of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grapelli, and their famous Hot Club de France. Their sound is evocative of bustling Paris in the 1930s, where African-American Swing was reinterpreted by, and mixed with European Gypsy music. The group uses the classic Hot Club repertoire as a jumping off point from which to explore traditional jazz, bossa nova, gypsy music, and even Classical. Their unique sound comes in part from the all- acoustic strings instrumentation of violin (Gabriel Pelli), guitar (Chris Bennett), and upright bass (Wells Gordon). Although complete as a trio, the group is taken to a higher level of artistry and excitement with the addition of vocalist Katharine Halen.
Samples: http://www.gabrielpelli.com/music.html
WSHA 88.9FM: A non-commercial public radio station, licensed to Shaw University in Raleigh NC, with a mixture of mainstream and contemporary Jazz dominating the program format. Special programming includes Blues among other genres, and the station as a whole has claimed a special place in my heart. It's certainly the best radio in Raleigh.
http://www.wshafm.org/
http://www.return2style.de/amiswhei.htm
http://www.mcsweeneys.net/links/lists/dictionary.html
(A 1933 Promotion)
