Kidu Kidu (March 5-7, 2010)

Music

Bands:

Sac Au Lait

Baltimore, MD

Sac Au Lait is a group of misfits that play traditional and not-so-traditional dixieland jazz in and around Baltimore. They have been swingin’ for over five years and continue to do all types of gigs, from street playing to weddings. Over the past few years, Sac Au Lait has enjoyed a rewarding partnership with Charm City Swing, through accompanying dancers at the Fells Point Fun Fest, Austin Grille, and Johns Hopkins University.

Drew Nugent and the Midnight Society

Philadelphia, PA

Remarks from Drew Nugent:

“Well I have loved music ever since I was knee high to a duck.
Age 9: Began playing violin
Age 10: Picking out songs from the violin onto the piano.
Age 11: Became enthralled with Ragtime music.
Age 13: Started writing my own Rags.
Age 14: Ken Burns Jazz series came to PBS. I became a Jazz freak
Age 15: Heard Louis Armstrong’s show stopping solo in ‘Potato Head Blues’. Stated then and there that I wanted to play the trumpet.
Age 19: Singing with my own voice, after a patron said ‘your impersonations are impeccable and so lifelike, but what does your real voice sound like?’”

Recently: “OFF THE CUFF WITH DREW NUGENT” started.
Stated Mission: TO TOUR THE WORLD SPREADING THE WORD OF HOT JAZZ!!!! WE ARE NOT FORGOTTEN!

DJs:

Mike Thibault

Rochester, NY

Mike has been DJing swing and jazz music for over ten years, starting out on the air at RIT’s Swing Show in 1998. Since then, he has gone on to spin tunes for dancers at exchanges, dances and workshops all over North America, and is known for building up the energy of any dance floor. He is a fixture at late nights in Swing Out New Hampshire and the famous Lindy Compound in Rochester, NY.

Eve Polich

New York, New York

A jazz lover from the womb, Eve is not only a lindy hop instructor and DJ, but also a promoter specializing in early jazz, blues, and roots music. She produces a monthly jazz concert in Brooklyn as well as a weekly radio show on WHCS Hunter College Radio.

Eve has a deep love of traditional New Orleans jazz, you can expect to hear music by the likes of Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, and Jelly Roll Morton. Eve’s favorite thing in the world is to dance to wonderful live music and she is therefore proud to play the music of contemporary bands such as The Cangelosi Cards and The Loose Marbles alongside the original masters.

Graham Hunter

Philadelphia, PA

Graham hails from LA but now lives in Philly. He likes his jazz sweet and hot. He has been a LaB Tech and organizer for about a year and a half and has been dancing for about 8. When Graham started listening to hazz for the first time he was about 18 and he never looked back. His favorite artist right now, hmm... Fats Waller.

Dan Repsch

Philadelphia, PA

Dan is a Philadelphia native whose obsession with music has been life-long. He’s taken to DJing because he loves sharing his music, inspiring other dancers, and guiding the energy of a dance. He’s constantly challenging himself to bring new material to his fellow dancers and works hard to offer a variety of music in his sets that stays true to the roots of the dance. He loves all styles of music and his sets tend more toward vintage-style jazz and blues, but he can bring the funk if the dance calls for it.

Dan was a primary instructor and DJ at Penn State until his graduation, and since his return to Philadelphia has become a regular DJ for Philly’s many weekly dances. Dan has traveled to teach and DJ at exchanges and dances across several states on the east coast.

Emily Fleck

Philadelphia, PA

Emily’s preoccupation with swing-era music began with a book report on Glenn Miller in 8th grade. She escaped the late 1990s mostly unscathed and began dancing lindy hop in 2001, balboa and blues in 2004, and fusion in 2006. Her lindy hop flavor favors Basie and Ellington-style standards mixed with smatterings of early rock 'n' roll and country swing. Harry James, trombone solos, and washboards make her happy. She resides in Philadelphia with a trumpet player who recently toured with the still-swingin’ Glenn Miller Orchestra. Isn’t life ironic?