Celebrating 10 Years of Swing Dance!
Bands
Get ready for a tremendous lineup of seven exceptional bands!
The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn
An early jazz, swing, and blues band, The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn perform amusing songs from the 1920's and 30's, along with original tunes done with catchy 4-part vocal harmony. Winning numberous awards, they have become a favorite at swing dances. The Vipers played for Frankie Manning's 95th Birthday Festival and have performed from Lincoln Center to Key West. Even Willie Nelson likes them, saying: "The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn provided fantastic entertainment." (The Vipers played at the Keep America Growing concert sponsored by Farm Aid, NYC, 2007.)
The Boilermaker Jazz Band
The Boilermakers perform at great swing events the world over! Known for their authentic hot jazz and swing style, they bring dancers to their feet wherever they go. Pittsburgh is proud to call them our own. Led by Paul Cosentino and featuring the dulcet vocals of the dazzling Jennie Luvv, the BMJB will swing you out like never before. This band performs at every PittStop by popular demand! Their recently recorded song "I've Got To Be A Rug Cutter" was recently featured on the hit Fox TV Show "So You Think You Can Dance". Watch the video.
The Solomon Douglas Quartet
From Seattle, Solomon Douglas performs at numerous dance exchanges around the world. His experience as a dance instructor lends unique insight into the music that motivates swing and blues dancers! His musical styles include blues, old-school swing, modern swing, bop and soul. Solomon's swing grooves and jazz chops will lead his band on tunes that inspire your feet to be happy!
Dr. Zoot
Absolutely loved by Pittsburgh swing dancers and performing regularly for dance audiences since 1998, Dr. Zoot is a Pittsburgh band that knocks 'em dead! From the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City to Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville in Key West and many fine clubs and venues in between, Dr. Zoot continues to please audiences with classic swing tunes as well as their Zoot originals.
Jimmy Sapienza's Five Guys Named Moe
One of Pittsburgh's mainstay swing bands, Jimmy Sapienza's Five Guys Named Moe features a classic swing sound reminiscent of Louis Jordan and Louie Prima. This band always leads to standing ovations so will be sure to groove and delight.
Dr. Nelson Harrison's Blue to the Bone
A legend in the Pittsburgh and national jazz and swing scenes, Dr. Nelson Harrison's swing band will be making its debut appearance at PittStop. Dr. Harrison has played with such jazz greats as Jay McShann, Early "Fatha" Hines, Count Basie and Andy Bey to name but a few. Though his first time leading a band at PittStop, Nelson has played at PittStop many times with Roger Humphries Big Band, so he knows the tunes and grooves that dancers love!
Rick Matt's Little Big Band
Rick Matt has pleased PittStop crowds for many years with the Rick Matt Project, but this time he's back with his nine piece band that includes many of Pittsburgh's finest young jazz musicians. With classic jazz chops they'll bring a fresh and lively interpretation to our favorite swing standards!