Basie's Centennial to be Celebrated by Swing Fans Worldwide

Yehoodi.com and Jelly Roll Productions Reunite Basie Alumni to Celebrate 100 Years of Swing

New York, NY (June 21, 2004): On Oct 9th, 2004, Columbia University's Roone Arledge Auditorium will be the setting for a magical trip back in time as Frank Foster and his 12-piece Swing Plus Band are joined by several Count Basie Orchestra veterans and other jazz greats including: Junior Mance, Earl May, Barbara Morrison, Benny Powell, Irene Reid, Dennis Rowland, Clark Terry, Frank Wess and Joe Wilder. The event is the Basie Centennial Ball where this incomparable lineup will reunite Basie's music with the dance it inspired: the Lindy Hop-the original swing dance that evolved in Harlem during the late 20's. 900+ dancers and jazz aficionados are expected to attend.

"Count Basie's music is made for dancing. It's more than just playing notes on a page," says Frank Foster. "We feed off of what the dancers are doing on the floor and they pick up on what we're doing on the bandstand, and next thing you know the night has flown by and you've never played better."

The evening is being co-produced by Jelly Roll Productions, a group of dancers committed to cultivating both lindy hop and live jazz by providing high quality dance events at affordable costs. They've produced events with influential jazz musicians such as the Junior Mance, Ray Bryant, Benny Powell, Earl May, Eddie Locke, Dave Glasser and John Bunch. Their ultimate goal is to reunite the music and the dance by making great live jazz music accessible to dancers and introducing (or reintroducing) jazz artists to the unique creative outlet of playing for dancers.

"This is a minor miracle what Yehoodi.com and Jelly Roll Productions are doing," said jazz historian and WKCR radio personality Phil Schaap, who is also on the Basie Centennial Ball Advisory Board. "To have a beautiful ballroom filled with hundreds of dancers of all ages dancing to the sounds of Basie is something I did not think would happen again on this grand a scale. I'm excited to be a part of it personally and I'm proud that WKCR is a sponsor."

This occasion also marks the sixth anniversary of Yehoodi.com, which has for the past six years dedicated its efforts to fostering the global lindy hop community, online and off. Founded by dancers for dancers, Yehoodi.com receives thousands of visits a week from around the world and is now managed by a volunteer staff of over seven administrators and various technical advisors covering news, calendar events, a discussion board and a 24/7 internet radio show, all focused on this classic, American dance.

"We're thrilled to be celebrating our sixth anniversary with this once-in-a-lifetime event," said Manu Smith, co-founder of Yehoodi.com. "To have the legendary Frank Foster lead a band made up of so many living legends is a dream come true for jazz aficionados and dancers alike."

The Roone Arledge Auditorium is located at Columbia University in Alfred Lerner Hall, 2920 Broadway (114th Street) and features a 9,000 square-foot dance floor. Admission is $40 online at www.Basie100.com until October 4th and $49 at the door. Admission for students and seniors (65+) is $30 and must show ID at the door. This event is produced with the kind support of Columbia University Swing, Legacy Recordings, Verve Music Group and WKCR NY and the William J. Basie Trust.

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Contact: Frank Dellario, Yehoodi.com, (718) 599-2591 / frankyboy@yehoodi.com

Yehoodi.com
www.yehoodi.com
Yehoodi.com is a website for the hardcore lindyhopper with the intent of fostering the community online and off. Founded in Sept 1998 by Frank Dellario and Manu Smith, it is now managed by a volunteer staff of over six administrators (Yehoodistrators) and various technical advisors covering news, calendar events, a discussion board, a biweekly talk show and a 24/7 internet radio show. Yehoodi also sponsors a weekly dance, the Frim Fram Jam, every Thursday night in NYC.

Jelly Roll Productions
www.jellyrollproductions.org
Jelly Roll Productions is an organization founded by Nicole Frydman, David Jacoby, Christine Tse and Steven Wexler, committed to cultivating both Lindy Hop and live jazz by providing high quality dance events at affordable costs. Their ultimate goal is to reunite the music and the dance by making great live jazz music accessible to dancers, and introduce (or reintroduce) more jazz artists to the unique creative outlet of playing for dancers. With the support of many volunteers, Jelly Roll Productions has produced over 10 live music events since its inception in October 2002.

CU Swing
www.columbia.edu/cu/swing/
Columbia University Swing was formed in November 2001 to unify the swing dance community of Columbia and promote dance as an exciting social endeavor with strong ties to America's unique culture of jazz music and movement. Led by their President, Ed Alfano and Vice President Michelle Lim, CU Swing provides instruction and practice opportunities in East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, Balboa, and Charleston and organize and attend events throughout New York City.

Basie Centennial Ball Advisory Board

Phil Schaap
Phil Schaap is a leading scholar in the field of jazz, whose encyclopedic knowledge about jazz has never dimmed his passion and enthusiasm for the music. Born in New York City, Phil became an enthusiast early on and has been living jazz 24 hours a day ever since, working as an audio engineer, broadcaster, lecturer and teacher. Phil is also a multi Grammy Award winner, and has been at WKCR since 1970 where he can be heard on seven radio shows a week, including his notable Charlie Parker program "Bird Flight."

Frank Foster
Frank Foster is one of those rare triple threats: He's a master saxophonist, creative composer and arranger, and skilled leader of both large and small bands. As a saxophonist fluent on tenor, soprano, and alto saxes, he's been a welcome addition on bandstands and recording studios of vast variety, including a fixture in Basie's band from 1953-1964. As a composer and arranger his efforts have become classics, writing such jazz standards as "Shiny Stockings" and "Down for the Count" which became a Basie signature. And as a bandleader, he led the Basie Orchestra, and many other bands, including his own "Swing Plus Band."

Earl May
Earl May began his career in 1949 in New York City and honed his craft in places like Minton's Playhouse with musicians such as Lester Young and Mercer Ellington. He was also a protégé of the legendary Charles Mingus. In 1951 Earl joined the Billy Taylor Trio and was his regular bassist for many years. In addition, Earl has worked with many of the jazz greats, including Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Foster, Cab Calloway, Lucky Millinder, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane, with whom he recorded the classic "Lush Life." In 1959 he formed his own trio and then quartet, which rapidly became the epitome of great music in the New York club scene. Earl has many fans in the New York swing scene, having played at swing dances multiple times in Junior Mance's Trio, Benny Powell's "The Gift of Love" Quintet, and with his own Quintet.