What do the little red stars
mean? It means that I saw them at a dance
within the last year and the number of stars indicate how much they inspired me to swing dance.
The number of stars can also go up or down. Bands with no stars
means I haven't seen them live or it's been a while since I've last seen them. Some
bands got fewer stars, not because they were bad, but because their "swing content" was
lower than expected or desired; some bands are exciting concert bands, but I probably
wouldn't hire them to do a swing dance.
Editor's Note: If you're interested in hiring a band, take the time to listen to them in concert or at least, listen to a demo tape. And do me a favor: tell the band or dj that you found them here on these pages.
Interested in traditional or dixieland jazz? Go to New England Traditional Jazz Plus for schedules, venues, and bands.
Want to hear swing/big band music when you're at your computer? Set your web browser to Martini in the Morning for music to put you in the mood 24x7!
Sometimes I wonder if the bands really care that they're listed here (well, one of them really does.) Very rarely do I hear from a band asking me to come and check them out. Some of them I like more than others and some I want to support more than others. And there are others that I've never heard. There is certainly a short list of bands that would encourage me to leave the house to go dancing. While I'm sure that a lot of people will disagree with my selection, I'd like to let these bands know that *I* like what they're doing.
The Webmaster's Favorites (in no specific order):
Don Dworkin, DDE Music, P.O. Box 866, Latham, NY 12110 (518-782-0577, fax: 518-782-0576)
See those (permanent) four stars? They earned them.
Dom V and the Swing Out Big Band 
Contact Domenic Valarioti at 508-481-3911 or
Swing Out Productions, 103 Preston Street, Marlboro, MA 01701.
Eight to the Bar
Contact Cynthia Lyons,
P.O. Box 123, Northford, CT 06472. (Booking information
and/or 24-Hour Hotline: 203-484-4749)
Sweet Willie D. & The Continental Walk
Contact sweetwillied@msn.com.
The Racky Thomas Band
(12/17/2010 at Swing City)
The Toni Lynn Washington Band
Contact Bruce Bears Management at 781-391-5623 or 625 Fellsway West, Medford, MA 02155.
Editor's note: I love dancing to Toni's music. She understands what a swing
rhythm really is and can turn just about any song into Swing music.
This is the only band for which I've driven to NYC to dance....twice.
The White Heat Orchestra
Contact Craig Ball at 617-354-7213
or P.O. Box 381008 Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA 02238-1088.
This is the original Roxy dance band...and the first band I tried
swing dancing to.
The Love Dogs
Contact Ed Sheer 617-735-0604. A favorite band regularly seen at dances all
over New England.
The O-Tones
Contact Mary Witt at 413-584-8760.
Swing, Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, and Motown for your wedding, party, dance, or other
event. Various group sizes avaialable. Based in the heart of New England, this event
and wedding band travels to Boston as well as all of MA, CT, NY, VT, RI, and NH.
"Sax" Gordon Beadle
For more information, contact "Sax" Gordon.
12/18/2010 at Uptown Swing
and 2/12/2011 at Boston Swing Dance Network.
Memphis Rockabilly Band
Contact Memphis Rockabilly Band.
(9/4/11 in Leominster.
Would have given full stars if they played all swing. Close enough. 11/2011: Played at my birthday party.)
Massachusetts:
Contact Frank Hsieh at 617-272-5730.
BJ Magoon & Driving Sideways
Contact bjmagoon@yahoo.com.
A mix of Swing Blues, Boogie-Woogie and
Blue Rendezvous
Contact Paris Productions
at 413-323-8660 or P.O. BOx 222, Belchertown, MA 01007.
Bob Bachelder and the Totem Pole Big Band
Contact Bob Bachelder at 781-944-4304 or 89 Timberneck Drive, Reading, MA 01867.
Al Boudreau Quartet
Contact Al Boudreau at 978-283-8797.
Dave Whitney Orchestra
Contact Dave Whitney at 978-667-5524 or 978-667-7357. 33 Wyman Road, Billerica, MA
01821-3725
Drootin Brothers Band
Contact Sonny (or Al) Drootin at
781-762-7480 (Sonny) or 561-439-0935 (Al) or 181 Neponset, Norwood.
Lynne Meryl Band
Contact 413-584-1789 in Northampton (May 1-Oct. 1) or 954-733-5871
in Fort Lauderdale, FL (Oct. 1-May 1). Dance music at clubs, festivals, country clubs,
weddings, etc, with music from the 1920s to present.
The Mood Elevators
contact Christine Towle at 508-460-7647.
The Mood Swings Orchestra
For more information, contact Lynn Tibbets
at 617-794-4914.
Pendulum Swing Band
Contact Arthur Bakopolus at
978-689-3050. 7-piece band (8- with the vocalist)
Shawn Hershey and the
Fried Bananas
Steve Taddeo & His Swing Senders
Contact Steve Taddeo at 781-891-3214 or taddeosm@comcast.net.
7 piece band featuring music from the 30s & 40s.
Sticky Skillet Swing Orchestra
Contact Daniel Fox at
617-909-7776.
(8/10/08)
Winiker Swing Orchestra
Contact Bill Winiker at 617-277-6673 or 45 Longwood Avenue, Suite 108, Brookline, MA 02146.
(12/29/08 at Upstairs on the Square)
 |
Contact Bryon Holley at 508-520-3208 or 37 Clapp Street, Norton, MA 02766. Concert Line: 508-541-4693
Blind Tiger Swing Posse
Contact Doug Moore at 508-791-3816.
The Blue Suede Boppers
Contact Reebee Garofalo
at 617-628-3769.
Bombay Jim and the Swinging Sapphires
contact Jim Porcella at 401-467-2766.
(10/9/10)
Compaq Big Band
Contact Al Saloky.
The Compaq Big Band is a 21-piece big band made
up of employees of Compaq Computer, former employees of Digital Equipment,
and other members. They play many charity-oriented swing dances as well as
clubs around the North Shore. (formerly the DECbigband).
Dick Kaplan's Excellent Jazz Band
Contact Dick Kaplan at dickkaplan@comcast.net or
978-465-0265. 6 Purchase Street, Newburyport, MA 01950.
Three to eight piece traditional jazz/swing Ensemble.
Either/Orchestra
Contact Megan Berry at
617-876-4600 or Accurate Records, 288 Norfolk Street, Cambridge, MA 02139.
Eastwood Swing Orchestra
Contact Norman Daoust
at 617-491-7424 or 157 Raymond Street, Cambridge, MA 02140-3314.
Fantasy Big Band
Contact Kent L. Kochon at 508-634-3092 or
P.O. Box 216, Hopedale, MA 01747.
The Mike DiBari Swingtet
Contact Mike DiBari
at 617-491-3007.
Mike Dibari appears in other bands and makes them sound better.
The Red Riders
Contact musiclyne@yahoo.com at 508-792-4585.
Rico Barr and the Jump 'n Jive Review
For more information, contact the band at 978-857-9457 or rmbarr@comcast.net.
Ron Stone
Contact Milestones Entertainment
at 508-943-4592. Two bands for your functions: Stone Daddys' Swing, a 7-piece swing
band offering traditional and "neo-"swing, and Ron Stone and the Milestones Big Band,
an 18-piece big band.
The Swing Legacy
Contact Henry Francis at
781-259-9007 or 16 Sunnyside Lane, Lincoln, MA 01773.
The Tom Nutile Big Band
Contact Tom Nutile at tom@tom@tomnutile.com
or 508-651-9909.
Trilogy
Contact Alan Souza at 774-218-1838.
Trilogy can be seen and heard at ballrooms all over New England. 
Velvet Elvis
Contact Jeffrey Maté
at 781-662-2256.
Editor's Note: I like this band, but I wish they had more "swingable" songs
in their repertoire.
Wolverine Jazz band
Contact John Clark.
Boston Metrowest area. Traditional jazz";i.e., dixieland and the dance music of the 20s.
The rest of New England
Contact Karen Cameron at 603-964-7551.
Roger Ceresi and the Rockin' All Starz
Contact Roger Ceresi in 401-792-9897.
Rhode Island.
A band with a lot of good energy.
The Rockin' Soul Horns
Contact Rob at 401-792-9897.
King Memphis
Contact kingmemphis@kingmemphis.com.
Rock-a-Billy tunes out of Maine.
Lex and Joe's BlueSwing
Contact Lex and
Joe at 207-646-2932.
(4-piece swing band) and their sister group
The Night Lifes (5-piece wedding band) operate out of Ogunquit, Maine.
The Dick Campo Big Band
Contact Dick Campo at dick.campo@snet.net or
860-443-9582 (cell 860-912-3473) in New London, Connecticut.
Daddio's Swing Orchestra
Contact Keith W. Papa at 603-548-6492.
Bad Luck and Trouble
Swing/blues band.
1/13/12: Couldn't connect to this website
Fogcutters Big Band
Maine. Contact them at fogcuttersbigband@gmail.com
Contact Johnny McLeod at 401-348-0504.
The Nifty Fifties Band
For booking information, contact Cheryl Scott Management at 860-693-0891.
Bedford Big Band
Contact Bedford Big Band at 603-471-2950.
Bedford, New Hampshire.
The Peter Hostage Situation
Contact Peter Hostage at 603-437-9589.
New Hampshire.
The Little Big Band
Contact Frank Pappalardo at 860-871-7582 or 860-742-1432, or
Scott Summerer at 860-228-0298. Connecticut.
Coastline Swing Band
Performs at the Venice Restaurant, Westerly, Rhode Island, every first
and third Thursday from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. For more information, contact
the band.
Joe Levesque Big Band
18-piece big band based in Vermont. For more information contact
Laura Barbieri at Musiclearningstudio@yahoo.com
or 802-264-5405.
Simply Swing
Contact at info@simplyswingmusic.com or 86-989-9217.
Red Satin Band
Contact Frank Pappalardo at 860-0871-7582.
Lakes Region Big Band
For more information, contact Dani Corning at danilrbb@hotmail.com or 603-219-2284.
New York and New Jersey
Contact George at ggork@interjazz.com or call 718-779-7865 (fax: 718-779-7867).
MBBO is a 15-piece swing big band. George Gee also offers The Jump, Jive & Wailers, a 10-piece band.
The Flipped Fedoras
PACT Bookings (212-924-1009)
Does anyone have an email address for this band?
Andy Farber and his Swing Mavens
Riverdale, NY.
1/13/12: This webpage was empty; this listing will be deleted the next time I look at this page.
Gerard Carelli Orchestra
Gerald Carelli,
1-800-GC-SINGS (427-4647)
Diana Leigh and Crazy Rhythm
Ithaca, NY
Gordon Webster
New York City, NY
Peter Davis, Saratoga Spring, NY. (518-584-5412)
Bob January's New York
Dance Band Orchestra
Bob January
6 different configurations of dance bands/orchestras,
depending on your requirements and budget.
Swingadelic
Contact Dave Post
The Big Band Sound
Dave Cole (914-226-6072)
19-piece jazz orchestra based in Poughkeepsie, NY that
provides the jazz music of the big band era.
The Swing Doctors
Jesse Gelber,
373 S. 4th Street, #3C, Brooklyn, NY 11211. (718-387-9766)
New York City Swing
Evan Ginzburg (bookings),
718-740-4318.
Elsewhere
Most of the bands that play in the area are local acts that are only a few hours' drive away within the New England/New York region. Bands located outside that area will be listed within their individual state's webpages. If you don't see a listing for a band for your specific state, try looking on a page for an adjacent state.
There are band listings on pages for California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, South Carolina, Canada
You can jump to the page that lists the states outside New England.
Disc Jockeys
Some disc jockeys are mentioned here because I know them (and like them). Others (particularly the ballroom ones) are listed because they requested the listing or someone suggested the addition. In those latter instances, I probably don't know anything about them (regardless of how good they really are) so ask around to see which ones are recommended by the people you know.| Tony Tye | tye@hoptothebeat.com | 508-435-2363 | MA |   |
| Bill Cameron | billcameron@dancepros.net | 860-242-6803 | CT |  |
| Fred Rapoport | djfredrap14@aol.com | 978-562-2286 | MA |  |
| Rob Szarka | rob@lindylovers.com | 860-373-0249 | CT | |
| Ken Mercik | ken@djkenm.com | 860-749-5434 | CT | |
| Tom "Tommy Gee" Gendrachi | tgendrachi@hotmail.com | 860-768-4752 | CT | |
| Paul Krakauske | 207-828-1795 | ME | |
|
| Pete "DJPJ" Paraskevas | petedjpj@yahoo.com | 207-879-2589 | ME |  |
| J & L Sound | 508-823-4811 | MA | |
|
| SuperShag Productions | chris@supershag.com | 617-266-2258 | MA | |
| Randy Deats and Kathy St. Jean | ksj111@cox.net | 401-463-1815 | RI | |
| K & S Music | kandsmusic@worldnet.att.net | RI | |
|
| DanceSport of Boston | John & Anne Marie Paul | 617-325-1562 | Boston area | |
| John Soares | info@studiooneri.com | 401-305-3551 | Rhode Island | |
Last updated January 13, 2012.