Music
Bands
Twin Cities Hot Club
The Twin Cities Hot Club (TCHC) represents Minnesota in the burgeoning revival of gypsy jazz originally popularized by Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli and the Hot Club of France during the 1930s. TCHC recreates not only the famous la pompe (the pump) that distinguishes this romantic brand of acoustic jazz, but also gypsy bossanova, musette, bolero and swing. TCHC performs both timeless standards from the genre as well as inspired original compositions. The group has released a CD and DVD featuring a live performance, swing dancers and band/fan interviews. In 2006, TCHC was nominated as best jazz artist by the Minnesota Music Academy.
Members of the TCHC have performed at many dance events including: The Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, DCLX, Midwest Lindyfest, and Cowtown Jamborama.
Listen to music samples on THCH's MySpace page!
Southside Aces
The Southside Aces perform traditional New Orleans jazz. With such a wealth of good music to work with, the group is dedicated to highlighting the songs and not the players. They take full advantage of diverse repertoire that joins Timeless songs of Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington and AJ Piron with crescent city classics like Basin Street Blues and St. James Infirmary. The Southside Aces have performed at weddings, birthdays, banquets, memorials, and of course swing dances, including the Midwestern Balboa Swing Festival.
Listen to music samples on the Southside Aces MySpace page!
Honeysuckle Rose
Hot Club Jazz, Gypsy Jazz, and Jazz Manouche are all terms that describe this style of music that mixes both American jazz standards from the 1920s-1940s and European gypsy folk music. Honeysuckle Rose takes its inspiration and instrumentation from “Le Quintette du Hot Club de France” the famous group formed by French gyspy guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli in 1934, known for it’s drumless, guitar-driven swing, and romantic ambience.