Meet the Bands!
Band Leader: Josh Roberts
Friday Night: Josh Roberts Quintet
Josh Roberts is a jazz guitarist, band leader and arranger who has been performing for the swing dance community for 20 years. Josh's sound and repertoire is inspired by the great bands of the 1930’s and 1940’s such as Jimmie Lunceford, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Chick Webb and Duke Ellington. Josh brings original arrangements as well as his adaptations and transcriptions of both swing-era classics and lesser-known gems. His bands have featured at numerous swing dance events including Camp Jitterbug, the Northwest Balboa Festival, Portland Lindy Exchange, Balhalla, Big Sky Weekend and Lindy Bout.
Saturday Afternoon: Ben MacRae's Eastside Second Line
Band Leader: Ben MacRae
Ben MacRae, a fixture on the Vancouver trad jazz scene, is a reedsman who stands in the line of great hot jazz musicians. Enthusiastic, full of energy, and often poignant, Ben brings a delightful mixture of trad jazz, crowd work, and musical expertise to the forefront with his bands. Ben's Eastside Second Line will lead our famous LindyBloom street parade!
Saturday Night: The Rugcutter Dance Orchestra
Band Leader: Michael Coury
The 16-piece Rugcutter Dance Orchestra led by Michael Coury specializes in original arrangements in the style of the great dance orchestras of the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s. This much loved orchestra has been playing for dancers since 2019 and its 8-piece predecessor, since 2013. Mike Coury and Matt Lam write most of the band’s original arrangements and transcriptions. Nothing makes Mike happier than seeing a full dance floor and getting happy, sweaty dancer hugs at the end of the night!
Sunday: Dean Thiessen & The Good Apples
Band Leader: Dean Thiessen
Dean Thiessen is a jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader in the Vancouver jazz and improvised music scene. ‘Dean Thiessen and the Good Apples’ bring rhythmically driven and melodically catchy music inspired by the talents of Nat ‘King’ Cole, Duke Ellington, Red Garland, and Oscar Peterson to inspire the feet and hearts of the amazing swing dance community. We are grateful to be inspired by this Black American musical art form and the resilience, joy, and creativity it contains.