Blu Jazz Big Band Bash

Last night was the launch party for Jitterbugs Swingapore's new social event at the Blu Jazz club. There was a big band there called the Jazz Nuts (I think that's what they're being called now). This is a new band made up of mostly college kids from the NTU. The band is clearly new and not really polished but has some real potential. The bandleader, Dale, is also a swing dancer.

The good: The band is young and enthusiastic. Many of the players are willing and able to improvise. It's a nearly full big band with all local players.

The bad: Intonation is a wreck, they really need to work on tuning and listening to the rest of the band. Rhythm section needs to learn how to swing, most of the grooves came out way to chunky, more like a rock feel than a swing feel. Sammy Nestico arrangements are to be avoided at all costs for dance bands.

I sat in with them in the second set, did a solo in Splanky, had a bit of trouble playing Sing, Sing, Sing in a different key than my fingers are used to, then afterwards just jammed out with most of the T-bone section to the recorded music and the dancers for another hour or two.

The event itself was a tribute to Frankie Manning, and there were a few speeches given by some of the local dancers about what Frankie meant to them. I know that he always loved to come to Singapore, that it was one of his favorite places to come in the world, because he said as much to me one year at SEA Jam as we sat outside of the dance hall on a bench talking about stuff. For me, one of the best memories of Frankie was exactly that. I like to talk to him about STUFF. Not dancing, or the Savoy, or the Big Bands, but just stuff. The weather, girls, food, etc. It was those moments that made Frankie not just a dance icon and historical figure, but a friend. I'll miss him for that even beyond the dancing. All in all it was a great tribute to a great man, and Sing did a real good job in putting it together.

After the event, a group of us went to get some food, and I was able to get one of my favorite foods to eat in Singapore: BBQ Stingray. I've never had this fish/shark/frisbee anywhere other than Singapore, but it is really tasty. Firm meat that sort of shreds itself naturally, with a nice spicy sauce. That and more lime juice. The picture isn't the stingray that I ate, but rather a picture I found on the internet, but it gives you the idea.