Thredbo Jazz Festival
Official Website

2008 PROGRAM

Jitterbugging, jiving . . .

. . . call it what you like but the dance craze which reached its peak during the big band era of the 1930s and 1940s and the early years of rock 'n' roll in the 1950s  has never really gone away. That's why we hope to make swing dances a feature of the Thredbo Jazz festival beginning in 2008.
 

THREE GREAT SWING DANCES AT THREDBO 2008

There will be two dances on the Saturday, the first in the afternoon with drummer Anthony Howe's Thredbo Swing Wing and again at night with the The Thredbo All Stars Big Band led by drummer John Morrison and the following day another with The Ozcats, an Australian version of Bob Crosby's Bobcats, one of the most popular small bands of the Swing Era.

Thredbo All Stars Big Band
The big band will be under the direction of the well respected and highly sought after drummer John Morrison, a logical choice as he is the leader of Swing City, one of our most esteemed working big bands. Swing City played at the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics.

John, who has been voted the best big band drummer in the country, has been a driving force in jazz for more than 25 years as a musician, producer, educationist and big band leader, delighting audiences with his humour and dedication to sounds that swing. He has toured extensively both overseas and in Australia.

We’re all waiting to see - and hear - the line-up on the day!

Thredbo Swing Wing
Drummer Anthony Howe will lead the Swing Wing in one of three swing dance dates, replacing blues and boogie pianist Carl Sonny Leyland who withdrew from the festival because of illness in his family. Another member,  reed player Anita Thomas has returned to the United States, so we’re waiting with interest to see the line-up in the festival’s Swing Wing. 

The Ozcats
On the Sunday, dance to Big Foot Jump, Slow Mood and March Of The Bob Cats, numbers synonymous with the fabled small unit within the Bob Crosby Orchestra of the 1930s and early 1940s. The Bob Cats' infectious swinging brand of jazz has stood the test of time, resulting in Sydney trumpeter Ron Falson, a longtime fan, forming this tribute band he calls the Ozcats. Its members, some of our best mainstream and traditional musicians, all with a penchant for jazz with a beat. Since its 2006 debut,it has proved popular at jazz festivals and, increasingly, among swing dancers

FREE SWING DANCE CLASSES SATURDAY & SUNDAY
Free swing dance classes will be held by Canberra’s Jumptown Swing from 11am to 12 noon on both Saturday and Sunday morning in the Keller Bar during Thredbo Jazz Festival.