Music

Here are your musicians for DCLX 2024: All the Cats Join In!

Bands

Clarence “The Blues Man” Turner

An infectious, rhythmic, gritty, and soulful, feeling sparked a fire into Clarence Turner while listening to his father’s collection of LP’s, which included the incomparable Muddy Waters and the legendary Howlin’ Wolf. Every wailing stroke of the guitar spoke to Clarence; and at the age of eight he began a life long love affair with the blues. It was no question the guitar chose Clarence. Throughout his teenage years, he played his guitar delivering the blues and receiving love from audiences both local and abroad. The blues cannot be truly mastered unless one has experienced life and experienced it hard. Following suit, Clarence disappeared from the music scene in his early twenties. During this time, Clarence experienced the heart and origin of the blues, a strong dose of reality, pure love, painful hardship, and amazing good times. Clarence realized that what he felt in his gut and soul, could only be expressed thru his first love of his guitar. As such, he returned to wail the blues as only he can.

The Craig Gildner Big Band

Craig Gildner, a dynamic band leader, male vocalist, guitarist and pianist — can never get enough of the music called swing. Craig, a musician blessed with perfect pitch, finds that the pulse of an upright bass, accompanied by the open hi-hat cymbal rhythms, syncopated saxophones and trumpets are what make him smile.

Craig is local to DC, and instrumental in the lindy scene, keeping swing lovers dancing with his musicianship as well as his love and care for the swing dancers themselves.

Gordon Webster Band featuring Hannah Gill

The Gordon Webster Band featuring Hannah Gill absolutely crushed it on the Sunday night dance at DCLX 2023 and we just have to recreate the experience. Get ready to finish out your DCLX weekend with a bang.

Pianist Gordon Webster is one of the most sought after musicians in the lindy hop world. His tremendous musicianship and passion, supported by his first-hand knowledge of social dancing, have inspired lindy hoppers at hundreds of dance events worldwide. Drawing on influences as diverse as Fats Waller, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson and Gene Harris, Webster serves up a smorgasbord of styles unified by one characteristic: irresistible danceability.

Gordon Webster (Blues Edition)

What’s better than dancing to Gordon Webster at DCLX? Dancing to Gordon Webster TWICE at DCLX. That’s right, at this year’s DCLX you have not one but two opportunities to hear Gordon Webster.
Our Saturday late night dance will have a slow room featuring Gordon Webster Blues Edition. We can’t wait and we hope you can’t either.

Jon Tigert’s Hangover Jam Band

We absolutely loved the jam band at DCLX 2022 and the jam band at DCLX 2023 was even better. Jon Tigert’s Hangover Jam Band is coming back for an afternoon dance! Jon Tigert is a beloved dancer, teacher, singer, drummer, band leader, emcee (and, if you’ve seen his Instagram profile, shameless self-promoter and space enthusiast who also likes cats). Last year’s jam band featured DCLX attendees as singers and musicians who kept us dancing under Jon’s engaging leadership. This year’s jam band might feature…you! More information is coming soon!

Keenan Mckenzie & the Riffers

The Riffers are a swing band specializing in original music and tight arrangements from the 1930s and 1940s. The band’s distinctive sound was originally developed for Keenan’s debut album, Forged in Rhythm. Since then, they have performed at dance weekends across the US, including Lindy Focus, Camp Hollywood, New York Bal Week, and Flying Home.
The group offers a mix of unique big band reductions and swing-era combo tunes, all with a focus on energy and rhythm. Keenan leads with over a decade of experience running dance bands, and his original compositions have appeared in international competitions and film.

The Mint Julep Jazz Band

With their little big band lineup of 4 horns, rhythm section, and vocalist, the Mint Julep Jazz Band recreates the hot jazz sounds of the 1920′s, 1930′s, and early 1940’s through arrangements based on original recordings from the jazz age and swing era and original tunes inspired by that time period. The Mint Julep Jazz Band is based out of Durham, North Carolina and is led by trombonist Lucian Cobb and vocalist/swing DJ Laura Windley, who have put their collective knowledge and love of swing music together to create an ideal dance band for swing dancers. Conceived in the fall of 2011, the Mint Julep Jazz Band formed to fulfill the musical needs of a thriving local swing dance community in the Triangle area of North Carolina, drawing its musicians from the educators and former students of North Carolina universities with vibrant jazz programs.

Paul Cosentino & the Boilermaker Jazz Band

Since 1988, Paul Cosentino’s Boilermaker Jazz Band has been bringing the sounds of the Jazz Age and the Swing Era back to life. You’ll hear familiar tunes and rarities performed by superb instrumentalists and heartfelt vocalists as the band interprets jazz classics and the Great American Songbook in their own unique fashion. From concert halls, festivals, and stages, to elegant soirees, weddings, and corporate events, listeners and dancers agree that the Boilermaker Jazz Band can make any crowd move with their infectious beat and enthusiasm.

The Scott Silbert Big Band

DC legend Scott Silbert is a multiple woodwind player and arranger who leads his own big band right here in the National Capital Region. Scott’s first album as leader, Introducing the Scott Silbert Big Band: Jump Children, features some of the lesser performed big band works of the 1930’s and 40’s, and is now available on both CD as well as a complete digital download—you should check it out before coming to hear them play at DCLX 2024.

DCLX Cats used as a page divider

DJs

DJs will be announced soon!