Vintage jazz dancer, DJ, songbird, blogger

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No, seriously, they really do. John Ennis and Ruth Brown are getting married on September 8, 2012 and are opening up their wedding reception to be an open-to-the-public swing dance. For John and Ruth, there is no better way to spend their wedding weekend than surrounded by live swing music and dancing. To that end, they have planned a weekend doing just that and are inviting everyone who wishes to dance to amazing music to attend not one, but two dance events – the more the merrier!

Here’s the information from the Facebook invite:

John is a big fan of Fred Astaire and we’ll be performing at least one of his songs for the reception/dance

“Friday, September 7th, 2012
Live Band: Gypsy Roots
9:00pm – midnight
Beginner Lindy Hop lesson at 7:30

Saturday, September 8th, 2012
Live Band: The Mint Julep Jazz Band
2:00pm-5:00pm
Beginner Lindy Hop lesson at 1:00

Location:
Lewis Ginter Recreation Association
3421 Hawthorne Ave.
Richmond, VA

Admission:
General: $10 for one dance, $15 for both
Students: $7 for one dance, $10 for both

Spiffy attire encouraged for the Saturday dance (we’ll be in wedding attire)! Please wear comfortable shoes with smooth soles (please, no black rubber soles).

New to dancing? Have no fear! Ruth and John will be teaching the beginner lesson before the Friday night dance, while Erica Vess and Ryan Lemar will be teaching the beginner lesson before the Saturday afternoon dance. No dance partner required.

Erica Vess will also provide her excellent and nationally recognized DJ skills during the band breaks!

And of course, there will be cake…”

We are excited to be a part of the wedding festivities and are looking forward to dancing, cake, and performing at the historic ballroom at the Lewis Ginter Recreation Center!

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The Mint Julep Jazz Band will be celebrating Independence Day at Festival for the Eno! We’ll be performing one set at the River Stage from 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. The festival is setting up a dance floor in front of the River Stage and Jason Sager is teaching a beginner swing dance lesson at 1:45 p.m., so bring your dance shoes if you are so inclined. It will be a lovely day of picnicing and hot jazz!

West Point on the Eno City Park
5101 North Roxboro Road
Durham, NC

River Stage, 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

For tickets and information on the festival, directions, and parking, please visit the Festival for the Eno website.

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The Mint Julep Jazz Band is delighted to be a finalist for Best Jazz Artist or Band in our first year of existence! Many thanks to all of our fans who voted for us. Congratulations to our tenor saxophonist, Peter Lamb, whose band Peter Lamb and the Wolves was the winner of the Best Jazz Artist or Band award! See the results of the Independent Weekly’s 2012 Best of the Triangle Reader’s Choice poll at http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/best-of-the-triangle-2012-readers-choice-poll-winners-and-finalists/Content?oid=3081364&storyPage=3

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Photo from Mint Julep Jazz Band’s performance at the Carrboro Century Center on St. Patrick’s Day, courtesy of Joel Carlin.

We are excited to return to Carrboro for the Mint Julep Jazz Band show on June 16, 2012 at the Triangle Swing Dance Society swing dance, held at the Carrboro Century Center. Come dance on the finest sprung wood floor in the Triangle! Don’t know how to dance? No problem! There’s a beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m. that is included with the price of admission.

Carrboro Century Center
100 N. Greensboro Street
Carrboro, NC

Beginner east coast swing lesson – 7:00 p.m.

Band plays from 8:00-11:00 p.m.

Admission: Members/students $8.00, general admission $12.00

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The Mint Julep Jazz Band is honored and excited to be a part of the lineup for the Art of Cool Project‘s After Hours Concert Series at LabourLove Gallery, May 18, 2012. Tickets are $10.00 in advance or $15.00 at the door – purchase advance tickets at http://theartofcoolproject.com/buy-tickets.

Doors open at 9:00, show starts at 9:30. Please arrive early or on time to get a seat, these shows usually sell out!

LabourLove Gallery
807 E Main St, Suite 2-130
Durham, NC

For more information about The Art of Cool Project and its myriad activities across the Triangle, visit http://theartofcoolproject.com/

For more information about LabourLove Gallery, visit http://labourlove.com/.

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The Mint Julep Jazz Band is looking forward to performing at ItalianFest at Lafayette Village in Raleigh this Saturday, May 12, 2012. We will be performing from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on the green in front of The Village Grill.

ItalianFest is an all day event, starting at noon, with lots of live music, Italian-themed activities and, of course, food! Come and bring your appetite for some delicious Italian food, relax with a glass of wine, and enjoy the sounds of the Mint Julep Jazz Band.

For more information about the schedule of events, visit the event Facebook invite at http://www.facebook.com/events/382478951767401/.

For more information about Lafayette Village, visit their website at http://www.lafayettevillageraleigh.com.

See you there! Ciao!

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Get your tickets today for the Art of Cool Project’s After Hours Concert at LabourLove Gallery on May 18, featuring the Mint Julep Jazz Band! We are excited to be a part of this concert series, which presents a rare opportunity for local professional jazz musicians and groups to perform in an intimate concert setting. We hope you will join us for this special concert!

Tickets are available for purchase through the Art of Cool Project’s website at http://theartofcoolproject.com/buy-tickets. In the past, all of these concerts have sold out, so be sure to purchase your tickets in advance of the show.