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To celebrate the release of the Mint Julep Jazz Band’s new album Battle Axe, we are going to do a Front to Back concert, wherein we perform the entirety of Battle Axe from track 1 all the way through track 16 in order!

This is a free show at the wonderful new Blue Note Grill location near the old Durham Bulls field in the warehouse district – there will be much more room to dance! Join us for dinner at 8:00 p.m., show begins at 9:00 p.m. and runs until we finish!

If you still need to pick up a copy of the album, we’ll have plenty on hand at the show, or you can buy it just about anywhere digital music is sold – CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon, Spotify…

See you Wednesday! Try the ribs!

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On Friday, September 25, 2015, we’ll head west, over the mountains to Tennessee for the Knoxville Lindy Exchange! This weekend’s live music lineup features some great swing bands based in the Southeast, including the Gamble Wilson Swing Orchestra (Asheville/Hendersonville), Michael Gamble and his Rhythm Serenaders (Asheville), Knoxville’s own Scruffy City Syncopators, and yours truly representing Durham, NC. This promises to be a great swing dance event, come one come all from the corners of the southeast and beyond!

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We are excited to be a part of Richmond, Virginia’s inaugural I Heart Balboa, a mini-workshop weekend occurring September 4-5, 2015. The weekend features Balboa instructors Kate Hedin, David Rehm, Chelsea Lee, and David Lee, and the Mint Julep Jazz Band is performing at the Saturday night dance at The Dance Space in Richmond. We hear they are close to selling out, so get your weekend pass or your dance pass soon!

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We are so happy to be returning to Common 414, Raleigh’s 1920’s-themed cocktail bar, for another double header in May. We’ll be performing May 3 and May 17, 2015 (both are Sunday nights) from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Come relax and drink a cocktail on one of Common 414’s many comfy couches or bring your dance shoes and cut a rug in front of the band. There’s plenty of room for everyone!

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We had such a great time performing for the 8th annual Orlando Lindy Exchange, and we’re excited to see that Jamie Lynn Photography was able to capture the fun and energy of this event, including some great shots of the band in action. Check out her photographs at the Jamie Lynn Photography Facebook page – here are two of our favorites:

This is what it looks like after the jam circle breaks and everyone rushes the stage to cheer on the band. :D
This is what it looks like after the jam circle breaks and everyone rushes the stage to cheer on the band. 😀 At Bahia Shrine in Orlando, FL
Somewhere between Oscar Aleman and Luciano Pavarotti is the Mint Julep Jazz Band horn section vocals.
Somewhere between Oscar Aleman and Luciano Pavarotti is the Mint Julep Jazz Band horn section vocals. At the University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL

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Laura's mom's aprons sold like hotcakes!
Laura’s mom’s aprons sold like hotcakes!

After launching a week ago, we are excited to report that the Mint Julep Jazz Band’s Kickstarter for our new album “Battle Axe” is already 38% funded! Here are some other update tidbits about our first week of this Kickstarter:

– As of 1/18/15, we have a total of 157 backers!

– We have backers from Canada, Australia, UK, Israel, Switzerland, and Brazil, as well as backers from all over the US.

– The aprons made by Gayle Windley (vocalist Laura’s mom) and the fascinator donated by ChatterBlossom were sold within the first 12 hours after the Kickstarter launched.

– We have added a reward in the first week, two passes to The Process, a weekend of Lindy Hop workshops and dances in Richmond, VA (July 17-19, 2015) focusing on the “process guiding Lindy Hoppers to rapid improvement,” featuring six sets of national and internationally known lindy hop instructors, and the Mint Julep Jazz Band is performing at the Friday night dance – thanks so much to the Jazz Dance Education Council for donating two passes!

– We are going to add a new reward this week, another lovely fascinator donated by ChatterBlossom – stay tuned!

Thanks to all of our backers thus far – we hope you’ll tell all your friends about pre-ordering our new album on Kickstarter!

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The Mint Julep Jazz Band hits the road this Saturday, September 6, 2014 for the DC metro area, to perform at the Jam Cellar‘s swing dance at Glen Echo Park, Glen Echo, MD! The gorgeous Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo was built in 1933 in the Spanish Art Deco Style and played host to the great bands of the swing era and beyond – we are always excited to perform at this venue!

Dance runs 9:00 p.m. to midnight, $18.00 gets you a free beginner lesson at 8:00 p.m. and admission to the dance – see you soon, DC!

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We are featured in the August issue of Our State for our Music in the Library recordings!
We are featured in the August issue for our Music in the Library recordings!

The Mint Julep Jazz Band is excited to be invited to provide music for Our State Magazine‘s Music in the Library video series, which shares and highlights songs from North Carolina musical artists filmed at Our State Magazine’s headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina. We filled up their cozy library space with eight musicians, swing, and hot jazz on a hot June afternoon and the results came out great, using just three microphones and three cameras.

We are also featured in the magazine’s August issue – pick one up from your local North Carolina newsstand!

The band recorded “Swingtime in Honolulu,” “Rock it for Me,” and our original tune (composed by alto/clarinet/soprano sax mad man, Keenan McKenzie) “Miami Boulevard” – visit the Our State YouTube channel for all the videos from this series!

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The Mint Julep Jazz Band will kick off the weekend festivities at The Process, a Lindy Hop workshop weekend in Richmond, Virginia on Friday, July 18, 2014 at 9:00 p.m. The Process is a new event, in its first year, and seeks to answer the question, “What is the process guiding Lindy Hoppers to rapid improvement?” in its workshops throughout the weekend. With a great lineup of instructors (Casey Schneider & Mike Faltesek; Jaya Dorf & Michael Gamble; Chelsea & David Lee; Mike Herring; Abigail Browning & Adam Speen; and Sparrow Pants) and live music by The Low Down Sires, 504 Supreme, and Gypsy Roots, it looks like it will be a rumpus in Richmond! For more information visit The Process website.

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First prize is a CD, bag, hankie, and button - second prize is a CD!
First prize is a CD, bag, hankie, and button – second prize is a CD!

A year ago today, May 8, we released our first album “Durham on Saturday Night” – to celebrate one year of recorded bliss, we are doing a giveaway on Lindy Hop Problems – Click below to enter to win a free CD and other goodies! You have two weeks to get your entry in and then the winner will be chosen at random.

http://lindyhopproblems.tumblr.com/post/85117450654

And while you’re there you should look around – #lindyhopproblems is a great Tumblr blog and a pioneer of the lindy hop meme. You won’t be disappointed! 🙂

Deadline for submissions is May 21, 2014.