Ger van Leeuwen: Een vergeten jazzpianist

Ger van Leeuwen: Een vergeten jazzpianist.(Nederlands) Ger Van Leeuwen: a forgotten jazz piano player ( English)

Tuney Tunes: Een veelbelovend, jong musicus (1949)
GER VAN LEEUWEN: EEN VERGETEN JAZZPIANIST
Hans Koert

Een paar weken geleden vond ik in een kringloopwinkel in Middelburg een stapeltje 78-toerenplaten - Parlophone, Decca, Columbia, His Master's Voice, Polydor, Tempo en Omega - dat soort spul, uit de jaren veertig en vijftig. Amerikaanse big bands en Tanzorchester. Ik had er een paar uitgezocht en wilde daar wel een paar euro voor geven, maar de dame die de zaak leidde zei: Neem heel de stapel maar, dan ben ik ze maar kwijt. Thuis bleken de meeste platen in slechte conditie en het bewaren niet waard ....... maar er zat één plaat tussen die me verraste, hoewel de titel van de groep weinig jazzy klanken beloofde: het Kwartet Ger Van Leeuwen.

KWARTET GERT VAN LEEUWEN: G. van Leeuwen (p.) G. Daalhuisen (b. ) - C. v.d. Berg (dr. ) K. Bruyn ( tenorsax) ANOTHER JUMP (Quick tempo) - DU 1005-1 ( opnamen van 16 december 1952)

Eigenlijk had ik één of ander populair deuntje verwacht in de categorie dertien in een dozijn, maar in plaats daarvan spatte er onvervalste bebop uit de groef. Reden genoeg om me eens in deze Ger van Leeuwen te verdiepen? Vandaag duik ik in de periode net na de Tweede Wereldoorlog, waarin hij te vinden was in verschillende dansorkesten - later kom ik terug over zijn tijd als studiomuzikant en als componist en arrangeur bij de omroepen.

Ger van Leeuwen ( 1919 - 2008) (foto uit Tuney Tunes, maart 1949)

Ger van Leeuwen werd geboren in Amsterdam in 1919. Als zevenjarige begon hij met pianolessen, maar toen hij twaalf werd, had hij het daar helemaal mee gehad en stopte. Met wat vrienden, Jan-Jaap Clinge Doorenbos en Rob Field richtte hij een dansbandje op.

KRO-Dansorkest (begin 1948) (foto uit NJA Bulletin no. 20)

begin 1948)Hij leerde de tenorsax bespelen en toen hij zeventien was werd hij gevraagd mee te spelen met de Blue Ramblers o.l.v. Pi Scheffer. Hier speelde hij twee jaar, waarbij het ondertussen zijn pianostudie weer oppakte bij Han Beuker. In 1937 ging hij economie studeren, maar moest daarmee door de oorlog in 1943 mee stoppen. Hij maakte wat arrangementen voor Dick Willebrandts, die een eigen orkest had. Na de oorlog vond hij een baan bij de Entertainments National Service Association , de E.N.S.A, een organisatie, die Engelse soldaten in België en Frankrijk van amusement voorzag. Hij vond een baan in het orkest van Lex Van Spall en, nadat die band was opgedoekt in februari 1947, kon hij terecht bij het K.R.O. dansorkest van Klaas van Beeck. Hij maakte zijn plaatdebuut bij de Ramblers in juni 1946, waarmee hij de nummers Bouncin' in Bavaria en Rue de Radis opnam; laatstgenoemd nummer staat op de onlangs uitgebrachte en besproken CD The Ramblers in Brussel ( 1945-1946). Toen Henk Orthman, bassist bij Klaas Van Beeck een eigen band begon, het Rhythme-sextet, vroeg hij Ger als pianist en arrangeur. Ger speelde in de stijl van Nat King Cole, die hij bewonderde om zijn spel, zonder deze te kopiëren. De leden van het Sextet Orthman waren Ger Natte klarinet - Piet Baan gitaar - Ger van Leeuwen piano - Henk Orthman bas en Gerard Van Bezeij slagwerk. Jannie Bron was verantwoordelijk voor de zang. Volgende keer meer over zijn werk en carriere bij de omroeporkesten en de eigen opnamen met het veelbelovende zangeresje Riedel van Kleef.

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

Oude 78-toerenplaten zijn bijna helemaal verdwenen uit rommelwinkeltjes en als er nog wat te vinden is, is dat meestal van slechte kwaliteit of oninteressant. Soms vind je nog wel eens een stapel, die je dan haast ongezien, laat staan - gehoord, meeneemt. Soms zitten daar verrassingen tussen - zoals deze keer: Het Kwartet Ger van Leeuwen. De Keep Swinging blog probeert zulke onderbelichte artiesten weer even in de schijnwerpers te zetten. Mis daarom niets ........ Vraag de wekelijke nieuwsbrief.

Retrospect
Oscar Aleman Choro Music Flexible Records Hit of the Week-Durium Friends of the Keep Swinging blog Keep Swinging Contributions

Louisiana Dance Theater to perform in San Antonio on April 10 in closing the Regional Dance America Fest; 22 local dancers perform Ap 6 at Carol Anglin Dancenter

Louisiana Dance Theater: AfterShock / photo Sharen Bradford
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Shreveport’s first, and only, regional ballet company, Louisiana Dance Theatre (LDT) has been selected to close the Regional Dance America/ SW Festival Gala Performance April 10, 2010 at the historic Municipal Auditorium in San Antonio, TX, says Carol Anglin.

This is the highest honor ever bestowed on the Shreveport-based company in its 27-year history, which is usually reserved for Houston and Dallas Metropolitan Ballet companies.

A studio performance showcasing AfterShock and honoring its choreographer, Dianne Maroney Grigsby, will be held Tuesday, April 6, 2010 from 8:00 – 8:30 pm at Carol Anglin Dancenter at Pierremont Mall. The performance is free and open to the public; however individuals and businesses are invited to make donations to the non-profit organization.

Aftershock memorializes the recent disaster in Haiti.

Twenty-two north Louisiana dancers will perform in AfterShock including: Bailey Anglin, Maisy Brocato, Chemika Burnett, Collin Cochran, Alex Crevoiserat, Sheridan Graham, Auctavia Grant, Lisa Harkness, Lilly Herron, Alexis Jackson, Key’Andrea James, Meghan Jelks, Tierra King, Breana Lathers, Danielle Martin, Princeton McCurtain, Lindsey Olinde, CyVanie Ramkelawan, Kimi Rousseau, Gabbi Sorensen, Brittaney Washington, and Devin Williams.

In the photo: CyVanie Ramkelawan, Devin Williams, Princeton McCurtain, Alex Crevoiserat, Lindsey Olinde, Collin Cochran and Kimi Rousseau.

Cálice - Maria Bethânia

...

Hosted by Stacy Keach and Eva La Rue (CSI: Miami)

Hosted by Stacy Keach and Eva La Rue (CSI: Miami) and featuring Vegas headliner Terry Fator and his Cast of Thousands (winner of 2007 America’s Got Talent), the Gala concert will also include the First Ladies of the USO – Connie Stevens, Nancy Sinatra and Barbara Eden, as well as American Idol’s Kimberley Locke, recording artist Pat Boone, John Schneider, and many more – PLUS the amazing musicians of the Los Angeles Police Concert Band.

Guests include many members of the armed forces and local law enforcement, along with community, business and political supporters, will come together to support men and women in uniform. All proceeds benefit the LAPD Concert Band and The Bob Hope Hollywood USO at LAX.

Read more: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/3866-stars-to-come-out-for-the-uso#ixzz0iTT6nBwz

My version is better than yours part 10: Big Secret vs. Jacki Baaron –It’s on My Mind

Big Secret – King Kong/It’s on my Mind –Finger 2046 038 (1973 Ger)

Jacki Baaron – King Kong/It’s on my Mind –Poplandia P-30569 (1973 Portuguese issue)

Based on the first nano seconds of spinning the Big Secret version, you could be fooled into thinking that you were listening to a demo of Holidays In The Sun...but no, the guitar then goes off on a tangent, the beat kicks in and the track turns into a mighty fine T.Rex-type tune where an organ swells behind snazzy female lead vocals. Regardless of your cover girl preference; there’s no denying the obvious fact that Enri and July win hands down sonically. The Big Secret mix is clearer, the reverb on the guitar and drums more potent and the separation works well...plus the vocals hit the spot whereas Jacki sounds somewhat deflated.

Both the A and B side backing tracks are identical and from the same production team,. So what was the big idea? King Kong was Big Secret’s follow up to the superb Ride Captain Ride. The girls were well implanted in Germany with their Les Humphries Singers TV appearances which was as good a springboard as any to solo continental success.

I don’t know who Jacki Baaron was, but she may have been Spanish. Perhaps it was felt in some quarters that mini-skirted dancing Pilipino girls wouldn’t maximise a single’s potential across all territories?

Hear a full version of Big Secret

Hear a full version of Jacki Baaron

Hear Big Secret's King Kong

Texas Relays Events in Austin This Weekend!

Man! It hits me every freakin' year. Just a couple weeks after SXSW ends, the Texas Relays start. That's way too much partying in two weeks time for even the most fervent college age spring breaker, let alone my old ass. But I'ma try and see what I can see. Rest assured these flyers only represent a small percentage of what's gonna be on and poppin' in the city this weekend.

I heard Bizzy Bone and Hurricane Chris has a show at the Expo Center and Bavu Blakes will be live in concert at The Highball. Need to find those flyers.

Also Happy Easter. Click all the flyers to see them full size!

First up a benefit for the big homey J. Kapone. As some of you may know, he was picked up on federal charges as part of a bit of a sting in Austin recently. Well J. was picked up in Memphis, but it was part of a bigger thing. Help the man out, he, like everyone else in this world, deserves a fair trial.

Jonn Serrie - And the Stars Go with You

Band: Jonn Serrie (MySpace)
Album: And the Stars Go with You
Year: 1987
Type: Full-lenght
Label: Planet Music Series
Genre(s): Space Ambient
Country: United States of America
Quality: MP3 @ CBR 256kbps
Size: 86.7 MB
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1. Gentle; The Night - 07:43
2. Fantasy Passages - 07:52
3. And the Stars Go with You - 04:23
4. The Far River - 10:02
5. Stratos - 10:04

Total playing time - 40:40
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Megaupload - Download

Sadly, current Shreveport census returns at about 50%; complete returns important to econ dev and health services

Revel: Hilby, the German jongleur
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Writes correspondent Adrienne Critcher, a member of the Shreveport Census Committee: "Shreveport residents currently have returned only 41% to 50% of their Census Forms to date. You can check the rate on a daily basis at http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map/. Please help increase our rate of return by reminding everyone you know who lives in Shreveport to return their Census Form Today!"

Listed below are a few of the reasons why their returning their form is important to Shreveport’s future.

● Census data directly affect how more than $400 trillion dollars over the next 20 years in federal and state funding will be allocated to our community to provide funding for economic development, sanitary water and sewer, improved streets, decent housing, roads, job training centers, schools, social services, new hospitals, neighborhood improvements, emergency preparedness and disaster recovery, public health, education, transportation, senior services and much more.

● The Census Bureau’s estimated population for Shreveport in 2008 was 199,729. If the population count at the end of the Census remains below 200,000, Shreveport will be forced to compete with smaller communities for funding projects.

● The 2010 Census helps ensure that you receive your fair share of political representation -- from Congress on down to the local government level.

The Expendables New Movie Trailer HD 720p + Step Up 3D Trailer HD 720p

Sylvester Stallone gears up for a men-on-a-mission film with the Nu Image/Millennium Films war picture, The Expendables. Jason Statham and Jet Li co-star alongside the brawny filmmaker as a group of mercenaries who undertake a near-impossible operation to overthrow a dictator in South America. Mickey Rourke, Forest Whitaker, and UFC star Randy Couture co-star in the action-packed production.

Director:
Sylvester Stallone (Rambo, Rocky Balboa, Rocky II, Rocky III)

Cast:
Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Terry Crews, Steve Austin, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger

Release Date:
August 20, 2010



New Yorks intense street dancing underground comes alive in eye-popping Digital 3D in the third installment of the 'Step Up' franchise as the raw, passion-fueled culture goes global. A tight-knit group of street dancers, including Luke (Rick Malambri) and Natalie (Sharni Vinson), team up with NYU freshman Moose (Adam Sevani), and find themselves pitted against the worlds best hip hop dancers in a high-stakes showdown that will change their lives forever.

Release Dates:

Belgium: 4 August 2010
France: 4 August 2010
Germany: 5 August 2010
Netherlands: 5 August 2010
Finland: 6 August 2010
UK: 6 August 2010
USA: 6 August 2010
Russia: 12 August 2010

Trance Tune Part 3

00:00-03:45 Three Drives - Automatic City [Fast Distance Remix] (Sunrise to Sunset)

03:45-06:59 Ben Gold feat. Senadee - Senadee [Re-Vocaled Mix Dub] (Recover World)

06:59-12:34 Ilya Soloviev - Universal Universe [Original Mix] (Timeline)

More SXSW 2010 Hip-Hop Videos

Been trolling the internet the past few days looking for footage of shows that I missed, or may have seen and wanted to remember again, and well here's a gang of good stuff from SXSW 2010! Word to Davey D and The Southern Shift for all their tight work especially!

Detroit Rapper Invincible Freestyles about Palestine & Texas Border wall (SXSW 2010 Panelist)


Finale at SXSW


Truthlive at SXSW


More Finale at SXSW


Killer Mike at SXSW with Davey D!


Anita Tijoux at SXSW


Adam Tensta at SXSW


Rodstarz of Rebel Diaz-How to Organize Your Hood & not be a 'Fake' studio Revolutionary


Mayer Hawthorne opening for Smokey Robinson at SXSW


Raphael Saadiq opening for Smokey Robinson at SXSW


Smokey Robinson Live at SXSW


Smokey Robinson Speaks at SXSW - Keynote!


Stones Throw Crew at SXSW


Cubic Zirconia at SXSW


Jean Grae Live at SXSW


Keys N Krates Killin' it at SXSW


Killer Mike does one of my favorite songs at SXSW


Mistah Fab Keeping it Real on 6th Street sxsw 2010


Loyal KNG's SXSW Coverage!


Cool Kids Live on the outdoor stage at SXSW


Fashawn Live at the Biz 3 Showcase at SXSW

Cálice - Chico Buarque y Milton Nascimento

Con subtítulos, hermosa letra.

...

Eva La Rue - Downblouse

Original score, big orchestra, highly-trained dancers: the Wizard of Oz by Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet on Sun, Ap 18, 3 pm

Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Originally uploaded by dormir_dehors

The Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet reprises its original production of "The Wizard of Oz," says Kate Pedrotty, with choreography by SMB Artistic Director Kendra Meiki and an original score by SMB Music Director Kermit Poling.

Poling will conduct a live orchestra for this production that will also feature professional guest artist Jacob Sparso of Ballet Oklahoma and dozens of local dancers.

Principal dancers of the SMB corps are Blair Bryson, Claire Cook,
Kelsey Steen and Emily Young.

Sunday, April 18, 3 pm
$10-$35
318-866-9916

shreveportmetroballet.org

Splinter Cell Conviction Launch Trailer [North America] HD 720p

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction is the fifth installment in the Splinter Cell video game series. The game is being developed by Ubisoft Montreal, developers of Splinter Cell, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and the sixth generation versions of Splinter Cell: Double Agent. Key members of the Rainbow Six: Vegas team, such as creative director Maxime Béland, are also working on the game. Gameloft will also be creating a mobile version of the game for the iPhone OS.

Developer(s) Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher(s) Ubisoft
Designer(s) Maxime Béland
Engine LEAD (heavily modified Unreal Engine 2.5)
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360
Release date(s) NA April 13, 2010

EU April 15, 2010
AU April 15, 2010
UK April 16, 2010
Genre(s) Stealth action
Mode(s) Single-player, cooperative, multiplayer

Shreveport Opera Express @ East Ridge Country Club on Fri, Ap 9, 6:30 pm

Shreveport Opera Express
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Having seen them perform I can vouch for the poise and sense of melody offered by the young quartet in the Shreveport Opera Express.

Baritone Kevin Richard Doherty, mezzo-soprano Kristen DiNinno, soprano Kathleen Jasinskas and pianist Julius Abrahams are terrific performers. I've also seen Abrahams perform on keyboard with the Baroque Arttists of Shreveport.

See more at Shreveopera.org.

Victorinox intros unhackable, self-destructible USB drive + AMD launches ten 8-core and 12-core server CPUs

Victorinox, known for making Swiss Army Knives, has announced a new "unhackable" USB flash drive that MacGyver would be proud to own. Claimed to be the best of its kind, the Secure Pro drive uses several layers of security, including AES256 encryption, and fingerprint identification with a thermal sensor -- you know, in case someone's desperate enough to lop off your pointer.

If that weren't enough, the drive is also "tamper-proof" and any attempt to open it by force triggers a self-destruct mechanism that irrevocably burns its CPU and memory chip. During the Secure Pro's two-hour launch event, Victorinox challenged a team of professional hackers to break in for a prize of £100,000 -- a sum that went uncollected.

The Secure Pro drive is available in three capacities ranging from 8GB (£50) to 32GB (£180), which also includes a built-in LED light, as well as a retractable ballpoint pen, blade, scissors, nail file, screw driver, and a key ring.

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AMD launches ten 8-core and 12-core server CPUs



AMD today officially launched its latest offensive against rival Intel in the server market, releasing a line of 8- and 12-core processors referred to as Magny-Cours. The chips feature a new 45nm design made up of two processor dies (with 4 or 6 cores each) sharing a single CPU package, which will fit in a brand-new G34 socket, while offering newer I/O technologies and four DDR3 memory channels for supporting up to 12 memory modules per processor.

The series will be sold under the Opteron 6100 name starting with a 1.8GHz, 8-core version known as the 6124 HE, and going all the way up to a 2.3-GHz 12-core version dubbed 6176 SE. The first is an energy efficient part using 65 watts of what AMD calls "average CPU power" and costs $455, while the latter uses 105 watts and has a list price of $1,386. In between are a number of other 8- and 12-core versions, including the 8-core 6128 which will sell for just $266.

Not surprisingly, AMD claims its Opteron 6100 series processors are notably faster than its 6-core (Istanbul) predecessors, boasting an 88% increase in integer performance and a 119% increase in floating point performance. All Opteron 6100 chips should work in either two- or four-socket configurations. Meanwhile, Intel is also planning an 8-core chip aimed at multiprocessor servers, known as "Nehalem-EX," which should be formally shipping soon.

Cup of:

hi

Hello bloggers i'd just like to say thank you to Jessica and Rebecca for always viewing my blog and that i will try to post more often! I am also a total horse freak so check out my horse blog:

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My rabbits said hi to you Jessica and Rebecca! They have got their eyes on you!

Louis Vola and the birth of a quintet

Louis Vola en de geboorte van het kwintet ( Nederlands) Louis Vola and the birth of a quintet ( English) Louis Vola: bassist en orkestleider ( Nederlands) Louis Vola: bass player and bandleader ( English)

A tireless impresario ......
LOUIS VOLA AND THE BIRTH OF A QUINTET
Georg Lankester
(translation: Hans Koert)

If you are an admirer of the Hot Club de France, Louis Vola (1902 - 1990) will be remembered as one of the bass players of the quintet, like Emmanuel Soudieux (he passed away) and Coleridge Goode, who played in the post-war period in London with Django and Stephane Grappelli. I visited both and they told me their story at first hand. But Louis Vola played an important part in the first years of the Quintet, and not only as a bass player ........more like a tireless impresario
Today about the first years of his career and the founding of the Quintet de Hot Club de France.

One of the oldest photos of the quintet: f.l.t.r. Roger Chaput, Stéphane Grappelly, Louis Vola, Joseph Reinhardt and Django Reinhardt ( Place Pigalle 1934)

Louis Vola was born in La Seyne-sur-Mer (France) at the 6th of July 1902. His parents were from Piemonte (Italy) and he was raised in Genova. When he had moved to France he started to study the violin and percussion. As a young adult he played in small bands along the French Riviera and early 1920s he heard the first American musicians to play in the clubs along the coast and in Paris. He earned a living as an employee at the Citroén Automobiles Factory and in the evening he played the drums in Bals-Musettes in places like Noyent-sur-Marne or the rue de Lappe in Paris. In 1925 he left for Yugoslavia where he would stay for a few years. During this stay he learned to play the accordion and the bass and the latter became his favourite instrument.

Back in France he would invited Django and Robert Reinhardt to join his band which he founded to play in the Palm Beach Hotel in Cannes for its cabaret “La Boîte á Matelots”.

Django Reinhardt ( 1934) ( photo from: Django - Michael Dregni)

One summer evening, while the Reinhardt brothers, Django and Joseph ( Nin-Nin ), were playing on the beach for a selected audience, Louis joined them and told that he had a baker's shop, but also loved to perform on his instrument. He told that he just finished a concert at The Lido. He invited Django and Joseph to join his orchestra. In fact Louis was a band leader since the late 1920s in Paris, instead of a bass player. It wasn't easy to make appointments with the two guitar players for concerts - sometimes he had to search all along France to find them. And when he had joined a few concert, Django wanted to have his money to buy an old Dodge automobiles.

"I need 5,000 francs. I must buy a tiara for my mother. She deserves one. And I want to decorate our horses. For us, the horse is a queen. Give me an advance ... if not ... if not..... I will die." An hour later, Django returned at the wheel of a 1926 American Dodge convertible, grinning from ear to ear. (Django - The Life and Music of a Gypsy Legend - Michael Dregni - p. 59)

When Django left for Paris to play with Guerino, Voila had to wait for a year to have him back in the band again. In 1932 Louis Vola played in the Palm Beach in Cannes and had a lot of success - in the summer of 1933 he even replaced the Jack Harris band with his orchestra. Django Reinhardt with Louis Vola
He got at gig with his band in Boîte á Matelots in Paris, opened by Léon Volterre and he directed the orchestra to entertain the guests in the famous Claridge Hotel at its Thé Dansants; he played the accordion in the 14-men tango-orchestra, in fact a forerunner of the HCdF-Quintet ( = Hot Club de France Quintet).
Djangology - The Quintet of the Hot Club de France: An early recording ( September 1935)
Both Django and Stephane often played during the same concerts in this period, but never together on stage. During the breaks between sets they jammed, together with Roger Chaput at the guitar and Louis Vola on bass. Thanks to these jams behind the curtains, late 1934, the famous Quintette du Hot Club de France was born ..... Late 1934 they made its first concerts and recordings. Louis Vola is part of the Quintette and toured around the country. He accompanied famous Americans, like Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter, Barney Bigard, Dicky Wells, Bill Coleman and vocalist Adelaide Hall.

An early photo of the quintet with Louis Vola on bass.
In December 1934 the Quintet of the Hot Club du France was founded, thanks to Charles Delaunay (one of the managers of the 1932 Hot Club de France ) and the first recordings were made for Ultraphone: Dinah, Lady Be good, Tiger Rag and I Saw Stars. Vola will be its regular drummer for a long time.
One of the first advertisements of the quintet from December 1934, before it got its final name. ( photo from: Django - Michael Dregni)
Enjoy a fragment of the "Quintet", labeled as Delaunay's Jazz from September 1934 for the Swing-label with the tune entitled I Saw Stars: Stephane Grappelli violin - Django Reinhardt solo guitar - Roger Chaput rhythm guitar - Louis Vola drums. Bert Marshall is the vocalist.

Next contribution will be entitled: Louis Vola: bass player and bandleader.

Georg Lankester
(translation: Hans Koert)

keepswinging@live.nl


If you hear the Quintet of the Hot Club de France playing, you will think about Django Reinhardt and his pal Stephane Grappelli. This world famous Quintet gave Europe his own sound. But where did it come from? How was it founded? Georg Lankester informs you: about how Louis Vola, bass player and bandleader, brought the musicians together, which resulted in some very famous recordings of this unique quintet. The Keep Swinging blog offers guest editors a place to share their passion and knowledge. If you don't want to miss any contribution, ask for its weekly newsletter.



Retrospect
Oscar Aleman Choro Music Flexible Records Hit of the Week-Durium Friends of the Keep Swinging blog Keep Swinging Contributions