Final Week to Make History! Historic Coon-Sanders Recording Project

Final Week to Make History! Campaign ends at 6pm on 6/27/11.

Sign on as a supporter for Doug Bowles' Historic Coon-Sanders Recording Project!

An amazing singer; a hot, hot band; a fantabulous project . . . and YOU can be a part of it!

Minimum pledge is just $1!

Doug Bowles is planning a series of concerts and a recording with his SingCo Rhythm Orchestra of his extraordinary collection of world class arrangements of the Coon-Sanders Original Nighthawks. 

Doug is seeking your assistance in making this music available to a wider audience, through performances and a professional quality recording.

Visit Doug's Kickstarter page to donate now!

He has already amassed the arrangements, which are shockingly exact record transcriptions for the most part.

Doug Bowles and his SingCo Rhythm Orchestra recently gave a live concert of the music for the Potomac River Jazz Club, and were praised for their "hot" and "authentic" presentation of this incredible music. (Check out these videos! The Nighthawk Blues and Got a Great Big Date with a Little Bitty Girl I Love)

Your support will enable this very skilled orchestra to present authentic performances of Coon-Sanders' music. You will never have heard more virtuosic arrangements! This music has likely not been performed in public in this large a setting, and this large a quantity of charts, since the original group disbanded in 1933.

Your investment will be used to support the live concerts and recording fees, including musician fees, venue rental, all associated recording costs, marketing and publicity and potential multi-media presentations to accompany the live concerts.

Visit Doug's Kickstarter page to donate now!

The Coon-Sanders band was really Blazin! They were the top of the tops in the 1920s and 1930s, until the untimely death of one of its leaders in the early '30s. Mel Torme, the famous jazz singer and scat master, made his radio debut with this band at the age of 4, appearing on their radio broadcast for 6 weeks.

Your support will make possible the recording of such hits as
HERE COMES MY BALL AND CHAIN, LOUDER AND FUNNIER, READY FOR THE RIVER, MY BABY KNOWS HOW, AFTER YOU'VE GONE, and many more!

WAMMIE Nominations for some of my favorite groups & individuals!

A number of my favorite groups and individuals have been nominated for WAMMIE awards. These awards are from WAMA – the Washington Area Music Association – and recognize “significant career achievements by area musicians.” It’s a real honor just to be nominated.

Congratulations to Doug Bowles & His SingCo Rhythm Orchestra, Washington Revels, Charlie Pilzer, Jennifer Cutting, Mary Cliff, and all the other nominees!

If you are already a WAMA member you should have received your online ballot. You, as a music lover, can join WAMA (just $35, and it supports a whole range of great local musical resources). Then cast your votes! (Make sure you really join, because WAMA will check, and if any voters turn out to be non-members, it will look bad for the group or person you are voting for.)

To become eligible to vote:

• Go to https://plus9.safe-order.net/crosstownarts/wama/apply_for_membership.html, an online membership form where you can sign up with your credit card.
• Then, go to: http://www.wamadc.com/wama/wammies/wbal25.htm which is an online clickable ballot.

And the nice part of it is, you can vote in as many categories as you want. If you follow classical, folk, or [name your genre] and have any favorite group or artist on the ballot, vote for them too!

Voting ends THIS FRIDAY, January 21, 2011 at 10pm.

I cast (some of) my votes for:

* BIG BAND/SWING VOCALIST -- Doug Bowles
* BIG BAND/SWING GROUP -- Doug Bowles & His SingCo Rhythm Orchestra
* BIG BAND/SWING RECORDING -- New Deal Rhythm CD (Doug Bowles, with Alex Hassan, piano --incorrectly called “New Deal Swing” on the ballot)

* FOLK - TRADITIONAL DUO/GROUP – Jennifer Cutting’s OCEAN ORCHESTRA

* MUSICAL THEATER ARTIST -- Washington Revels

* EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR -- Greg Lewis, Washington Revels

* STUDIO ENGINEER -- Charlie Pilzer (producer for Washington Revel’s new CD, Le temps des Fêtes)

* RECORDING STUDIO -- Airshow Mastering (Charlie Pilzer’s studio)

* MOST SUPPORTIVE OF WASHINGTON MUSIC -- Mary Cliff (of WAMU Radio’s “Traditions”)

Deadline to vote is Friday, January 21^st – so vote early, and encourage your WAMA friends to vote too!