Music
Energetic. Enthusiastic. That. Tall. Asian. These are words often used to describe Mark Kihara, a boy who has become the emcee for lindy hop events around the world. Known for his energy, enthusiasm, and alliteration, Mark brings the fun to every event. And yes, that includes his emceeing of a dog show.
Other things to know about Mark: He and his lindy hop friends almost got their own reality tv show. He went on 72 dates in 24 hours. Oh, and he once held his own funeral.
Mark is very excited to be emceeing Camp Jitterbug for the first time.
At age 25, Bria Skonberg has been performing on stage for over 20 years. She picked up the trumpet at age 11 and now resides in Vancouver, BC, where she has completed a Degree in Jazz Performance from Capilano University. She has made appearances as a bandleader and guest artist in North America, Europe, and Asia. She has been the recipient of numerous awards including the CBC Jazz Award of Merit (2006), and the coveted Kobe Jazz Street Friendship Award, presented at the Breda Jazz Festival in 2007. Early in 2008 she was a guest on Riverwalk Jazz with the Jim Cullum Jazz Band, and is often a featured performer with Canadian Icon Dal Richards and his Orchestra. She is an active advocate for youth musicians, working as a teacher/alumni at music summer camps in the US, as well as programming, narrating and performing educational school shows for all ages. At a post-secondary level she has given clinics at Sacramento State University and the University of Colorado pertaining to improvising and her experiences.
The Blue Rhythm Band was founded in 2008 for Seattle's "Killer Diller Ball." The group is comprised of some of the finest jazz musicians in the Pacific Northwest and is one of only a handful of professional big bands in the U.S. focused solely on the music of the swing era (late 20's-early 40's). This 13 piece line up (the size band that predominated the popular music scene in the 1930's) plays charts from the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra, the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, the Benny Goodman Orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, the Artie Shaw Orchestra, and many more including of course their namesake, the Mills' Blue Rhythm Band. In 2009 the band released their first CD which pioneers brand new arrangements of classic tunes as well as original compositions written in the swing era style by bandleader Glenn Crytzer. Close your eyes and you might just think you're at the Savoy! www.bluerhythmband.net
Specializing in 1930's Jazz, the music of Harlem, and an all around Duke Ellington fanatic, Reuben has been DJing Swing and Jazz Music of ALL eras for over 11 years, and dancing to it for over 13. His primary inspiration, both in music and in dance, comes from the original bands and dancers of the Savoy Ballroom. This inspiration also carries over into involvement with organizations that work to promote and preserve Lindy Hop and the music from which it was born.
Travis began DJing in Seattle in 2002 and has since become a Seattle favorite. While he focuses his attention on the music styles of the 1920's, '30s, and '40s, he is able to present a wide range of styles and tempos from a slow blues to a fast floor-burner. Nationally Travis has been a featured DJ at the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, the All Balboa Weekend, the Mid-Western Balboa Swing Festival, and, of course, Camp Jitterbug!!
We are excited to have Travis back as our competition and head dj for Camp Jitterbug. The music is what inspires our competitors and brings the energy needed to make the competitions at Camp Jitterbug incredible. We are honored to have him back this year!
Brenda has been Dj'ing since 2003 and is a house DJ at the Century Ballroom in Seattle.
She has spun at both national and international events over the years. Brenda loves all kinds of swing music and Seattle is the perfect place to spin variety. She recently is collecting more New Orleans based bands and can't wait to share her new music at Camp Jitterbug!
Alex Yan is a Seattle Lindy Hopper and Jazz Era DJ whose love of the music drove him to begin collecting jazz era music and video clips. His goal in DJ'ing and dancing are to bring out the best in dancers' creativity and excitement in ways that offer tribute to the original jazz era musicians and dancers. Alex is proud to have organized Seattle's New Orleans Hurricane Katrina Fundraiser in 2005, and contributed to the Killer Diller Ball at the Century Ballroom; the Century Masters of Lindy Hop and Tap 2006, 2007, and 2008; and Seattle's Battle of Swing 2007 . His upcoming projects are Seattle's new Lindy Hop competition: Savoy Swing Jam, the 2009 Jazz Dance Music Video Contest, as well as the Century Masters of Lindy Hop and Tap 2009. His favorite jazz musicians are Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, Lil Hardin Armstrong, and Duke Ellington. Alex encourages everyone to ask him to dance, except when he's busy debugging the sound system.
As one of the original DJs on the island, Brent embraces the vintage big band sounds as well as mixing it up with newer acts such as Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five.
He is the regular DJ at Swing Ong King and has DJed at every venue and event we have had on the island.
His passion for swing music pushes him to continually seek out more music to keep people on the dance floor.
Freedie is always hot and anxious to play savage rhythms until all the cats join in. Spreadin' rhythm around wherever he plays, Freedie will make you shake the blues away. He's brought lindy hoppers delight at every tub from Seattle to Herrang, at events large and small, organized and won Seattle DJ battles, and has played all the local Seattle dance floors. He's so very digga digga doo by nature, and has been known to let it get sweet and hot until your sister Kate shouts "Ochi!" four or five times. If he could be with you just one hour at late night, he's sure to be tappin' the commodore till you go viper mad!
Bringing dance audiences a ric mixture of jazz old and new, classic and lesser-known, the thing which defines Kelly's taste in music is an intense affinity for the deep soul of the jazz and blues tradition. She is an enthusiastic collector of rare albums (including a recently-developed love of collecting dirt-old 78’s) and loves bringing fresh music to her audiences. For years Kelly has been DJ'ing for the most demanding dance audiences throughout North America including those at Showdown, The Rhythmic Arts Festival and on radio. She also DJ’s in her hometown of Seattle where she is an ardent promoter of the spirit and history of jazz and jazz dance. Oh yeah, and she can play a mean kazoo and spoons solo.
Peter has an incredible soul music selection. Last year, he brought great energy to the Soulful Social and we are so excited to have him back again this year.
Traveling all the way from London, Jamie has been a wonderful addition to Camp Jitterbug. He is the 2007 Camp Jitterbug Spirit of Lindy Hop Award winner, a fabulous dancer and DJ. We are excited to have him back behind the booth at After Hours.
Maybe he's best known as the onetime partner to rapper-turned-superstar-actor Will "The Fresh Prince" Smith. Whether working homespun magic on mega-hits like "Parents Just Don't Understand," Smith's TV series and even a production credit on Smith's current Big Willie Style, DJ Falty personifies suburban homeboy cool - a musical style that's funky and chilled. But what's often overlooked about Falty is that he was one of rap's most influential spinners from waaay back; a DJ quicker than lightning who could scratch that itch, find a sonically pure (but sweetly reminiscent) moment and knock the bottom out of a breakbeat quicker than you could say "Grandmaster Flash at the wheels of steel."
