Seattle native Brittany Johnson swings out with Joshua McClean of New Orleans to the musical stylings of local musician, Dave Holo’s Holotradband. Photo by Paul Kammer.

September 12-14
Various venues

The first Seattle Lindy Exchange was in October of 1999. As one of the early Lindy Hop events in the country, Seattle was one of the pioneers that laid the groundwork for the Lindy Exchange phenomenon that has swept the globe. 

Lindy Exchanges call globally upon dancers and musicians to convene in a host city to do what they do: dance and play music. No classes, no competitions – just lots of live music and social dancing. The event aims to showcase the local jazz music, dancers, and venues unique to each city. By this currency, Seattle is rich; our local musical talent is the envy of jazz lovers across the country, our social dance scene remains unparalleled, and our beautiful venues are as rich in history as they are exceptional.

At the Seattle Lindy Exchange, musicians are the special guests. Every year, the bands formed for the exchange reflect the quality of swingin’ musical talent from Seattle, and this year we are happy to welcome musicmakers from New Orleans (Charlie Halloran, trombone, and Cassidy Holden, bass) and New York (Gordon Au, trumpet, and Dennis Lichtman, reeds) to join the party!

Seattle Lindy Exchange is honored to welcome such purveyors of fine swinging: Greg Ruby and his Rhythm Runners, and returning favorites, Casey MacGill and his Orchestra, and Solomon Douglas.

Friday, September 12, Washington Hall, 8:30pm
Main Dance featuring Solomon Douglas

Solomon Douglas is a staple of Seattle and the Seattle Lindy Exchange. He is a jazz pianist and bandleader, whose various bands have played at more than 50 exchanges, camps, workshops, and other events in North America, Asia, and Australia in the past 10 years. His experience as a swing dancer and dance instructor gives him an understanding unique among musicians of the music that swing dancers and blues dancers like to dance to.

Friday, September 12, Venue TBA, 1am
Saturday, September 13, Washington Hall, 9:30pm
Sunday, September 14, Westlake Park, 1pm
Greg Ruby’s Rhythm Runners

The Rhythm Runners have convened under auspicious circumstances to deliver Prohibition-era jazz to the Pacific Northwest. With musicians hailing from New York, New Orleans and Seattle, this group of five horn and string players performs music rooted in the sounds of early jazz.

As the 2014 Seattle Lindy Exchange featured band, The Rhythm Runners will debut new work by guitarist Greg Ruby at the historic Washington Hall in Seattle. The creation and presentation of these compositions are generously funded by the King County arts foundation 4Culture. During a tour, the group will be headlining the opening night of DjangoFest NorthWest, performing at concert and swing dance venues in the region, and making a full-length studio recording of the new work.

Sunday, September 14, Century Ballroom, 9:30pm
Casey MacGill’s Orchestra

Casey has long been a SLX favorite, and has been playing music from L.A. to Seattle for longer than most of us can remember. He steers the band from his piano bench, alternately cruising along and sweating feverishly, switching intuitively between the ukulele and the piano and the cornet, singing and scatting, sometimes all within the same song. He has been singing and arranging vocal harmonies for over 40 years, in a career that stretches from Los Angeles (Mood Indigo; feature films Frances and Swing Shift) to Spokane (The Spirits of Rhythm and the neo-swing classic CD Jump), to Broadway (the musical Swing!) and finally to Seattle (most recently with the Blue 4 Trio). 

Courtesy of Elisabeth Dingivan, Seattle Lindy Exchange

Seattle Lindy Exchange

Thursday, Sept. 11, 2014
Unofficial SLX kick-off party
Bands and Price TBA
Russian Center, 704 19th Ave E

Friday, Sept 12, 2014
Jazz Dance Film Fest, 6pm
Main Dance feat. Solomon Douglas, 8:30pm
Washington Hall, 153 14th Ave

Friday Late Night Dance feat. Greg Ruby’s Rhythm Runners, 1am
Venue TBA

Saturday, Sept 13, 2014
Main Dance feat. Greg Ruby’s Rhythm Runners, 9:30pm
Washington Hall, 153 14th AveSunday, Sept 14, 2014
Greg Ruby’s Rhythm Runners, 1pm
Westlake Park, 401 Pine St

Casey MacGill’s Orchestra, 9:30pm
Century Ballroom, 915 E Pine St