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ErikBsandiego
11-12-2002, 01:07 PM
Does Disney still book Jazz Big Bands for the Carnation Gardens for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights? A number of years ago I saw both Woddie Herman's Thundering Herd and the Count Basie Band at DL.

odnamraortsac
11-12-2002, 03:00 PM
This past summer they rotated local "Swing Bands" on Saturdays and had a local "Mambo" band on Friday nights. If you saw the Woody Herman and Count Basie bands a couple of years ago, you must have seen "Ghost Bands" (with few original members) as these two gentlemen passed away years ago.

tod
11-12-2002, 03:01 PM
Unfortunately, that tradition is as dead as Woody Herman and Count Basie (and Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, and Buddy Rich, the last two of whom I saw there in the '80s.)

There is a band, now and then (other Mouse Padders can give you details on the merits, I haven't been there in a while) but not a name band.

Sorry.

--T

ErikBsandiego
11-12-2002, 03:34 PM
FYI -

THis would have been 15 years ago or so. Herman was still alive; Basie's band was the group touring around 5 years after he passed away (with I believe his son fronting).

Comment - THat is really too bad (Maybe Jazz just isn't appreciated). Now they might get into trouble with the musicians union (does anyone know if they hire only union players) but they could do a number of "cheap" things in the LA area and have some killer bands (for example even just rotating between LA City College, Northridge, and Long Beach State's bands would put a group of VERY talented players on stage at minimal cost).

Morrigoon
11-13-2002, 08:33 PM
Live swing band - Carnation Plaza, Saturday nights. Everyone will have their own opinion on this but my favorite band is Pete Jacobs and the Wartime Radio Review. They play a lot of the older stuff. There is also Red and the Red Hots, Swingtown and I believe Swingtime or something like that. WRR usually plays the first weekend of the month, but not always.

Sophie832
11-13-2002, 09:12 PM
I don't swing dance, but I watch a lot, and a few of my friends swing dance.

I guess it used to be Friday and Saturday nights, but now it's just Saturday nights. There also used to be 4 different bands each month, but now they rotate 3. In the very beginning these included big-name bands, but now it's just whomever Disney can get cheap.

The Wartime Review is the best by far. Right now the other two bands are the Doc Anello & the Swing Machine and the Eric Ekstrand Ensemble. This Saturday is Doc Anello, and the Ensemble is the 31st. I'm not sure who is in between. The Wartime Review is usually there on the first Saturday of the month.

A lot of the dancers are disappointed with the selection of bands, and they all know it's a reflection of Disney's cheapness.

BTW, I didn't know this, but when it rains, the swing dancing is in the Golden Horseshoe instead of the Carnation Plaza.

Morrigoon
11-13-2002, 09:33 PM
Yeah, up till a couple years ago they would have a live band on Friday nights also for the summer season. Before the Friday night dancing they'd have someone teach a lesson - that's where I first learned how to swing dance. Pity they don't do it anymore.

odnamraortsac
11-14-2002, 07:45 AM
This past Summer, in the Carnation Plaza, Disneyland did have a live band every Friday night. The night was referred to as "Mickey's Mambo Club" or something like that. It was a Hispanic band playing Salsa, Cumbias, Cha Cha's etc. They even snuck in an occasional Santana and Selena number. I believe the band appeared from June until early September. Every Friday night they also had a pair of dance instructors to show everyone how to Salsa.