Summer Swing Dance Series at the Wrigley Mansion Kicks Off with Legendary Jazz and Blues Singer

(Phoenix, AZ) - Jazz legend Barbara Morrison comes to Phoenix for an evening of swingin’ jazz and blues at the Wrigley Mansion. Originally from Detroit, Barbara Morrison’s twenty-five year career as a performer and recording artist includes appearances worldwide with some of the greatest names in jazz: Ray Brown, Kenny Burrell, Ron Carter, Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Collette, Joe Williams, Gerald Wiggins, Jimmy Witherspoon, Hank Crawford, Eddie Harris, Nancy Wilson, David T. Walker and Jimmy Smith. She has performed in such highly regarded venues as Carnegie Hall, the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Bern Jazz Festival and the Playboy Jazz Festival, and she also toured Europe with Ray Charles. Barbara seems equally at home in a broad range of idioms, but jazz and blues are unquestionably her forte. Morrison has been compared to some of the greatest female jazz and blues singers including Billile Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughn. The New York Times stated, “A joy, at Carnegie Hall, Barbara Morrison delivered one song a la Esther Phillips and another with Ella Fitzgerald’s blithe scat singing.”

Barbara is joined by Paul Anderson on Sax, Barb Catlin on Piano, Jack Radavich on Bass, and Cleve Huff on Drums. The This will be an incredible night of music and dancing. We welcome those who would like to swing dance or just sit, relax and listen.

This concert performance is the first of the Summer Swing Dance Series at the Wrigley Mansion, which is every Thursday from 7:00 pm - 12:00 am  May 29-September 18, with a live band on the last Thursday of each month (and September 18). 
Upcoming live performances: Thursday, June 26 - Sherry Roberson: The Music of Ella Fitzgerald; Thursday, July 24 - Band TBA; Thursday, Aug. 28 - Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers (San Francisco); Thursday, Sept. 18 - Band TBA.

About the Summer Swing Dance Series:
Swing dancing may have reached its peak in the 1940’s, unless the Arizona Lindy Hop Society have something to say about that. The group has been promoting swing dancing in schools, churches, night clubs, and even on the streets just to expose people to the dance.
“I think there is a misconception about swing dancing that it was just a trendy thing to do after the Gap commercial of the late 1990’s.  The fact is, swing dancing has been around for more than 80 years and survives today because it is done to great music and it is a great way to meet people.  I still have not seen anyone dancing with their Blackberry.” Says Conrad, “It feels good to diconnect from technology and meet people the old fashioned way, through contact.”

The Lindy Hop, the first dance done to swing music, had a resurgence of populatity in the late 1990’s but has seen a second revival of sorts.  Television shows like “So You Think You Can Dance” featured the lindy hop as one of the dance challenges and “Dancing with the Stars” had several swing numbers.

A new swing night at the Wrigley Mansion might help. Starting May 29, the Lindy Hop Society offers a swing dance night every Thursday in the Veranda of the 1932 historic building named for its first owner, gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr.  Each Thursday consists of a swing dance lesson at 7:00 pm, and a DJ or live band from 8:00 pm to Midnight with live music on the last Thursday of each month.

Details in Brief:
Barbara Morrison at the Wrigley Mansion
Thursday, May 29, 2008 - Series continues every Thursday through September 18, 2008
6:30 pm - Doors open
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Swing dance lesson
8:00 pm - 12:00 am - Dance or sit and listen to great jazz and blues
The Wrigley Mansion
2501 East Telewa Trail
Phoenix, AZ  85016
Price: $18 in advance; $22 at the door  (includes $3 drink ticket)
ALL AGES WELCOME; FULL BAR for those 21 and over.
Tickets available online at www.AZLindy.com

Dress code: Resort casual - no jeans, shorts, sweats, or t-shirts.
Beginners always welcome. No dance partner needed.
$4 for valet parking or you can self park.

Directions (map & directions):
From 24th Street and Camelback
Head North to the light at Biltmore Circle. Turn East at Arizona Biltmore Circle. Take the second right turn into the National Bank of Arizona parking lot. Continue past the bank and over the white canal bridge. Turn left after the bridge and go up to park.  Go around the cones to the right to self park or follow the arrow up to the top for valet parking.