The Eyal Vilner Swing Band

MEET EYAL VILNER

Eyal Vilner has become one of the leading new voices in the New York and global swing scene. Born in Tel Aviv, saxophonist, clarinetist, flutist, composer and bandleader Eyal moved to New York in 2007 and started his big band the following year. The Eyal Vilner Big Band has been performing widely in New York City’s landmarks such as Lincoln Center, the Guggenheim, Birdland, Dizzy’s Club, Smalls, Minton’s Playhouse, Harlem Jazzmobile and Central Park Summer Stage.

Internationally, Eyal has performed on Israel’s most prestigious stages such as the Red Sea Jazz Festival, Tel Aviv Museum, Jerusalem Theater, Tel Aviv Jazz Festival as well as the historical La Bellevilloise, Le Duc des Lombards, and Caveau de la Huchette in Paris, France.

The big band performs Eyal’s original compositions as well as his new arrangements of jazz classics. Their music, which derives from the tradition of jazz, swing and the blues, strives to bring a unique voice to this beautiful art form.

Eyal’s interest in the exchange between sound and movement within the jazz idiom inspired his musical journey and yielded collaborations with acclaimed dancers and choreographers. Among these projects are theater productions, dance festivals and competitions such as the International Lindy Hop Championships, Midsummer Night’s Swing, and the celebrated SW!NG OUT show at the Joyce Theater (co-creator and musical director). This show, which the New York Times has called “Groundbreaking,” has toured throughout the US, in venues such as the Jacob’s Pillow and the LA Music Center.

The big band’s first six albums: Introducing the Eyal Vilner Big Band, Almost Sunrise, Hanukkah, Swing Out!, Live in Washington Square Park!, and The Jam! received rave reviews and made it to the Top Jazz Radio Charts of the US and Canada. 

​Eyal Vilner will be bringing his 7-piece band to our event. The Eyal Vilner has collaborated with some of the top jazz legends of our time including NEA Jazz Masters Frank Wess, Jimmy Heath and Jimmy Owens, and pianist Junior Mance.

“Eyal Vilner’s skills as a musician are unquestionable, but his talents as a composer, arranger and
bandleader are what’s truly on display on Introducing The Eyal Vilner Big Band, a remarkable debut recording from a group poised to take their place among the major big bands of the East. Vilner offers clever charts, excellent musicianship and an exciting new sound in the finest tradition of contemporary big band music.”
~Edward Blanco, All About Jazz NY
 
“With multiple lyrical lines and harmonic boundaries shattered with alarming regularity The Eyal
Vilner Big Band is scoring their own arrangement that should soon have them at the pinnacle of big band success. While keeping one foot firmly in the history and a keen lyrical eye on the present, Eyal Vilner is a formidable force to be reckoned with in the big band idiom.”
~Brent Black, Critical Jazz
 
“(Vilner) revives a classic style of music and refines it to appeal to contemporary audiences. Vilner is all about showing beauty through music, coordinating instrument parts, layering them and integrating them into positively-charged melodies that are soothing on the ears and caressing to the soul.”
~Susan Frances, Yahoo!

Eyal will be playing twice. Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon swing.

https://www.eyalvilner.com/
The Jam!

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Chelsea Reed & the Fair Weather Band

“She’s a true extrovert…even when you watch her sing, she engages you when she sings and makes you feel like you’re part of the story–which is very important.”
~Jazz trumpet player, Terell Stafford

“Chelsea Reed is my favorite kind of singer. She sings the songs as they are intended: beautifully, candidly, with excellent pitch and swagger and very few frills. The Fair Weather Band have the taste and good judgment to back her up without getting in her way, and to swing while they’re at it.”
~Singer/songwriter, Carsie Blanton

In October 2012, vocalist Chelsea Reed brought five of her friends together to play some tunes in a South Philly dining room. Her plan was to form a band that played for swing dancers, so she could finally have the chance to sing her favorite songs for an audience that loved the music of Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday as much as she did. Since that fateful day, she’s been living that dream and couldn’t be happier about it.  

Now, Chelsea Reed and the Fair Weather Band are at home at swing dances, jazz clubs and concert halls alike. They have played renowned Philadelphia venues and traveled the country year round to perform at music festivals and Lindy and Blues exchanges and workshops. They have had the honor of sharing the stage with trumpeter Terell Stafford and trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, who is featured on their 2017 release Spreadin’ Rhythm Around. Their 2020 release, Carolina Lullaby
showcases original songs steeped in jazz, blues, and folk traditions where Reed’s vocals and swing musicality shine.

When not composing, the band loves exploring the roots of jazz and finding creative ways to interpret forgotten songs. Chelsea Reed and the Fair Weather Band draw upon the intensity of powerhouse vocalists, the ingenuity of 20th century composers, and the soul of the dance floor.

They are silly, passionate people who love playing this music. And that’s all there is to it. 

Her seven-member band are as follows:
Chelsea Reed – vocals 
St. Clair Simmons – trombone
Chris Oatts – saxophone 
Elijah Cole – guitar
Silas Irvine – piano
Joe Plowman – bass
Austin Wagner -drums

Chelsea will be playing twice. Saturday late night blues and Sunday evening swing.
http://www.thefairweatherfive.com/

Here’s a couple of videos including one from PittStop 16!
PittStop 16 Jam Circle
“Bill Bailey”

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Paul Cosentino’s Boilermaker Jazz Band

PAUL COSENTINO
Paul Cosentino has been a full-time musician and bandleader for over 30 years, specializing in classic jazz and popular music from the 1920s to the 1940s. Paul plays an antique Albert System clarinet, which gives him a wonderfully distinctive sound not often heard on today’s bandstands. In addition to providing vocals, Paul also splits time on the alto and tenor saxophones. Paul has an extensive repertoire of tunes encompassing the Great American Songbook- written by some of the best-known composers of American popular song. He is also well versed in early New Orleans jazz, the Swing Era, big band riffs, and everything in between. Paul is known globally for his enthusiastic, energetic, and powerful performances.

Paul Cosentino founded the Boilermaker Jazz Band in 1988. Paul has also been featured as a soloist with many of the top bands in the swing world today, including a special appearance with the Jonathan Stout All-Star Big Band during an Artie Shaw tribute set. Paul has also been featured with Glen Crytzer’s Rhythm Makers, Michael Gambles Rhythm Serenaders, the Gordon Webster Band, Naomi and Her Handsome Devils, the Russ Wilson Swingtet, Clint Baker’s Golden Gate Swing Band, and many more. He has also led a number of All-Star groups.

PAUL COSENTINO’S BOILERMAKER JAZZ BAND
Since 1988, Paul Cosentino’s Boilermaker Jazz Band has been bringing the sounds of the Jazz Age and the Swing Era back to life. You’ll hear familiar tunes and rarities performed by superb instrumentalists and heartfelt vocalists as the band interprets jazz classics and the Great American Songbook in their own unique fashion. From concert halls, festivals, and stages, to elegant soirees, weddings, and corporate events, listeners and dancers agree that the Boilermaker Jazz Band can make any crowd move with their infectious beat and enthusiasm.

The Boilermaker Jazz Band has performed at major venues coast- to- coast and around the world, including Lincoln Center, the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and the Smithsonian. The band also boasts an impressive list of appearances at Festivals, Concert Series, and Swing Dance Events, including (but certainly not limited to) the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the International Lindy Hop Championships – Washington DC, Catalina Island Swing Festival – California, Canadian Swing Dance Championships – Montreal, the Edinburgh International Festival – Scotland, and the Jeju Island Swing Festival – South Korea. They have performed at every PittStop event, even our 2021 virtual event! This marks their 23nd time!

Paul and the Boilermakers have recorded 14 critically acclaimed albums and have received rave reviews for their live performances. The Boilermakers have also appeared on radio shows across the country and overseas, including an NPR jazz series. The band’s music was also featured on the hit Fox TV show “So You Think You Can Dance”.

Paul and his band will be featured Friday evening.

http://www.boilermakerjazzband.com/
DCLX 2012
PittStop 2016

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Miss Freddye’s Homecookin’ Band

MEET MISS FREDDYE

As Pittsburgh’s Lady Of The Blues, Miss Freddye keeps the blues alive in her native hometown. 

She started singing in church at a young age. The influence of church and her mother’s love of the Blues gave Miss Freddye the beginning to venture in the world of Blues Music in 1996. She joined BMW (Blues  Music  Works) under the direction of Big AL Leavitt.  In 2002, Miss Freddye formed her own band, “Blue Faze”. Several years later, she became Miss Freddye’s Blues Band and Miss Freddye’s Homecookin’ Band.

Her Influences include: Koko Taylor, Etta James, Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holiday, Big Mama Thornton,  Big AL Leavitt,  and Bessie Smith.

Awards:

• 2016 Pittsburgh Music Awards best blues band
• 2015 Freedom From Silence, Center for Victims
• 2014 Star Award for VA Pgh 

Current nominations:

• 2017 Pittsburgh Music Awards for best blues band and best album
• 2018 Blues Foundation for Best Emerging artist album and the Koko Taylor award(Traditional blues female)
• 2021 Fair Play Music Awards-Red Carpet Award Show in Holland nominee for the following categories…
  • Gospel/Christian cover song (Wade in the water)
  • Female voice (original or cover)
  • Female entertainer

Past blues competitions:

• 2008 West Virginia Blues Society winner for best blues band
• 2012 Blues Society Of Western PA best duo/solo

She does annual charity work with music for the following:

• Relay for Life American Cancer Society 
• Pink Day, Leechburg, PA fundraiser for the  Breast Cancer Research Foundation 
• Veterans 
• Local VFWs and American Legions
• Toys for tots 
• Sing to Stop Domestic Violence

She has two CDs and a new single available at this time and has been our featured band at our Steel City Blues Festival many times.

http://www.missfreddye.com/
New single: Let it Burn
Dirty Dog (Live)
Meet Miss Freddye and Her Band