Chelsea Reed & the Fair Weather Band

In October 2012, vocalist Chelsea Reed brought five friends together to play in a South Philly dining room. Her plan was to form a band that played for swing dancers, so she could sing her favorite songs for an audience who 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. 

“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

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The Paul Cosentino Swing Orchestra

A full 14-piece big band, The Paul Cosentino Swing Orchestra features music from the “Big 4 Big Bands” (Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman), as well as Lunceford, Webb, Dorsey, and more! Stocked with great arrangements, Paul Cosentino’s Swing Orchestra will keep you dancing and put you back in The Swing Era. You’ll hear great riffs that you know and love, and arrangements of classics you may have never heard performed live. 

The Orchestra features Pittsburgh’s very own bandleader, Paul Cosentino, on clarinet and alto sax. The lineup will feature carefully curated and period-appropriate transcriptions, from early 1930’s swingers heard at the Savoy Ballroom, to New Testament jazzers. Elegant, timeless, and every performance brings the thrill of full brass, reeds, and rhythm sections. Nothing can replace that big band sound!

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The Eyal Vilner Swing Band

Eyal Vilner is one of the leading new voices in the 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, Harlem Jazzmobile and Central Park Summer Stage. Internationally, Eyal has performed on some of Europe’s most prestigious stages in France, Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria, and Belgium.

Eyal’s interest in the exchange between sound and movement within the jazz idiom has inspired his musical journey and yielded collaborations with acclaimed dancers and choreographers. Eyal Vilner’s bands have appeared at Lindy Hop events worldwide – including the International Lindy Hop Championships (ILHC), Herräng Dance Camp, Gotham Jazz Fest, Stompology, Lindy on the Rocks, and the New York Lindy Exchange, to name a few. Eyal served as co-creator and musical director for the celebrated SW!NG OUT show at the Joyce Theater, which the New York Times called “groundbreaking!”

Performances spotlight Eyal Vilner’s original compositions as well as his new arrangements of jazz classics. Eyal 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. 

“How he came to lead one of the more notable swing dance orchestras in the world is a story about the fundamental connection between jazz and physical movement, whether it’s just tapping your foot or doing the Lindy Hop.” ~DownBeat Magazine

“(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!

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Danny Jonokuchi & The Revisionists

Danny Jonokuchi & The Revisionists are “today’s premier swing band” (Broadway World) from the heart of New York City. Fueled by an unwavering love of dancing, their music has been described as “smile-inducing” (DownBeat), as well as “crisp, clean, and refreshingly joyful” (Syncopated Times). Their latest album, Together Again (2022), was released following their headlining performance at Lincoln Center’s Summer For The City Festival. In 2020, they were unanimously named the Winners of the inaugural Count Basie Great American Swing Contest for their virtual performance of “One O’Clock Jump”. The award-winning track was included on the Late Night Basie album, alongside a star-studded roster of artists paying tribute to the great Count Basie. They have performed live with special guests including Grammy award-winning vocalist Catherine Russell. The band’s debut album, Let Me Off Uptown (2019), includes original numbers and songs made famous by Ella Fitzgerald, Anita O’Day, Billie Holiday, and more.

With the spirit of the Savoy Ballroom, their vibrant performances have quickly made The Revisionists one of the top-tier dance bands where they have filled dance floors at Lincoln Center, The Rainbow Room, Dizzy’s Club – Jazz at Lincoln Center, The MET, The Guggenheim, MOMA, The Atomic Ballroom, The Northampton Jazz Festival, The Gotham Jazz Festival, The Joye in Aiken Festival, The Cicada Club, City Winery, The Plaza Hotel, The Swing Remix, The Boston Tea Party, Beantown Dance Camp, Slow Dance Soiree, The Historic Abyssinian Church, The Players Club, and The Django. Other notable performances include The International Lindy Hop Championships (ILHC), the American Lindy Hop Championships (ALHC), The New York Lindy Exchange (NYLX),  headlining Lincoln Center’s Summer For the City festival, the opening of the Louis Armstrong House Museum Center, and the closing party of the Tiffany & Co. Flagship store. “Soon I expect them to conquer the world” (Syncopated Times).

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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.

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 to date, even our 2021 virtual event!

Paul and the Boilermakers have recorded 14 critically acclaimed albums and 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.”