CD-presentation at Amsterdam Lindy Exchange (YouTube)   featuring Mirjam van Dam (vocals) Estrelita - Amsterdam Lindy Exchange (YouTube)   I had never fully realized the historical importance of my idol and musical hero Benny Goodman until I read Lewis A. Erenberg’s great book Swingin’ the Dream, big band jazz and the rebirth of American culture. The book inspired me to start the journey of which this CD is the result. And I must say I’ve been very lucky. First: creating a group of musicians who agree on the timing and phrasing that give the right energy to this music is not the easiest of things. Swing was followed by a host of different musical styles that all exert their influence on today’s musicians. Fifteen of us actually went into the studio, but many more outstanding musicians added–and are still adding–their invaluable contributions. More luck: a community of lindy hop dancers more or less definable as lindyhop.nl were our travelling companions from the very beginning. Two of them stand out. Dancer and swing DJ Robert Cullen, became my sounding board, my musical conscience and co-producer. Dancer and clarinetist Frans van Dommelen was extremely generous in approaching his many contacts in the world of dance, and he was ever-present and supportive no matter how far away from home we performed or rehearsed. Both of them participated in long discussions about repertoire, length and tempos. One question, however, always remained: who needs another version of Goodman’s music? Finally, worldwide opinion leader and swing DJ Jesse Miner from San Francisco called these recordings relevant! And with that he closed an abyss that I have been staring into for 5 years. All of these 4 great people have honoured me with their liner notes, that you’ll find below. My sincere gratitude goes to Peter Stöve, who painstakingly produced over 3000 pages of music, to Power Sound Studios, an excellent acoustic studio, to Nanouck Brassers, who was my mixing and editing companion for countless hours, and finally to my wife and children who have had to share me with this obsession for 5 years. Enjoy! Doctor Bernard (Bernard Berkhout)     About Let's Dance "The result of all this is the CD Let's Dance on which music and dance are brought together in a way that was self-evident in the Swing Era, but which has been all but lost since then – mainly due to later developments in music. The damaging effect of this trend was that jazz almost completely lost touch with its large, young and dynamic (!) audience. You might even say it forfeited its followers to pop music, a genre in which producers rather than musicians are in charge." Lex Lammen, Jazzflits   I have been shamelessly pimping this album to all the DJs I know. It's also an album I'll recommend to new dancers or people looking for an easy entry point to classic swing.   I could conceivably get tired of this album in the near future. But not before I've played it so many times dancers audibly groan when they hear the first two notes of the song. Dogpossum http://dogpossum.org/2011/08/lets-dance-in-which-i-score-a-free-cd-and-then-brag-about-it/ Hey Mister Jesse Podcast   A longtime swing music fan and Lindy Hop dancer, I have also been a swing DJ for more than a decade. As a labor of love, I produce a monthly podcast called “Hey Mister Jesse” which spotlights contemporary swinging musicians to an international audience of Lindy Hoppers. In late 2007, a Swedish listener recommended I check out a sextet from the Netherlands featuring an outstanding clarinetist, Bernard Berkhout. While perusing Bernard’s website, I discovered he also leads a 15-piece big band celebrating the music of Benny Goodman. The audio playing on the site was a rendition of “Swingtime in the Rockies” that immediately piqued my interest. His energetic rendition of Goodman’s classic was full of life and completely unexpected – few contemporary big bands so faithfully capture the raw essence of the original swing era. I had to find out more about this band! I struck up a correspondence with Bernard and quickly learned this hard-swinging big band music was backed by an incredibly talented and passionate individual. I jokingly described his energy as “angry” – in a good way! Though the band has only been playing together since 2007, the Bernard Berkhout Swing Orchestra has developed musically beyond its years, attracting a loyal fanbase of Lindy Hoppers throughout Europe. Dance has always been inextricably linked to swing music. How any audience can sit politely without moving their feet while enjoying this heart-pounding music is beyond me. In the 1930s, one of the most popular dances was called the Lindy Hop, an energetic partnered style known for its bold, expressive forms and acrobatic air steps. Lindy Hop was incubated in the Harlem ballrooms of New York City to the live sounds of the era’s hottest big bands, led by Chick Webb, Count Basie and Benny Goodman. At the height of this period, Goodman was dubbed by the press as the “King of Swing.” The title was fitting, as he commanded audiences with his remarkable clarinet playing. A renowned bandleader, he brought together an all-star roster of musicians: guitarist Charlie Christian, drummer Gene Krupa, trumpeter Harry James and vocalist Helen Ward, all playing top-notch arrangements by Fletcher Henderson. Goodman’s music boldly demanded dancing, and dancers enthusiastically obliged! Listening to a Goodman classic such as “Sing Me a Swing Song (And Let Me Dance)” clearly testifies to the integral role this band played in the popularity of swing music and Lindy Hop. Although it originated in the U.S., the music and Now, the delicate subtleties and blaring climactic moments can all be captured clearly. Too often in vintage recordings from the 1930s, the rhythm section is lost underneath the overpowering brass sections or featured singer. Also, the recording media have degraded over the decades, leaving us only hissing scratchy transfers from aged 78rpm records – a far cry from the bright, strong energy originally captured. dance were infectious, spreading to Europe and beyond. Today, Lindy Hop still is celebrated passionately by dancers worldwide – from Harlem in New York to Haarlem in the Netherlands – and is as tightly interwoven with swing music as ever, whether performed in front of a contemporary live band such as Bernard’s or in a dance hall to the scratchy vintage recordings of Goodman himself. Which brings us to “Let’s Dance”: Why exactly should Lindy Hoppers welcome a rehashing of such classic material? Two reasons. First: The Bernard Berkhout Swing Orchestra is really just that good. The group features exceptional individual musicians, together forming a single cohesive unit authentic to the era. They breathe life into material penned more than 70 years ago, transporting the listener back in time to revel in the raw energy of the 1930s, forgetting that bop or other post-swing styles of jazz ever existed. Bernard wails beautifully on his clarinet, soaring through the high notes with the swinging support of amazing contemporary musicians such Short of the invention of a time machine (should we bring the original band to the present or our equipment to the past?), our best solution is a modern recording such as this one! In a break with modern convention, one important classic recording technique was borrowed to make a contribution to the overall sound: The whole band recorded live together in a big studio. The modern technique of layering a recording together from different band sections playing separately rarely captures the same tight and lively interplay from a big band. The difference is subtle but distinct. Every decision, big and small, about this album was made deliberately, with Lindy Hoppers in mind. Bernard and Peter worked closely with two Lindy Hop dancers, Frans van Dommelen and Robert Cullen. The dancers attended band rehearsals, exchanged countless e-mails and shared online Lindy Hop references (including the extensive DJ knowledge found at swingdjs.com) about dancers’ specific preferences. as guitarist Jeen Rabs, drummer Arjan van der Dussen, trumpeter Tobi Reichacher and vocalist Léah Kline, all playing tight new arrangements by Peter Stöve. Second: Today’s recording equipment and techniques are far superior to those of the 1930s. Song length was hotly debated. Dancers prefer songs in the three- to four- minute range, as there is a quite a good deal of physical exertion involved; Musicians desire longer songs; soloists want additional time to feature their musicianship. Ultimately, Bernard looked to his idol Benny for the answer, found in a quotation from Christian Batchelor’s book, “This Thing Called Swing”: “When people were dancing, you could not play one piece for 10 minutes. I don’t know whether they would have left the floor, but you had to give them a variety of tempos and tunes.” Generally, there were usually five to six three-minute numbers in a live set, but the numbers could run a little longer if the band saw the audience was receptive. For “Let’s Dance”, the decision was made to keep the tunes on the conventionally shorter side. Every song on this album is selected from the peak of Goodman’s swing-era songbook, from the relaxed and playful “Jersey Bounce” to the driving boogie of “Roll ‘Em” to the joyous “Happy As the Day Is Long.” In the end, the chosen selections allow both the musicians to shine and the dancers to be inspired. “Minnie the Moocher’s Wedding Day” exemplifies this compromise. The relentless rhythm section throughout begs for dancers to “swing out” (a signature dance move of the Lindy Hop that looks pretty much like how it sounds). The simplicity of the horns’ riffs provide the perfect backdrop for dancer improvisation. Trombone and clarinet battle it out in solos (“trading fours” in musician-speak) and the rest of the band takes a break to highlight the drummer, all in a manner that keeps the dancers inspired. As the ending approaches, Bernard’s clarinet tones spiral up, up, up, with the rest of the band swelling alongside him, for a climactic finish that sends shivers down my spine – a classic technique straight out of the swing-era playbook that always ensures a big finish for the dancers. Looking back, I clearly initially misinterpreted Bernard’s intense passion as anger. The juxtaposition of meticulous precision and raw energy found in this recording reflect his true love for swing music and his fierce conviction to record it on his terms. On the behalf of Lindy Hoppers everywhere, I thank the Bernard Berkhout Swing Orchestra for putting together such a remarkable dance album, and in my not-so-humble words, dub Bernard Berkhout a “King of Swing” for the new millennium! Jesse Miner Lindy Hop DJ and Producer of “Hey Mister Jesse” Podcast, San Francisco, CA, US   The musicians in the Swing Orchestra"   Doctor Bernard Berkhout (clarinet), Mirjam van Dam (vocals), Wim Lammen, Bert Brandsma (altosax), Erik van der Weijden, Hans Goemans (tenorsax), Nanouck Brassers, Michael Varekamp, Koos van der Hout (trumpets), Jack Coenen, Markus Glas (trombones), Hans Voogt (guitar), Mark van der Feen(piano), Frans Bouwmeester (bass), Dolf Helge (drums)   The Swingorchestra live at the Silkeborg Jazz Festival Denmark 26 june 2011 Doctor Bernard & Swing Orchestra, live at Jazz Comes to Town, Epe (YouTube) Doctor Bernard On Live Television (Dutch MAX TV)   Biography:   Bernard Berkhout (1961) Started playing the clarinet in 1970, Edison (Grammy Award) 1989, Duketown Award 1996, Solistenprijs Jazzfestival Breda 1985, Solistenprijs Randstad Jazzfestival Gouda 1985, Nominated Pall Mall Swing Award 1985, Peter Schilperoord Bandleaders Award 1994. Recently made a solo-CD with the Rosenberg Trio, organised numerous concert tours with Madeline Bell and Rita Reys, played with countless jazzmusicians all over the world, such as Scott Hamilton, Stan Getz, Toots Thielemans, Warren Vaché, Eddie Daniels, James Morrison, Tom Baker, Red Rodney etc etc. Medical degree in 1992. In 1997 specialization. Family doctor since 2000.   "Become a Friend of the Orchestra"   You too can become a friend of the orchestra and support us in keeping alive the unique musical legacy of the thirties and Benny Goodman. It costs a lot of time and energy as well as money to furnish our orchestra with a regular supply of new Goodman arrangements. You can lend a helping hand in this by becoming a friend of the orchestra. For a fee of €10.00 a year you can contribute to the further development of this wonderful initiative and we will keep you up to date with all kinds of activities and events. You will also be entitled to a 15% discount on all our CDs, DVDs and other merchandise. Every year, you will receive an invitation to the BBSO Big Band family day and we will send you our chronicle "Six Flats Unfurnished" twice a year. Thank you Friend!   Reaction from Australia   http://dogpossum.org/2011/08/lets-dance-in-which-i-score-a-free-cd-and-then-brag-about-it/     For more info click here. Jesse Miner
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