Roaring rhythms with The Swing Revue and Lindy Hop

I went down to Jazz Pizza Express this Wednesday to watch Dubai's latest manifestation of the vintage invasion: The Swing Revue. The 5-piece swing band and the vocalist together played several hits from the Age of Swing, as well as swing-paced covers of jazz standards by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald. The band -- playing trumpet, drum, piano, double bass, and guitar -- had a great swing rhythm, and its members also did well as backup singers during the call-and-response sequences. Their rendition of the rebel anthem "Momma Don't Allow" was especially fun.

In addition, the space just off stage left was cleared for use by the Dubai-based enthusiasts of swing dancing, Lindy Hop Dubai, who drop in an hour early for dance lessons before the weekly gig. Between two and three couples would hit the floor at a time, swinging and jiving to the live music. The band would also occasionally step down and play right next to them, adding to the swing-era atmosphere of the place.

Congratulations also to the venue, Pizza Express JLT, for being declared the best-run in the Pizza Express restaurant family.

Swing music and dance nite at The Magazine Shop DMC

Cafe culture and workspace nomads of Dubai will feel at home in the Magazine Shop, a charming little magazine-and-coffee spot located at the southern edge of the Pearl in Media City. It features the same Panton chairs as did the erstwhile Shelter, and tables very similar to those seen at The Archive. The standard coffee menu is extended with some interesting, but not too exotic, concoctions, helpfully illustrated in a graphics panel on the front of the till desk. Brackets cradling several dozens of magazines line two of the walls.

Tonight was Swing Night, with hours of live swing music performances and jamming by a diverse host of musicians. Plenty of standards from the golden age of swing made the playlist, enthusiastically performed by The Swingin' Aces and their ever-animated bassist, Lakshmi Ramirez.

Having opened with a swing gig two months ago, and due to host another swing night on the 19th at their DIFC branch, The Magazine Shop seems to be a patron of this genre, which is good news for its fans. Dancers of Dubai-based dance group Lindy-hop were also on hand to complete the Roaring Twenties ambiance, mixing and matching partners, and kicking, spinning and jiving for as long as there was music.

Ciaran Fox and Serik Iskakov jazz and swing at The Gramercy DIFC

We have few jazz/swing vocalists here in Dubai, and few of those are male, so it's a treat to see one perform live. Among their ranks, Irish vocalist Ciaran Fox stands out for doing much justice to the genres. I had seen him perform once as part of The Fridge's Kalubela ensemble show, and the next time at a bustling "men's night" last season, so I scheduled an evening with a friend at The Gramercy in the DIFC to check out his regular Monday night gig in relative peace.

The Gramercy, with its wood screens, soft lighting, high ceiling and decoratively oxidized mirrors, is an appropriate venue for this kind of music. The stage area was also well-placed, and lit better that at some of the other venues I've been. I've actually been here a few times before, mainly for stand-up comedy.

Accompanied by prolific saxophone player Serik Iskakov, Fox reinterpreted various popular songs on request, throwing in some old standards of jazz, swing and blues. This gentleman has clearly trained his voice for his chosen genres, most noticeably the ability to hold a prolonged note. When he asked for more requests, I suggested "anything from Kalubela", and he obliged with Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You". Iskakov took on another one of my requests - for Duke Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" - as a sax solo. And once he figured out that I was there for some old school, Fox belted a series of delightful jazz hits my way.

Fete de la Musique at Souk Madinat Jumeirah

I don't think I've ever seen Souk Madinat Jumeirah as crowded as it was last Friday evening during Alliance Francaise's Fete de la Musique. It would have been great if it were held in the outdoors during the less sweaty season, because in whatever corridor of the souk the musicians were performing, one had to either take an alternative route, or squeeze past in single file. We saw some great local musicians, though, and a veritable buffet of genres.

The Hamami Brothers had an especially thick crowd around them, but pretty much any group or artist attracted a healthy number of onlookers. Genres included acoustic rock, saxophone, blues, and more, as well as a couple of groups performing in French.

I quickly headed for one of my favorite local bands, The Gypsy Swing Project, who were jamming with Johnny Miller at the time.

I also hung around these guys a lot. Hitherto unknown to me, this trio had a really good blues sound going.

One of the acts that was most popular and stayed on the longest was Gayamb & Jazz Zone, playing Creole music, bossa nova, and rearranged pop. It was also probably one of the most jam- acts, as the lineup sem to change each time I dropped by their spot. They had an especially good lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist as well.

The Market of Everything IV

This one got postponed for quite a while because of road work outside. There have also been some structural modifications to Traffic that probably needed to be gotten out of the way. I also noticed that there weren't as many performances as last time, although it was as good a market as any prior.

Unlike your regular flea market, there's a lot of unusually artistic and offbeat stuff available here (including, this time, actual Traffic furniture). I picked up a couple of books and some surreptitiously-imported condiments.

I was famished, so I was eagerly awaiting the start of the Boodle Fight. It's apparently some kind of Filipino military dining ritual in which everyone picks and eats food off the same leaf-covered table, regardless of rank. There were hefty portions of fragrant rice, chicken, and many kinds of seafood from which to choose. Yummy.

A very swinging musical atmosphere was provided by Eddie Misk's Swing n' Jive Combo and Alexandra Valls' Gypsy Swing Project, both of which featured the dynamic and dramatic double bass talent of Lakshmi Ramirez.