Your instrument might be in its case for this class, but it’ll be anything but boring! We’ll explore the lives, careers, and musical oeuvres of such swing legends as Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Artie Shaw and more. And we’ll relive the glory days of the Swing Era — the only time in American history where jazz and popular music were one and the same. We’ll listen to recordings, watch classic video clips, and engage in lots of robust discussion. Please note — this is not a “playing” class, but it will most definitely be an interactive experience with lots of student input.
Instructor Bio
Seth Kibel is one of the Mid-Atlantic’s premier woodwind specialists, working with some of the best bands in jazz, swing, and more. Wowing audiences on saxophone, clarinet, and flute, Seth has made a name for himself in the Washington/Baltimore region, and beyond. He is the featured performer with The Kleztet, Bay Jazz Project, Music Pilgrim Trio, The Natty Beaux, and more. He has won 28 Washington Area Music Awards (Wammies), including “”Best World Music Instrumentalist”” (2003-11) and “”Best Jazz Instrumentalist”” (2005, 2007-8, 2011-14).
He is the leader, clarinetist, and composer for The (Alexandria) Kleztet, a genre-bending klezmer band he founded in the Baltimore/Washington area. The band’s four albums, Peace, Love and Coffee (2009), Close Enough for Klezmer (2005), Delusions of Klezmer (2002) and Y2Klezmer (1999) are all available nationwide. All four recordings received the Washington Area Music Association’s (WAMA) award for Best World Music Recording following their release. Additionally, Seth was named “”Best World Music Instrumentalist”” by WAMA every year from 2003 through 2011. In 2012, he was bestowed the honor of “”Emeritus”” status in this category. In 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2011-14 he was also named “”Best Jazz Instrumentalist.”” In 2017, his song “”New Waltz”” took home the Grand Prize in the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, sponsored by the Songwriter’s Association of Washington (SAW).
In addition to his activities with The Kleztet, Seth has fronted a variety of swing and jazz groups, including Bay Jazz Project. In 2002, he was commissioned to write, perform, and record an original score for Dreams in the Golden Country, an original theatrical production at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In January 2004, Seth released his first jazz CD, Nuts and Bolts. His second solo album, The Great Pretender, was a blues/jazz project released in July 2007 on the Azalea City Recordings record label. His third solo record, Phonin’ It In with Seth Kibel and Bay Jazz Project, is a straight-ahead acoustic jazz record released on Azalea City Recordings in July 2011. In April 2014, he released a “”Jazz for Kids”” album, Jazz For People Who Are Shorter Than Me,”” which was named “”Best Children’s Music Recording”” for 2014 by the Washington Area Music Association.
www.sethkibel.com
facebook.com/sethkibelmusic
@sethkibelmusic