Grand European Tour

For the last two months we’ve been Catching up with New Orleans, meanwhile, Europe has been catching up with us. Many will remember that during the heyday of the Dixieland Festival circuit there were many excellent European groups filling out festival schedules. Eastern Europe, in particular, was exceptionally hot for the early jazz styles they often collectively refer to as Ragtime. There’s been a generational shift and while there is still plenty of hot jazz to be found, especially in the east, many bands are focused on pleasing the dancers at large swing festivals. If you want to be awed by the strength of the scene there look up LindyhopLT on YouTube for posts from the Harlem Traditional Jazz Dance and Music Festival in Vilnius, Lithuania. Jitterbug's Delight by The Swing ShoutersTribute to Johnny Hodges by The Swing Shouters Little BandThe Swing Shouters Jitterbug’s Delight A Tribute to Johnny Hodges The Swing Shouters of Tours, France, grew out of the relationship between a dance school, a studio, and an association called Swing and Shout. You can see them at Lindy Exchanges around Europe and occasionally in the States. They may appear in sizes from trio to big band but the core of the group is a quintet consisting of Sylvain Roudier, reeds; Benoist Pasquier, trombone; David Ménager, guitar; Carl Cordelier, bass; and Alban Aupert, drums. That is the formation