Balboa is my thing, right now. There’s been a real dearth of dancing in my life since 2019, other than one online camp and the occasional outdoor do. So when I—a long-time devotee of the Lindy Hop—heard that there was any sort of swing dance resuming nearby, I was there like a shot. And boy, it’s good to be back.
Although somewhat starved of dancing, I’ve been fortunate enough over the past year to meet some of 21st century swing’s brightest stars, one of whom was the multitalented Michael Gamble and another of whom was the lovely Laura Windley. Thus when a new EP combining Michael, Laura, and Balboa (plus an all-star band featuring Noah Hocker, Josh Collazo, Keenan McKenzie, and Jonathan Stout) popped up in my feed, I couldn’t click it quick enough.
The disc is born of CalBal Live 2021, an online dance festival broadcast in January to replace the California Balboa Classic. Held each year at the style’s spiritual home of Newport Beach, CA, this camp is something of a Mecca for Balboa enthusiasts. Hence it attracts top dance bands like Gordon Au’s Grand Street Stompers, Jen Hodge’s All Stars, Keenan McKenzie’s Riffers plus Michael Gamble and his Rhythm Serenaders.
Each of these outfits also recorded several tracks for CalBal Live, which brings us to the above named EP. Featuring five tunes premiered at the digital event, it was recorded remotely thanks to gener
