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Hey there, Jitterbug!!!

It's HOT here in Tennessee...and so is our August pinup! This is our buddy Jessica, a gourmet chef and swing dancer extraordinaire. Quite often, she can be found dressed in vintage couture at one of our shows, setting the dance floor on fire. The shutterbug on this session was Jerry Seely (lucky bastard!), who is currently serving our fine country in the Navy. Be sure to check out his work. If you see Jessica at one of our shows, ask her for a dance; she really is a fantastic follow.

Imagine a 1950's style soda fountain with a hardwood dance floor, a jukebox stuffed with swinging tunes, delicious American cuisine, where you can buy cd's and dvd's of classic American music and movies. Our friend, Doug Miller, has built such a place online at Jitterbug Palace.

He has compiled a wonderful collection of classic tunes and movies and has posted them for everyone to enjoy. Be sure to check out Cab Callowy in "Jitterbug Party", Nat King Cole doing "Route 66", and Benny Goodman singing in "Minnie's in the Money". Doug hasn't found a brick-and-mortar home for his collection, but we hope he decides to bring it to Nashville!

Hey there, Jitterbug!

 

As we draw close to Independence Day, we want to thank all of those friends, family, and fans that have served and sacrificed for these United States of America. Especially dear to us is Dawson "Red" Holland, one of the best piano tuners ever and a fine player himself, the man who taught our bassist, John, to play, and who not long after graduating from high school, drove a tank in General Patton's 3rd Army at the Battle of the Bulge. Keep swingin', Red!

 

We also want to honor those that do so much to boost morale among our troops. Our pinup this month is Becky Lee, one of the volunteers with The Pinup Angels, a wonderful organization started by Miss Kitty Baby, a U.S. Marine and Lola Dee, a sister to two Marines. The Pinup Angels put together and send care packages to our troops working overseas, packages that include snacks, letters, home-baked goodies, and of course, pinups. Click the link to see them in action to learn how you can help support our troops. Salute!

 

You have four chances to come dancing with us this month. Arrington Vineyards is a beautiful part of Tennessee, the perfect place to bring a date and dance on the patio. The Flying Monkey in Huntsville, AL is a funky old textile mill turned into an artisan village. The sound man, Chris Brown, is world class, and the Huntsville Swing Dance Society never fails to impress. Martini Mondays at Sambuca have been swinging, with several special guests dropping by to sit in. Hope to see you on the dance floor sometime this month.

 

For July, we want to turn you on to Davina and The Vagabonds from Minneapolis, MN. Imagine Maria Muldaur fronting the Squirrel Nut Zippers and you get a sense of their sound; part traditional jazz, part Bessie Smith-era blues, and part James Booker piano funk, rolled into a backbeat that swings like a gate. They deserve to be the hardest working band in Minnesota!

Hey there, Jitterbug!

This month's pinup is Cyndi from Atomic Cheesecake Studios in Baltimore, Maryland. We love a girl that cooks! Atomic Cheesecake does great work inspired by such 1940's pinup artists as Gil Elvgren and Earl Moran. Check out more of their work by clicking the link above. 

 

Summer is officially here in Tennessee. There is nothing like a classic cocktail to beat the heat in the South. A summertime favorite among the band is that grand dame of them all, the gin and tonic. JohnO and Chris prefer Bombay Sapphire, while Geno, Reggie and Ben usually call for Tanqueray. Either way you go, this recipe is spot on:

Gin & Tonic

Glassware: Highball

Ingredients: 45 ml Gin, Schweppes Indian Tonic Water

1. Add gin into a highball.

2. Top with Schweppes Indian Tonic Water.

3. Build over ice.

4. Garnish with fresh lime.

For more vintage cocktail recipes, check out Mix Wiki from Schweppes. 

Our featured band of the month is The Grand Marquis from the town where the blues grew up, Kansas City, Missouri. These guys & dolls concoct their own brand of jazz from jump blues, rockabilly, and swing that keeps you coming back for more. Check out their work at Grand Marquis. 

This month's pinup is model Neva Moore. We think this shot goes perfectly with our song Library Anne. Click the link to see more of her work:  http://s672.photobucket.com/home/NevaMoore. Speaking of songs, you can download a copy of Library Anne for free at http://www.sweetwatersongcontest.com/BandDetails.aspx?b=12816&sr=false&bn=The+Dean+Martinis. Get your copy and help us win studio time and gear for our next project!

Here in Tennessee, April showers bring May flowers and summer concert series to local wineries. My tapenade was a big hit at the band table at our April Arrington Vineyards gig. Here is the recipe:

Geno's Finest Kind Tapenade

1/4 cup Gambino's Olive Salad (yes, this is what you use on muffaletta)

12 pitted kalamata olives

1 Tablespoon capers, drained

2 anchovy fillets

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Using a slap chopper, mince the kalamata olives, capers, and anchovy. Combine the mixture with the remaining ingredients. Serve on toast or crackers. Let us know how it works for you: geno@thedeanmartinis.com.

Hi-de-ho, DaddyO!

A big tip of the martini glass to those of you who have been voting for us. Currently, we are at number 14, putting us on track to make it to Round No. 2. Remember you may vote once a day everyday until August 10th. If you haven't voted, please help us out and take the time for the next couple of weeks. The link is http://www.landsharkrocks.com and we are listed under jazz in Nashville, TN. Thanks for swinging with The Dean Martinis!

Thanks to everyone who came to Jump, Jive & Swing last night. Despite the inclement weather, we had a fantastic crowd, including a contingent from Huntsville, AL! Just as dancers enjoy dancing to a good band, we enjoy playing for great dancers and there were a LOT of really great dancers there last night. We especially enjoyed the group performance of several members of the Nashville Swing Dance Foundation. We hope that they will let us play for them sometime. Thanks again!