Jazz Connection Magazine

Maestro Bernard Farmer directs his Fabulous Swing Kings for an enthusiastic crowd of dancers at Chico's City

Plaza on Saturday, June 2, 2007. The affair was billed as Dancing Under The Stars, under the auspices of Chico Area

Recreation District (CARD) designed for the community to become better acquainted with the "new" City Plaza and

to enjoy free dancing to a great-sounding band.

Put together a balmy June night, a newly reconstructed multi-million outdoor public venue, a great dance band, an enthusiastic crowd of music aficionados and dancers and fee admission and what do you have? A fantastic evening of fun and dancing under the stars. In fact, that's what theme of the evening was - Dancing Under The Stars. Under the auspices of the Chico Area Recreation District (CARD), the affair was designed to attract the community to become better acquainted with the "new" City Plaza in downtown Chico (CA) while enjoying three full hours of free dancing to a great-sounding band.

Providing all the evening's delectable musical entertainment were The Fabulous Swing Kings of Chico, the North State's premiere dance band, under the direction of Bernard Farmer. This fourteen-piece big band is a finely-tuned, historical aggregation. It's historical because they play original charts (most of the time anyway) from the all greats of the Big Band era - from the powerhouse swing bands such as Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Les Brown, etc., to even the sweet, "Mickey Mouse" and hotel variety bands of Sammy Kaye, Lawrence Welk, Lester Lanin, and Guy Lombardo. Being finely-tuned is self-evident once you hear this band perform.

Getting the evening to rousing start was the band's explosive rendition of Count Basie's famous Jumpin' At The Woodside followed by Glenn Miller's immortal Pennsylvania 6-5000.

Other highlights of the evening included a hip version of Mack The Knife sung by Adam Johanson who came out from the saxophone section to belt out this Bobby Darin-like arrangement and Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop from the Lionel Hampton canon.

Lead alto saxophonist Ken Jensen was "smooth as silk" on Earle Hagen's sultry and seductive Harlem Nocturne, while members of the band demonstrated their vocal prowess on the chorus to the playful Daddy, a Sammy Kaye signature tune.

Rumbas and cha-cha's were also on tap as well as "cuddle" music - romantic two-step dance songs for couples by way of such tunes as Moonlight In Vermont and Moonlight Serenade.

The music was so infectious that couples were not the only ones dancing in the City Plaza courtyard throughout the evening. Children were "movin'-and-a-groovin'," female friends were dancing together, and individuals themselves so moved by the spirit of the music who found it impossible to keep their feet still.

"This a great evening of music," said Darlene Copley of Chico, sitting on her portable lawn chair in the City Plaza courtyard. "I love the music this band plays and they sound so good."

"My wife and I love to dance to Big Band music and no one around here plays this kind of music any more except this band," said Guy Manowitz of Durham. "The band always sounds good and they put on a good show."

In addition to playing fine music, putting on a good show for the public is a high priority for Farmer his troupe. Where else can U find a big band that sports it's own funky Swing Kings' Chicken mascot (a.k.a.18-year-old substitute-trumpeter Kevin Easterling) who led the crowd in the famous Chicken Dance, with about 60 children having lots fun in the making, or a giant bunny (once again Easterling - brave young fellow that he is) hopping around helping to form the longest conga line in Chico city history to Ray Anthony's famous hit tune, The Bunny Hop?

In a bold move, Maestro Farmer even came to Chico City Plaza equipped with a belly dancer. Yep, a belly dancer who danced while the band played Artie Shaw's 1940 exotic-sounding hit, Temptation. The dancer, Tanya, from Chico, who owns her own belly dancing company, "Goddess To You," had every one mesmerized as she danced the dance of Salome while guests visiting from Egypt who are attending California State University, Chico, video taped the choreographed Middle Eastern episode with interest and delight.

Tanya, doing the dance of Salome, for an appreciative crowd.

Rounding about the remaining personnel of the Fabulous Swing Kings are: Trumpets: Jesse Rosenquist, Tim Howey, Cameron Easterling; Trombones: Bob Nichols, Juan Aguilar, Bruce Cathcart; Saxophones: Greg D'Augelli, Brian Peterson, and Barbara D'Augelli; Piano: Bob Speegle; Bass: Chris Uchibori; and Drums: Matt Felix.

The Fabulous Swing Kings will be performing at Feather Falls Casino in Oroville on Saturday, June 16, as part of the Rack Pack Show, and for a free dance on Sunday, June 17 (Father's Day) also at Feather Falls Casino from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The latter show is free but you must be 21 years old or over to attend.

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