Description

Heat yourself up on the sparks flying between guitar and violin! Whether you know it as Hot Club Swing or Jazz Manouche, these are the tunes, this is the rhythm, those are the never-to-be-heard-again improvisational flares that kept hope aflame for wartime Europe in 1930s and 40s. These uplifting, acoustic tunes were the revolution you could dance to under your captor‘s nose. These songs were born as protest coded in chords, in harmonies, in a globally-influenced musical tapestry that signaled unity in occupied times. Does it need to be said to bring your dancing shoes to dance with Suzy & Hondo's School of Dance tonight ??? If you're a newer denizen of these Northwoods, you're invited to come encounter one of our local treasures, Sam Miltich, a self-taught jazz guitarist born and raised in the woods of northern Minnesota. By choice, Sam still lives here, performing at a very high level while maintaining his northwoods life in a working class, small-town. Sam burst on the scene in his teens as a young lion of the Hot Club sound, joining Paul Mehling's Hot Club of San Francisco and touring internationally with the world-renowned Robin Nolan Trio. Sam's fluid and instinctive sound has graced hundreds of stages, from small town bars on the Iron Range to Lincoln Center. In addition to fronting his band The Clearwater Hot Club, Sam records and performs extensively with both Minneapolis-based and international jazz musicians. He is our anchor to the Minnesota jazz scene, right in our backyard. Sam is committed to bringing world-class jazz to a part of the country where live jazz performances are otherwise quite rare. Guitarist Mark Kreitzer has been playing music on stage since almost before there were two Germanys! He has played in rock, country, bluegrass, folk, traditional jazz and Hot Club bands, as well as being involved in theatrical and classical music. An accomplished performer on more than a handful of instruments, Mark also is a prolific songwriter, having written a musical adaptation of Mark Twain’s Life On The Mississippi. Bassist Matthew Miltich is one of ten children of musical parents, bassist Matthew Joseph Miltich, and cellist Jean Baird, both music graduates of the University of Minnesota.  After military service and college, he began performing with his brothers Anthony and Paul and others, but his jazz career began in earnest when his son Sam began to perform professionally and asked his father to accompany him. Matthew has played jazz in a variety of venues, as far away as Japan, as close as his hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota.   Geoffrey Taylor is a multi-genre violinist, recording artist, composer, and educator who is passionate about cultivating opportunities for live music. He plays and composes in classical, old time, bluegrass, western swing and jazz fiddle traditions. As a composer, Geoffrey recently released his 12 Fantasias for 5 String Fiddle. An active recording artist, Geoffrey's Augmeanted debut as was chosen a Top Album by Pitch Perfect for its ”gorgeous strings and piano arrangements.” Geoffrey’s "soulful…tender fiddle” also graces The Recession Special’s debut. A founding member of Night Blooming Jasmine, Western Montana’s premier Hot Club Swing sextet, Geoffrey can currently be found organizing this spring’s Big Sky Django Jazz Festival in Missoula, Montana. Suzy and Hondo are the definition of the dynamic duo! The two have been teaching dance professionally since the early 90’s, and specialize in training small down dancers and dance teachers. They’ve both lived in Bemidji their whole lives, and that’s what enticed them to tailor their style to small towns. They pride themselves on being able to teach anyone how to dance and approach each lesson with a personal touch. Aside from teaching, they love to perform just about any chance they can. Their goals have always been to share the love of dance with everyone.