We want Plex 12 to feature some of the greatest live music Winnipeg has ever danced to. To that end, the Solomon Douglas Quartet will play for us on Friday and the Swingtet on Saturday. Both nights feature Robert Bell from Minneapolis on guitar.
Plex 12 will also feature Western Canada’s finest DJs. They’re awesometacular because they excel at playing music you want to dance to.
Solomon Douglas
Solomon Douglas is a jazz pianist and bandleader, whose various bands have played at more than fifty exchanges, camps, workshops, and other events in North America, Asia, and Australia in the past ten years. His experience as a swing dancer and dance instructor gives him an understanding unique among musicians of the music that swing dancers and blues dancers like to dance to!
The Solomon Douglas Swingtet is a ten-piece dance band whose repertoire is rooted in that of the Basie band (One O’Clock Jump, Jive at Five, Splanky, Shorty George, Shiny Stockings) and that of the Ellington band (Cottontail, “C” Jam Blues, Mood Indigo, Take The “A” Train), with other big-band standards and classic jazz tunes thrown in as well. They can cater to a crowd that prefers up-tempo classic swing, to a crowd that prefers slower groovier jazz, or to anything in between. The Solomon Douglas Swingtet makes frequent appearances at large venues such as the Glen Echo Spanish Ballroom (DC) and the Century Ballroom (Seattle), and has played at many internationally-attended dance events such as the Pitt Stop Lindy Hop (Pittsburgh), Nov. 2009; the Emerald City Blues Festival (Seattle), Oct. 2005, Nov. 2008, and Nov. 2009; the Albuquerque Lindy Exchange, Oct. 2009; the Knoxville Lindy Exchange, Sep. 2009; the Century Masters of Lindy and Tap (Seattle), Aug. 2007, Aug. 2008 and Aug. 2009; BABBLE (New York, NY), Apr. 2009; the Orlando Lindy Exchange, Mar. 2009; the Think Swing Festival (Spokane, WA), Nov. 2008; the Atlanta Varsity Showdown, Oct. 2008; Lindy on the Rocks (Denver), Aug. 2007 and Aug. 2008; the Blues ‘n Soul Experience (Orlando), June 2008; Philadelphia Lindy Love, June 2006 and June 2008; Camp Jitterbug (Seattle), May 2006 and May 2007 and May 2008; Bal Rendezvous (San Diego), April 2008; the Connecticut Lindy Exchange, Aug. 2007; the Seattle Lindy Exchange, Aug. 2005 and Aug. 2007; the Canada Day Exchange (Ottawa, ON), June 2007; the Virginia Beach Lindy Exchange, June 2007; the Portland Lindy Exchange, Mar. 2006; the Killer Diller Ball (Seattle), Dec. 2005; Swing Out Northwest (near Seattle), Dec. 2002, Dec. 2004, and Dec. 2006; the All-Balboa Weekend (Cleveland), May 2003; the Detroit Lindy Exchange, May 2003; and the Toronto Lindy Exchange, Oct. 2002.
Robert Bell
Robert Bell was the boy that never kept still. Any object at any moment could suddenly be used for musical expression. This got the attention of Robert’s parents (in more ways than one) and he was encouraged to pursue piano. At the age of thirteen, While waiting for his weekly piano lesson, he heard someone playing acoustic guitar; the piano was sold shortly thereafter. Born in Milwaukee WI, Robert grew up close to The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music where he first studied guitar.
Robert’s moment of great influence and inspiration came after hearing the guitarist Django Reinhardt, and in 1998 he began to pursue his truest calling: Jazz. Robert studied privately with Minneapolis guitarists Scott Fraser and Paul Renz. Robert’s pusuit of Jazz also presented other musical opportunities and he became the guitarist for Troupe America’s A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline. The Theatre bug bit Robert hard and he followed as Music Director and guitarist for Minnesota Festival Theatre’s Always Patsy Cline.
In 2002 Robert began to focus his talents on Gypsy Jazz or Hot Club music. He created “A Tribute to Django Reinhardt “ featuring Minnesota’s top players in the genre and including members from every Hot Club in Minnesota. Based on the response from audiences, Robert was offered a weekly show at The Times Bar and Café in May of 2004. It was this weekly performance opportunity that was the inspiration for Robert’s first solo release, Gypsy Tendercies. The release from concept to completion was done in six weeks. Studio time was completed in 12 hours as Robert tracked both rhythm and lead parts that Vintage Guitar described as “fiery, virtuosic solos.”
Robert formed the Twin Cities Hot Club in 2005. The group has released a self titled CD and the DVD Live at the Times. Robert is also a member of the traditional jazz band the Southside Aces and the world music ensemble Cafe Accordion Orchestra . Robert leads the Robert Bell Hot Swing Combo, and is also the bandleader forLili’s Burlesque house band and MPR Stage Sessions. Robert has performed at the Twin Cities Hot Summer Jazz Festival, the Twin Cities Winter Jazz Festival, the Doc Evans Jazz Festival , Midwest Gypsy Swing Fest, Uptown Row Django Fest and Minnesota sur Seine where he performed a concert with the great gypsy guitaristDorado Schmitt . Opening credits include the Squirrel Nut Zippers ,John Jorgensen , as well performance with author readings includingBarbara Kingsolver, Michael Dregni and Heather McElhatton .
Robert has also been selected to perform for many international Lindy hop events. Performance experience includes Midwest Lindyfest2005-2010, Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown 2004-2008, Twin Cities Lindy Exchange, Twin Cities Balboa Festival (MN), Washington D.C. Lindy Exchange, Rocky Mountain Balboa Blowout (CO), Lindy On The Rocks (CO), Cowtown Jamborama 2007-2009 (NE), Hawkeye Swing Festival 2008-2010(IA), University of WI Madison, St. Olaf, Carleton College, Gustavus Aldophus, Lawrence University, Macalester College and Midwest Balboa Fest .