Denver it is time to Move to the Music. Welcome to the Dazzling Age of Denver’s music scene.
Dazzle presents an explosion of Large Ensemble performances, most Monday evenings at 7:00 PM, starting July 11th.
Music engages the senses, ignites creativity and imagination, and spurs meaningful interactions between us. Community music-making has long been a part of the arts-and-culture fabric in Colorado, from big band to mariachi. It is great playing, relatable songs, and rhythmic flows that inspire people to feel the beat and get on their feet.
Each of these large ensembles are made up of a combination of full-time, professional musicians and highly skilled amateur musicians, playing side by side to create music. From tapping your foot and nodding your head all the way to fully enjoying the dance floor, these large ensembles will make you feel the music throughout every cell in your body.
Since 1860, The Denver Municipal Band is the oldest continuous-playing professional concert band in the U.S. Swing rose from blues and jazz, and Colorado played a key part in that evolution. Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington all pioneered the music here, with performances at Elitch Gardens and the Rainbow Music Hall during the 1930s to the ‘60s. These legendary groups all nurtured young stars and future bandleaders, which Dazzle hopes to continue doing by bringing this weekly series to Denver.
Experience the music as it evolves to reflect today’s diverse community with Large Ensembles featuring young composers Annie Booth and Ben Markley, continuing Colorado’s traditions of Big Bands, and Mariachi Alma Del Folklore, the first and only all-female mariachi group in Colorado.
It’s time for Colorado people to get moving again, to invent new dances inspired by the hot rhythms of Colorado’s new Big Ensembles. The time is now. Jump into the elation of swing music. Immerse yourself in that beat and reignite the joy of movement as a community.
Come ready to jump up, surge forward, crowd the bandstand, and raise a cheer. Let music feed your soul.
July 11- H2 Big Band: A Message of Healing to Al Hood
July 18 - Denver Jazz Orchestra
July 25 - Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra
Aug 1 - TBA
Aug 8 - Annie Booth Big Band
Aug 15 - Zaremba Jazz Fellowship
Aug 22 - Mariachi Femenil Alma del Folklore
Aug 29 - Flatirons Jazz Orchestra
Sept 19 - Gavin Worland Big Band
Sept 26 - Denver Municipal Jazz Band
Oct 3 - Hugh Ragin Creative Ensemble
Oct 10 - East meets South: A Collaboration of Bands
