Since 1984, City Swing, an 18-piece big band, has dazzled audiences and dancers by bringing to life the sounds of big band jazz. Conducted by featured trumpet soloist Bradley Connlain, City Swing has cherry picked the best charts from the books of swing era greats like Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton and Glen Miller.
In 1986, the band was honored to be declared the City of San Francisco’s “Goodwill Ambassadors” to the ‘86 World Expo in Vancouver, B.C., by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. In 1988, City Swing performed at City Hall for the Mayor’s Inaugural Ball, and in 2000, City Swing was flown to Palm Springs as the centerpiece of a gala benefit for the AIDS Assistance Program. In 2001, City Swing performed on the top deck of the S.S. Jeremiah O’Brien, providing WWII-era music for this National Liberty Ship Memorial on its annual Fleet Week cruise on the Bay. In 2005, City Swing performed as the house band for the Imperial Court of San Francisco’s 40th Anniversary Ball at the Gift Center Pavilion.
City Swing starts a new chapter in 2007 with jazz singer Joyce Grant. The great-great-niece of famed ragtime composer Scott Joplin, Grant has been singing jazz in Bay Area venues like the Plush Room and the Donatello Hotel for 20 years. A mezzo-soprano with a voice like dark honey, Grant has a performance resume includes a wide range of venues including the Empire Plush Room and the Donatello Hotel (9 years) in San Francisco, the Ledson Hotel in Sonoma, Cetrella in Half Moon Bay, the Liberty Hotel in Pittsburg, Slates in Walnut Creek, Joe’s of Lafayette, the Woodminster Amphitheater, and the Zingari Ristorante (5 years) in San Francisco.
Also with Guest Artist, Leanne Borghesi
