Swing 39 To Perform At Jazz First Thursday

WATERBURY — Mattatuck Museum Arts and History Center will feature the gypsy jazz trio Swing 39 at the next Jazz First Thursday event on August 5. First Thursday is held in the museum’s lobby and courtyard where guests can enjoy the summer evening and great music. Programs run from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

Swing 39 will play a selection of gypsy jazz arrangements which is a unique guitar discipline influenced by swing, bluegrass and jazz forms. The rhythm guitar in gypsy jazz uses a special form of strumming known as “la pompe.” This form of percussion rhythm is similar to the “boom-chick” in bluegrass styles and is what gives the music its fast swinging feeling.

Bill Lezotte, Steve Jones and Bobo Lavorgna make up this energized trio and are accomplished musicians in their own right. They have played in numerous jazz festivals and produced CDs as Swing 39 and as individual artists. They describe themselves as having styles which “include acoustic swing, gypsy jazz, and classic standards from an era when music was music!”

Tickets for First Thursday are $15 (7 for museum members; memberships are available at First Thursday events and will provide free access for that evening) and can be reserved by calling Cathy Filipone at 203-753-0381 extension 10 or going online to MattatuckMuseum.org. Tickets can also be purchased the night of the event.