Here's a sweet video snippet: about 1,000 people at 4am still swinging hard at the close of Day Four of the Frankie 95 Birthday Festival.
The highlight of the day was an all-star dance tribute show for Frankie Manning, demonstrating various parts of his career, from the Savoy Ballroom to the Herrang Dance Camp. Afterwards, Jonathan Stout and the Campus Five and the Boilermakers performed for an appreciative crowd of dancers. Plus the finals of the largest Jack and Jill ever was an amazing showcase of badass dancing.
Tomorrow is the exciting close of the Festival, with panels, picnics, and classes during the day, and a final dance party at the Hammerstein Ballroom with Houston Person Quartet and the Wycliffe Gordon Quartet & the Battle of the 'Bones. Plus there's an added late night dance until 6am, which I am very dubious that I will be awake for.
Previous posts about Frankie 95:
- Frankie 95 Festival Day 3: 3 big bands, Hellzapoppin finals, Silver Shadows (video)
- Frankie 95 Festival Day 2: Frankie's Memorial, Second Line procession, Central Park, Cangelosi Cards! (vids)
- Pic of me in the NY Times leading Second Line processional for Frankie Manning
- Frankie 95 Festival Day 1: Jazz Vipers, Hellzapoppin, Junior Jitterbugs! (video)