Think SWING! began in November of 2006, as the Think SWING! New Orleans Jazz Festival. Our inaugural festival was initially an outreach project aimed at helping New Orleans musicians continue to work and live in their home city following the natural disaster Hurricane Katrina. Audiences raved, and Think SWING! continued in 2007, but broadened to include regional bands and artists, many of whom had developed the New Orleans sound in their own special ways. Appropriately, the festival was renamed the Think SWING! Jazz and Blues Festival, which simply means that we feature music of many varieties, united by the thing that means everything: SWING! Not only does the music swing, but festival guests can expect most performances to offer space for dancing and dining, melding the vintage dance hall with the elegant supper clubs from days gone by, much to the delight of jitterbugs and concert-goers alike. It is our sincere goal to encourage the Spokane community and beyond by offering the best in local, regional, national, and international jazz and blues artists in the grandest, historical venues of Spokane, Washington.

Think SWING! 2008 is our best attempt yet to reach that goal, with artists coming from as far away as Sweden, New Orleans, Austin, and New York, along with regional musicians from Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, B.C, and a host of musicians who regularly grace the Spokane landscape in our home city. We've also moved to larger venues to accommodate more guests, including the Davenport Hotel's Marie Antoinette Ballroom, The The Knitting Factory Concert House, and The Spokane Masonic Center, and we've incorporated satellite events at The Panida Theatre in Sandpoint, Idaho. Another first for 2008 is the inclusion of a Downtown Spokane night club circuit of the best in Spokane night life, entitled the Think SWING! River of Music in honor of our presenting sponsor, Spokane's River 99.9FM. In sum, we'll be offering more than 10 different venues featuring at least 20 individual performances (many of which will be all-ages), making 2008 our most exciting event thus far!

We invite you to join us again in 2008 for the Think SWING! Jazz and Blues Festival! Whether on the dance floor, at a table for two, or in one of the dreamy lounges of Spokane, we're preparing a place for you to Think SWING!

We at Think SWING! are honored to be working with Team St. Luke's, donating a portion of our ticket proceeds to help out with adaptive sports programs for young athletes.

For more information about Think SWING! Jazz and Blues Festival, please contact us at thinkswing@thinkswingspokane.com (or simply use the form below). Sponsorship opportunities are still available!

Garrin Hertel
Founder
Think SWING! Jazz and Blues Festival

Dance Street Ballroom will be offering a promotion for folks who purchase Think SWING! tickets – two free beginning east coast swing classes on consecutive Thursdays, October 30th and November 6th at 6pm, and a free intermediate east coast swing class on Thursday, November 6th, at 7pm. Simply present your purchased Think SWING! tickets, and you’ll be given an hour of free dance instruction. Dance Street Ballroom located at 433 W Dean Ave. Call Amanda Hansen for more details: (509) 326-9545.

SPECIAL NOTE: During Hot Club of New Orleans’ performance on Saturday, November 8th at the Knitting Factory, Russ Bruner and Susan Kane, both of Portland, Oregon, will be performing a lindy hop routine. Don’t miss your chance to see these two incredible dancers in action.

Terisa Hawk will be offering dance instruction at the festival, with several friends, and Russ Bruner is also very knowledgeable on lindy, balboa, east coast swing, and so there will be folks on hand to introduce you or re-acquaint you with these wonderful dance styles.

Think SWING! has partnered with several downtown hotels to help you find accommodations. Whether you are visiting Spokane from elsewhere, or a Spokane resident, festival tickets and a hotel room make a great combination. Many of our partnering hotels are only blocks away from festival venues, and a cab ride to others will not put a serious dent in your wallet.

Please enjoy the following restaurants before or after attending a Think SWING! peformance.

Isabella's
360
CAVALLINO LOUNGE
ZOLA
The Satellite Diner
Heroes and Legends

Think SWING! Jazz and Blues festival would not be possible without generous support from community businesses and individuals. We would especially like to thank Spokane’s River 99.9 FM, Washington Trust Bank, The Davenport Hotel, The Pacific Northwest Inlander, Walker Construction, and Finders Keepers for their generous contributions to Think SWING! 2007. We would also like to thank the Daniel Bubb Family, as well as our anonymous donors. Thank you for making this festival a reality! Please visit our sponsors page to learn more about the work of our sponsors in the community.