The Jim Rothermel Swingtet (formerly NeoClassic Swing) (for mp3 samples go to CDs 4 $ale page)

(Click on the music to hear Jim's clarinet)

The Jim Rothermel Swingtet plays the great music from the classic Big Band Era, 1935-1945. While the group's music also reflects more modern influences, it draws primarily from bands such as Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Duke Ellington, Charlie Barnet, Woody Herman and Count Basie. Some of the musicians who have performed with the Swingtet are: Shota Osabe, Ron Borelli and Larry Vuckovich, piano; Al Obidinski, Steve Hanson, Blake Richardson and Jeff Neighbor, bass; Bil Nawrocki, Dave Black, Jim Zimmerman and Tony Johnson, drums; and Glen Deardorff, Jim Putman and Duncan James, guitar. With leader Jim Rothermel performing on saxophones and clarinet, the group occasionally includes Allen Smith on trumpet.

Photo: Shota Osabe, Jim Rothermel, Tony Johnson, Duncan James, Al Obidinski     

The band performs in a variety of contexts: festivals and concerts, private events, elementary school music programs, and as part of Musicians Union sponsored cable television appearances. Its members are seasoned professional musicians with a combined wealth of musical experience, which includes work with such diverse luminaries as Duke Ellington, Bob Scobey, Benny Goodman, Anita O'Day, Billy Butterfield, Jay McShann, Charles Brown, Bob Crosby, Leon Redbone, Dr. John, Mose Allison, George Barnes, Jimmy Witherspoon, Chet Baker, Cleo Laine and Johnny Dankworth, Lorna Luft, Sonny Stitt, Dianne Schuur, Vince Guaraldi, Toots Thielmans, Gerry Mulligan, Clark Terry, Mel Torme, Blue Mitchell, Art Pepper, Bob Hope, Frankie Laine, Tony Bennett, Connie Haines, Helen O'Connel, Steve Allen, Bing Crosby, Tex Beneke, Les Elgart, Mugsy Spanier, Red Nichols, The Ink Spots, The Mills Brothers, Joe Williams and Woody Allen.

Here's some of the Swingtet Tunelist:

A Ghost Of A Chance, After You've Gone, Air Mail Special, All the Cats Join In, Am I Blue?, Avalon, Azalea, Back Bay Shuffle, Blues In My Heart, Begin the Beguine, Blue Is the Night, Blue Lou, But Beautiful, Cadillac Slim, Caravan, Chelsea Bridge, Cherokee, Come Rain Or Come Shine, Cottontail, Creole Love Call, Cross Your Heart, Darn That Dream, Day Dream, Do Nothing 'Till You Hear From Me, Don't Be That Way, Don't Blame Me, Don't Get Around Much Anymore, Drop Me Off At Harlem, East of the Sun, Easy On The Eye, The Empty Peanut Butter Jar Blues, Everything But You, Everything I Have Is Yours, Flyin' Home, Frenesi, Get Happy, Going Out the Back Way, Good-Bye, Good Night My Love, Home, Honeysuckle Rose, How Am I To Know?, How Deep Is the Ocean, I Can't Get Started, I Didn't Know About You, I Got It Bad, I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart, I May Be Wrong, I Want To Be Happy, I'm Beginning To See The Light, I'm Getting Sentimental Over You, In A Mellotone, In A Sentimental Mood, Indian Summer , I Never Knew, Isfahan, It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing, Jive at Five, Joe Louis Stomp, Jumping At The Woodside, Just Friends, Just One Of Those Things, Just Squeeze Me, Just You Just Me, Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now, La Rosita, Lean Baby, Love Is Just Around the Corner/A Smooth One, Lover Man, Lullaby In Rhythm, Meet Me Where They Play the Blues, Memories of You, Misery and the Blues, Mood Indigo, Moon and Sand, Moonglow, Moten Swing, My Inspiration, My Melancholy Baby, Nuages, Old Folks, On A Slow Boat To China, On The Sunny Side Of The Street, Once In A While, One O'Clock Jump, Out Of Nowhere, Out Of This World, Passion Flower, Perdido, Perfidia, Poincianna, Poor Butterfly, Prelude To A Kiss, Runnin' Wild, Samba For Lydia, San, Say It With A Kiss, Seven Come Eleven, Shiny Stockings, Shout 'Em Aunt Tillie, Sing Sing Sing, Skylark, Slam-In Around, So Rare, Soft Winds, Solitude, Sophisticated Lady, Speculation, Squatty Roo, Star Eyes, Stars Fell On Alabama, Stealin' Apples, Stompin' At The Savoy, Strange Blues, Street Of Dreams, Sultry Serenade, Summit Ridge Drive, Sweet Lorraine, S'Wonderful, Take the "A" Train, Tenderly, That's the Blues Old Man, The Hour Of Parting, The Jeep Is Jumpin', The Jersey Bounce, The Mooche, The Nearness Of You, The Night Is Blue, The Single Petal Of A Rose, The Very Thought Of You, There Will Never Be Another You, Things Ain't What They Used To Be, Till Tom Special, Undecided Now, Under A Blanket of Blue, Warm Valley, We'll Be Together Again, Where Are You?, Why, Woodchopper's Ball, Yesterdays, You've Changed

For performance and booking information, please go to the Contact Jim Rothermel page