Veteran Washington D.C. band leader Craig Gildner is teaming up with an all-star band of musicians from D.C. and North Carolina for a tribute on Friday night to the slow (and sometimes fast!) swinging music of small groups during the swing era, including Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, and Count Basie.

Craig Gildner is a D.C. jazz fixture who has organized bands and performed at swing dances for two decades.

Scott Silbert is a mainstay in Washington D.C. jazz music, with his career as an arranger and his work as a featured soloist in groups such as the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra. For the past 4 years, he has helmed a big band on the Saturday night spot of the DC Lindy Exchange to sell-out crowds.

At Stardust, Scott’s Big Band will feature a string section for a lush sound. They will perform a wide array of slow (and fast!) swinging big band music specifically curated for this event. This will be an evening of music that you probably won’t hear at any other swing dance or live jazz concert.