KEYSTONE SOCIETY OF SWING 

Friday, August 5, 2011

The Keystone Society of Swing has been providing Pennsylvania music lovers with the swinging sounds of the big band since 1986. Organized in 1986 by drummer Bud Hallberg and guitarist Paul Mills as a means to play the classic charts of their youth with kindred musicians, the sessions with a few musicians grew to become a complement of eighteen or more musicians as word spread throughout the region.

Soon requests were received to provide this swinging sound to the public. As a result, the orchestra began appearing at festivals, theaters, concerts, as well as at dances, reunions, and wedding receptions. A drop in membership during the late 1990's led to a reorganization of the band in the year 2000, with the addition of new members, a conductor's position, and the expansion of the music catalog.

Today the group features the saxophone/clarinet artistry of its director Bill Holl accompanied by a stellar reed section featuring tenor saxophonists Duane Eberhart and Peter Pepe along with Ned Deihl and Scott Smith. The trumpet section features Fred Lynn and Bill Fatula as soloists with Barry Hutzell and Mike Gleixner completing the section. JayVonada handles the solo work in the trombone section with Tim Benshoof, Ken Simpson, and Chuck Quinn rounding out the section. Providing a bottom and beat are bassist Phil Ponish, guitarist Paul Mills, and drummers Jim Franklin and Bud Hallberg. The group’s vocalist is Kathy Hutzell.

The classic arrangements of Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and other giants of the big band era are featured, as well as the contempory music of today’s foremost composers and arrangers like Lenny Neihaus, Dave Bardun, and Sammy Nestico. A Keystone Society of Swing concert is a treat for all ears and years.