Dates for 2024 will be September 13th-15th!
Tickets will be available via AXS late summer!
Denver Vintage Jazz Festival is three nights of world-class live music held in the Mile-High City of Denver, Colorado.
Our one-of-a-kind vintage festival focuses primarily on vintage jazz and blues of the 1920’s, 1930’s & 1940’s. The venue features a spacious dance floor, and there are workshops, classes and lectures available from internationally renowned instructors during the daytime hours through our sister events Lindy on the Rocks & Hot Night Fusion Weekend.
We bring in top name bands to work with local musicians to help bolster the local music economy, and employ and educate local musicians on playing this style of music.
RSVP to our Facebook event for updates!
Like our Facebook page for all event details: CLICK HERE
Note on health guidelines for the 2024 event: The CDC and WHO currently have no public health orders in place. If this changes, CMDance will update all events to follow global recommendations.
Tickets will go on sale via AXS late summer 2024. Sign up for our email list at www.cmdance.org to be notified!
Full Pass includes:
- 3 nights of live music and social dancing at Denver Jazz Festival.
- Intro to Swing Dance class Friday night and Saturday night before the band.
- Saturday night interactive workshop with band leader Eyal Vilner.
- Performances by local and national swing dancers every night.
Individual Night Tickets for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will also be available!
Thursday Night Unofficial Pre-Event Party at the Mercury Cafe featuring live music (with TBA)
(not included in event passes)
Friday Night:
Swing Dance Lesson
Social Dance to Eyal Vilner and His Hot 5
Contests & Performances during band breaks!
Saturday Night:
Swing Dance Lesson
Interactive Workshop w/Eyal
Social Dance to The Eyal Vilner Big Band
Contests & Performances during band breaks!
Sunday Night:
Social dance to Ian Hutchison’s Colorado Band featuring Sweet B
Contests & Performances during band breaks!
2024 Featured Bands and All-Star Artists:
eyal vilner big band & hot 5
Eyal Vilner has become one of the leading new voices in the New York swing and big band scene. Born in Tel Aviv, saxophonist, clarinetist, flutist, composer and bandleader Eyal Vilner moved to New York in 2007 and started his big band the following year.
The Eyal Vilner Big Band has been performing widely at some of New York’s landmarks such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, Midsummer Night Swing, Birdland, Dizzy's Club, Smalls Jazz Club, Minton’s Playhouse, The Django, Battle of the Big Bands on the Intrepid, Swing ReMix, Swing 46 and Central Park SummerStage.
Internationally, Eyal has performed on Israel's most prestigious stages such as the Red Sea Jazz Festival, Tel Aviv Museum, Jerusalem Theater, The Tel Aviv Jazz Festival as well as the historical La Bellevilloise, Caveau des Oubliettes and Caveau de la Huchette in Paris.
The big band performs Eyal’s new arrangements of jazz and swing tunes as well as his original compositions. Their music, which derives from the tradition of jazz, swing and the blues, strives to bring a unique voice to this beautiful art form. The big band’s first four albums: Introducing the Eyal Vilner Big Band, Almost Sunrise, Hanukkah and Swing Out! received rave reviews and made it to the Top Jazz Radio Charts of the US and Canada.
The Eyal Vilner Big Band has collaborated with some of the top jazz legends of our time including NEA Jazz Masters Frank Wess, Jimmy Heath and Jimmy Owens, and pianist Junior Mance.
Ian hutchison’s colorado band featuring sweet b
Ian Hutchison knows how to play swing music for swing dancers. His propulsive bass playing has made toes tap all over the world for the last 15 years. He has led bands at dances throughout New York City and Colorado. A consummate sideman, Ian has played swing events in North America, Europe, and South Korea with such band leaders as Gordon Webster, Naomi Uyama, Jonathan Stout, Glenn Crytzer, and Eyal Vilner. Ian is also the bass player in the hit touring lindy hop show SW!NG OUT. When he's not playing, Ian enjoys social dancing and DJing. Ian spent 10 years as an in-demand bass player in Colorado before moving to New York City in 2014.
Interactive Workshop w/Eyal Vilner
In this 1 hour interactive workshop, Eyal will teach a method of communication and share exercises between dancers and musicians. This workshop will explore the two languages of dance and music, helping you to better express sound with movement and movement with sound.
Studio Loft at Ellie Caulkins Opera House
1400 Curtis St. Denver, CO 80202
The Studio Loft is an 8,000 sq ft performance, rehearsal and event space with a cathedral ceiling, exposed brick, warm-colored walls, a 3,000sf wood dance floor. The Studio Loft is located in the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Venue has ample dance space, limited seating, and a bar for you to enjoy the music each evening.
PARKING: There is metered street parking surrounding the building, and the DCPA has their own parking garage. CLICK HERE for info.
Attending the whole weekend and want to stay downtown?
Click HERE for the discounted hotel room rate through CMDance at the Curtis Hotel right across the street!
The Denver Jazz Festival is brought to you by Community-Minded Dance, aka CMDance.
We rely on our loyal sponsors, partners and our incredible dancers from all over the world to keep our organization intact. With your support we are able to fulfill our mission of building healthy, thriving communities through world-class arts education programs that bring the global culture of both solo and partnered vernacular dancing to Colorado youth and adults.
We encourage your support of CMDance through The Denver Jazz Festival. We sincerely hope you will make a commitment to partner with us in sponsorship of this event which not only strengthens our relationship but will surely add the success of your organization.
Thank you to our loyal sponsors for over 15 years!
Denver Arts & Venues
National Endowment for the Arts
Bonfils Stanton Foundation
Hawley Family Foundation
Ann Ehli
Lynn Herrington
Colorado Creative Industries
Colorado Gives Day Donors
This list is not all-inclusive, as we have numerous anonymous sponsors!
Full Schedule for all three festivals that run in conjunction with each other.
(Schedule Subject to Change)
Thursday
Unofficial pre-party at the Mercury Cafe (details TBA)
Friday
7:30pm Doors Open to General Admission
8:00pm Intro to Swing Dance Class
9:00 pm Eyal Vilner and His Hot 5
12:00am Event Ends
**Special dance performances throughout the night
Saturday
6:30pm Doors Open to General Admission
7:00-8:00pm Swing Dance Lesson
8:00pm SPECIAL Interactive Talk w/Eyal Vilner
9-12pm The Eyal Vilner Big Band
12:00am Event Ends
**Special dance performances throughout the night
Sunday
8:30pm Doors Open to General Admission
9-12pm Ian Hutchison’s Colorado Band featuring Sweet B
12:00am Event Ends
**Special dance performances throughout the night