Indigo Swing

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Indigo Swing, later shortened to Indigo, was an American retro swing band of the mid-late 1990s, based out of San Francisco, California. [1] They released two albums for the independent Time Bomb Recordings label, All Aboard! (1998) and Red Light! (1999). [2]

Founded in 1992, [3] the initial inspiration for the group came when founder John Boydston saw a swing outfit performing in San Francisco's Club Deluxe. [4] He wanted to capture the feel of the swing era of the 1940s and bring back styles of dancing that connected the partners, [4] and so went looking for musicians that shared that vision. [3]

He recruited a group by word-of-mouth, including actor and pianist Pete Sutherland, guitarist and corporate executive Harold Fethe, and attorney-bassist Andrew Coblentz. That group developed the band's name during a weekend workshop. By late 1992, they were playing a date under the Indigo Swing name in a San Francisco club. [5]

Later, Boydston asked Fethe how to accelerate Indigo Swing's progress. "Replace the band," Fethe said. Within a few weeks, a new band emerged.

The most well-known lineup of Indigo Swing consisted of singer John Boydston, stage name "Johnny Boyd"; Josh Workman on guitar; Vance Ehlers on string bass; drummer "Big Jim" Overton; William Beatty on piano; and saxophone and flute player Barry "Baron Shul" Shumway. [2] The band stressed playing original music, not just renditions of classic swing tunes. [3]

The group did a lot of touring; [6] in many cases they opened for The Brian Setzer Orchestra. [7] The group had a high-energy performing style. [3] [4] A typical Indigo Swing show had some people just listening to the music but many people up and out on the dance area the whole time. [4] [8] As such, the group gained a following and some measure of renown; as an Albuquerque Journal story put it, the group became "one of the name bands in swing". [6]

The group was signed to the independent label Time Bomb Recordings in 1997. [2] A review in the Lincoln Journal Star of their first release for the label, All Aboard!, gave it four stars, saying that as a record it was the best of the recent crop of retro swing releases. [8] A review in The Washington Post said that the album's musical mix produced "engaging results", although a "more versatile vocalist" would help at times, but praised the group's rhythm section and the saxophone work of Baron Shul. [7]

The group underwent a number of personnel changes at various times, and at the end of 1999 Boyd departed. [6] He was replaced by singer and actress Nicole Vigil. [1] By Spring 2000, Shumway was the only original member still remaining. [6] The group shortened its name to just Indigo and expanded its repertoire to include 1950s rhythm and blues. [6] Indigo toured in 2000, and hoped to find a new record label, [6] but did not. The last incarnation of the group was called the Nicole Vigil Band and played some dates in 2001. [9]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Friday: Music". Santa Cruz Sentinel. February 25, 2000. p. 12 (Spotlight) – via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 3 Bush, John. "Indigo Swing: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Carson, L. Pierce (November 26, 1995). "Indigo has hard-driving swing". The Napa Valley Register. p. 2D – via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Wolgamott, L. Kent (August 7, 1998). "Getting in the Swing of Things". Lincoln Journal Star. p. 18 (Music) – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "S.F. Clubs: Johnny Love's". San Francisco Examiner. November 15, 1992. p. 9 (Datebook) – via Newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ditzler, Joseph (April 4, 2000). "Indigo to Bring Swing to Santa Fe". Albuquerque Journal. p. 5 (Journal North) – via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 Joyce, Mike (July 19, 1998). "Jump Back Into the Swing". The Washington Post.
  8. 1 2 Wolgamott, L. Kent (August 7, 1998). "Swing Sets". Lincoln Journal Star. p. 20 (Music) – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Jump up blues". The Sacramento Bee. November 9, 2001. p. 9 (Ticket) – via Newspapers.com.
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