Mora's Modern Rhythmists
"MORA'S MODERN RHYTHMISTS was originally formed in 1994 by Dean Mora, a Los Angeles-area pianist whose interest in the 1920s and 1930s was forged early on as a child (he saw the movie "The Sting" when he was 11, and was instantly hooked). Their repertoire first consisted of popular jazz hits of the 1920's and early 1930's, but soon started to include tunes that would be considered precursors to Swing. This was reflected in their first CD, "My Favorite Band", released in 1996, which revealed their affinity for both the styles of Roaring '20s hot jazz and the pre-Swing Era dance tunes of the 1930's.
Following a series of small concerts around the Los Angeles area, the band was booked at the world-famous Derby, a nightclub housed in one of the original Brown Derby Restaurants in Hollywood. Soon, the band had garnered a reputation as one of the best swing bands in Los Angeles, and their Monday night performances soon gained a cult following among dancers and band enthusiasts, and they remained at the club for almost three years.
Since then, the band has played in a number of historic venues in Southern California, including the Hollywood Palladium, the Wiltern Theatre, the Avalon Casino Ballroom, the Alex Theatre, the Wilshire Ebell Club, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, the Biltmore Hotel, the Oviatt Building, and at both the Los Angeles and Orpheum Theatres in downtown Los Angeles for the Los Angeles Conservancy's hugely popular "Last Remaining Seats" series.
Mora's Modern Rhythmists have also appeared in classic jazz festivals, including the San Clemente Jazz Festival, the Sweet and Hot Classic Jazz Festival (Los Angeles), and the Big Bear Festival of Jazz. Corporate and organizational clients include Pacific Bell, Toyota, The Art Deco Society, the Skirball Cultural Center, USC, Disneyland, Occidental College, and Steven Spielberg.
Their second CD, "Mr. Rhythmist Goes to Town," released in 1999, clearly showed off their swing repertoire, including their penchant for off-beat, long-forgotten songs such as "Chant of the Weed", "The Mayor of Alabam'", and "Without That Gal". This CD also marked the debut of singer Kayre Morrison, who had joined the band in 1997. This exploration of unheard swing classics continued with their 3rd CD, "Call of the Freaks", released in 2000; this CD also features a vocal performance of legendary showman Leonard Reed, who sings his 1932 song, "It's Over Because We're Through", to a band accompaniment that is a transcription of a recording originally done by Leonard's former vaudeville partner, Willie Bryant.
Mora's Modern Rhythmists continues its search of unknown swing classics, and will present them with the same dedication to authenticity and musicianship that has earned them high praise among record critics and fans alike" (http://morasmodern.com/home.html). Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
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