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During World War II, American men answered the call to arms from every walk of life. From the factory to the fields, women stepped up to fill the absent soldier’s spot in the workplace. Most people remember Rosie the Riveter, an iconic worker, with her sleeves rolled up and her goggles pulled down. Less celebrated, but no less important to the war effort were the “Swingshift Maisies.” These women made up the “Girl Bands” of the 1940's. Singing and swinging their way into the hearts of those who kept the home-fires burning, as well as enchanting the troops overseas with the USO, was their mission. After the war, men returned to the stages and women, regretfully relinquished their batons.
Capturing the essence of these nearly forgotten “Girl Bands,” the 18 women in Ladies Must Swing bop their way through a roaring repertoire of 20th century dance classics. Featuring five saxaphones, four trombones, four trumpets, piano, bass, drums, vocals and congas, the combo, now in its eighth year, has steadily gained momentum and a legion of loyal fans.
With musical and professional backgrounds as varied as the players themselves, the women ages 20-60, enliven wartime classics, invoke and celebrate the contribution of female composers and arrangers and belt out a smokin' foxtrot. They have set dancers in motion in Washington DC at the National Race for a Cure, at the Women's Health Gala at the Wisconsin State Capitol as well as clubs, private parties, conventions, performing arts centers, schools and ballrooms all across the country.
Ladies Must Swing puts audiences In the Mood for a Sentimental Journey to Route 66 and beyond, scattering Stardust and creating Mood Indigo wherever they go. Because… swing they must!
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