This live recording session recaptures the musical ambiance of the famed night clubs in cosmopolitan Havana during the 1930's - 50's where international society danced the nights away to the tangos, swing, and ballads of North, Central, and South America.

20 MP3 Songs in this album (61:02) !
Related styles: Jazz: Ballroom Dance, Latin: Latin Jazz, Featuring Piano

People who are interested in Carmen Cavallero & His Orchest Duke Ellington & His Orchestra Peter & Eddy Duchin Orchestras should consider this download.


Details:
The BEST background recording for your cocktail & dinner parties!!

Great, too, for dancing, energizing workouts & intent listening!!

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ABOUT ENTER CLUB HAVANA

These timeless and elegant, yet upbeat songs are enjoyed around the world today by people of all ages! The Latin rhythms include rhumbas, tangos, Bossa novas, cha-chas, beguines and light sambas. Other rhythms include swing, waltzes, fox-trots and ballads.

Specializing in Ballroom Society Dance music of the 1930âs, 40âs & 50âs, Mr. Jelasicâs band repertoire combines world-class classical piano artistry with the best of Big Band, Swing, Latin, and the Waltz. These works were originally performed by artists including Ella Fitzgerald - Tony Bennett - Duke Ellington - Nat âKingâ Cole - Edith Piaf - Billie Holiday - Frank Sinatra - Louis Armstrong - Hoagie Carmichael - Carmen Cavallaro - Patsy Cline - Xavier Cugat - Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey - Glen Miller - Cole Porter - Artie Shaw & Sarah Vaughn among many others!

The instrumentalists in this live recording, under the direction of Mr. Jelasic at a Steinway concert grand piano, include Howard Denker on saxophone and clarinet, Neil Lewis on upright acoustic string bass, Rich Gerbich on drums and Mark Carson on percussion instruments added to the Latin selections.

Two of the highlights at which James Jelasic & His Dance Band have performed include one of the United Statesâ Presidential Inaugural Balls at the National Gallery of Art on January 20th, 2005 and Ford Motor Company's CEO Gala at the newly restored Detroit Opera House on January 22, 1999.

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CRITICAL REVIEWS FOR JAMES JELASIC & HIS DANCE BAND

WASHINGTON, D.C. - James Jelasic & His Dance Band
"You can't beat the dazzling, sublime, ultra sophisticated live Latin and Swing."
-- Newsweek â March 14, 2005 issue --

âJames Jelasic & His Dance Band has entertained diners and dancers with a hit parade of music from the '30s, '40s and '50s. "We do Sinatra, Bennett, Nat King Cole," among many others, says band leader Jelasic, in a repertoire that runs to swing, waltz and tango.â
-- Tom Sietsema, Critic - The Washington Post - Washington, D.C.: September 17, 2000 --

âMUSIC TO OUR EARS: Fans of serious dancing have long counted on a fix of James Jelasic & His Dance Band, which performs big-band-era music. That repertoire includes tango, Bossa nova and cha-cha music from the 1930s through 1950s. The dancing coincides with the release of the four-piece band's new CD, Enter Club Havana."
-- Tom Sietsema, Critic - The Washington Post - Washington, D.C.: September 17, 2003 --

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JAMES JELASIC, PIANIST â ABOUT THE ARTIST

Piano virtuoso, Fulbright Scholar and International Steinway Artist, James Jelasic continues the rich musical heritage established by his maternal grandfather, Jan Nemec, a composer and playwright in Czechoslovakia in the early 1900s. In the family tradition, Mr. Jelasic began his piano studies at the age of six and, by the age of nineteen, had twice been featured as a concerto soloist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Jelasic, a native of Dearborn, Michigan, received his early musical training at the Detroit Institute of Musical Arts, his Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance on full scholarship from Eastern Michigan University, and his Master of Music degree in Accompanying and Chamber Music from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He has also done advanced studies at the Sorbonne in Paris and at Warwick University in Coventry, England. Mr. Jelasicâs master teachers include such distinguished artists as Joseph Gurt in Ypsilanti, Michigan; Gordon Green of the Royal Academy of Music in London, England; Eugene Bossart in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Martin Katz in Boulder, Colorado and Akron, Ohio; and Leonard Hokenson in Augsburg, Germany.

Mr. Jelasic resided for a year in Munich, Germany under the gracious patronage of the Richard Strauss Family. While there he performed extensively as both a soloist and accompanist, and conducted advanced research into the interpretation of the German lied. He then moved to Paris, having been awarded the prestigious Fulbright Scholar grant to research the interpretation of the French mélodie with the internationally acclaimed baritone, Gérard Souzay. At that time, in recognition of Mr. Jelasicâs remarkable abilities as a performer and his demonstrated interest in the French culture, the Government of France sponsored his residency during the international summer music festival at the Maurice Ravel Academy in St. Jean-de-Luz, France. During his residency in Paris, Mr. Jelasic was also a guest lecturer at the American College in Paris/WICE and did extensive concert touring throughout France and the United Kingdom.

Mr. Jelasic has received critical international acclaim for his appearances with numerous symphony orchestras and as a collaborative performer in concert recitals. The BBC, Radio France, WGMS in Washington, D.C., and PBS Television have broadcast several of his performances live. Mr. Jelasic has performed for U.S. presidents, foreign heads of state, ambassadors, inaugural balls and royalty. His recordings (WatersEdgeRecords.com) have garnered three semi-final GRAMMY® nominations and glowing critical reviews.

While classically grounded, Mr. Jelasicâs musical interests extend to traditional American ballroom dance music, which he often performs with his highly regarded society dance orchestra. Currently residing in metropolitan Washington, D.C., Mr. Jelasic maintains a full performance schedule as the leader of his dance orchestra as well as a classical soloist, accompanist/vocal coach, piano tutor, college lecturer and recording artist.

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JAMES JELASICâS ADDITIONAL CRITICAL REVIEWS

âMr. Jelasicâs pianism was a sound to behold!â
-- Charles McCardell, The Washington Post --

âThe performance of accompanist, James Jelasic, was shimmering throughout.â
-- Roy Guenther, The Washington Post --

***** (Five-Star) âA Masterful Performanceâ
âJames Jelasicâs stirring performance of Chopinâs waltzes is the finest Iâve heard. His voicing technique combined with a precise execution of the music makes this one of the most listenable works I own. Open a bottle of wine, find a comfortable leather chair, and put on this CD. You wonât be disappointed.â
-- Mega Music Reviews.com --

âJames Jelasic â excellent musician with a talent admired by all â¦impressive and securely facile.â
-- Music Critique, Journal de Blois, France --

âIn his brilliant execution, Jelasic captures and transports us with his art to the imaginary musical world of Chopin, which is difficult to find in other recordings of Chopinâs music. With profound technique on the piano, when Jelasic plays Chopin, he makes us feel the composer's expression, times, passages of life, and personality.â
-- Eddie Galleno - La Nación, Washington, D.C. --