PARTIES
CLASSES
MUSICIANS
DOWNTOWN
BOULEVARD
Formed especially for the very first edition of the festival in 2019, Downtown Boulevard brings together six lifelong friends with a shared passion for jazz music. Some members have been playing together for more than 40 years, building their sound on deep roots in New Orleans jazz and decades of musical friendship. When Katrien, festival organizer and daughter of the band’s guitarist and singer, challenged them to create a blues repertoire tailored for dancers, these kind souls embraced the idea with full energy. The result is a mix of groove, soul, and piano blues guaranteed to fill the dance floor. A few years ago, the band joined forces with the fabulous Amsterdam-based singer Loes Jongerling, whose powerful voice and stage presence added a whole new spark to their performances. Together once again, Downtown Boulevard and Loes are ready to kick off Friday night in style and have you dancing your asses off from the very first note.
STEF ROSEN TRIO
The Stef Rosen Trio is a powerful and deeply soulful organ trio that brings the golden era of early ’70s soul and blues to life. Drawing inspiration from icons like Otis Redding, Bobby “Blue” Bland, B.B. King, and Little Milton, the trio blends vintage tones with raw emotion, creating a sound that’s both timeless and electrifying. Fronted by Berlin-based guitarist and vocalist Stef Rosen, known for his expressive playing and gritty, heartfelt voice, the trio features Matthias Falkenau on the Hammond organ and Lorenzo Bergamino on drums. Together, they craft a rich, grooving foundation steeped in the traditions of classic Southern soul and urban blues.
JESSIE GORDON
Jessie Gordon is an Australian jazz and blues vocalist, vintage jazz dancer, and internationally respected dance educator known for her deep musicality, joyful teaching style, and strong connection to the roots of blues and swing culture. Based in Perth, Western Australia, she began dancing Lindy Hop in 2001 and soon expanded into blues and solo jazz movement, eventually building an international career as both a performer and teacher. As a blues dance teacher, Jessie is recognized for classes that center rhythm, improvisation, partner connection, and emotional responsiveness to music. Her background as a professional jazz and blues musician strongly informs her teaching approach, helping students understand dance through the structure, feeling, and history of the music itself. She emphasizes movement that feels grounded, expressive, and socially connected rather than purely technical. Jessie has taught workshops and festivals internationally across Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, including events focused on Lindy Hop, solo jazz, and blues dance. Students describe her teaching as warm, musical, inclusive, and rooted in authentic jazz and blues traditions. Alongside her dance career, Jessie is also an award-winning singer-songwriter and bandleader who has toured internationally and recorded multiple albums spanning jazz, blues, swing, and roots music. Her dual perspective as both musician and dancer gives her classes a particularly rich focus on phrasing, groove, and improvisation.
BENJAMÍN
ROSADO MITTE
Benjamín Rosado Mitte (1999) is a Madrid-based multidisciplinary musician whose artistry moves effortlessly between classical mastery and the electrifying spirit of swing & blues.A pianist of extraordinary sensitivity and brilliance, his playing feels almost otherworldly — virtuosic, fearless, and deeply alive. Whether at the piano, on double bass, or viola, Benjamín brings an intensity and imagination that marks him as one of the most distinctive young musicians of his generation.Trained in classical piano and viola, and with further studies in orchestral and choral conducting, his musical foundation is both rigorous and expansive. Yet it was in 2023, after discovering swing dancing at Big Mama Ballroom, that his artistic voice truly ignited. Immersing himself in the swing & blues world transformed not only his performance style, but his entire musical vision.Since then, he has become a regular presence at swing festivals in Madrid and throughout Spain, captivating audiences with performances that fuse the sophistication of classical music with the spontaneity and fire of jazz. In his improvisations, Bach-like fugues emerge unexpectedly between roaring swing choruses; Verdi-esque drama collides with playful rhythmic invention; every solo becomes a story unfolding in real time.Recently, he performed in Sweden with the Sentimental Gentleman Band at the Snowball Festival, further establishing himself as a magnetic force on the European swing scene.Among his current projects are Goodman Swingtet, Canal Street Jazz Band, and Ben Jammin’ Band — each reflecting a different facet of a musician whose creativity seems to have no limits.
MARIE-ANNE
STANDAERT
Marie-Anne Standaert is a Belgian trumpet player, vocalist, conductor and internationally active bandleader based in Ghent. Deeply rooted in swing, jazz, blues and social dance culture, she is best known within the European Lindy Hop scene as the leader of The Hop Sh Bam Connection and founder of the Ghent-based Luminous Big Band. Known for her energetic stage presence, expressive trumpet sound and close connection with dancers and audiences, Marie-Anne performs regularly at swing dance events across Europe. Beyond the swing world, she also explores blues and roots music with Velvet After Dark, her intimate project blending blues, soul and late-night grooves alongside Hammond organ player Elias Dhooge. We are happy to invite her as a guest soloist at BB on Sunday to play with Stef & Jessie and their amazing band for the weekend! For us Marie-Anne always combines groove and storytelling with a deep sense of authenticity on stage, so get ready to be blown away ;)
DJ's
More info coming soon :)