Friday, July 19, 2002

'Stomping at the Savoy' to benefit senior center

Fans of 1930s-1940s swing music can hear their favorites at a jazz concert fundraiser August 10 at the Harriett G. Darnell Senior Multipurpose Facility.

"Stomping at the Savoy," named after a big-band tune, will raise funds to purchase equipment for fitness programs at the Darnell Senior Facility, 677 Fairburn Road, NW, Atlanta.

The Bill Odum Band, a local jazz group dating back to the 1960s, will play the music of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Fletcher Henderson and others who appeared at the Savoy. Vocalists will perform the songs of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn and other stars.

The 8 p.m.-10 p.m. concert will recreate the excitement of swing-era nightspots like the Savoy, a popular Harlem, New York ballroom, complete with famous entertainer look-alikes, vintage cars parked outside, and a demonstration of the Lindy Hop and other spirited dances made famous there. Jazz sculptures on tables will be offered in a silent auction. Sponsors will attend a VIP reception 7 p.m.-8 p.m.

Tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased at the Darnell Senior Facility. Big band dance music symbolizes the vitality provided by the facility's fitness programs, which help seniors keep muscles, bones and circulatory systems active to avoid aging-related illnesses such as broken bones, heart attacks and strokes.

Nearly 150 mobile and special needs seniors are on the waiting list to use the fitness room.

The Friends of Darnell, Inc., a non-profit organization that raises money to supplement Fulton County's operation of the facility, is hosting the concert with the Fulton County Human Services Department's Office of Aging.

For more information, call the Darnell Senior Facility at 404-699-8580.