Greater Brattleboro’s One and Only kicks off community dance party for Irene relief

The Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce’s One and Only Brattleboro campaign will present a community dance party they’re calling “Swingin’ at the Garden.” This all-dancing benefit kick-off to the Chamber’s Swing into Fall campaign will take place on Saturday, September 8, starting at 8 pm at The Robert H. Gibson River Garden, 153 Main Street, Brattleboro, and will feature the celebrated Keene Jazz Orchestra under the leadership of Scott Mullett and featuring local Brattleboro jazz players including our own Eugene Uman, artistic director of the Vermont Jazz Center. (http://www.vtjazz.org). 

Proceeds of the community dance party will be awarded to a special fund set up as a resource for those businesses in Downtown Brattleboro and in other more westerly locations, including Western Avenue, that are still reeling from the effects of Tropical Storm Irene. “Despite how well we’ve weathered the storm many of our businesses still have a long way to full recovery,” says Jerry Goldberg, Executive Director of the Brattleboro Area Chamber.  “We know there are a lot of you out there who understand that our community is only as strong and vibrant as the businesses that serve us and that bring visitors to us.  We must all pitch in to do what we can to fill the gap for those that were whacked last August. We are still putting these pieces together, so look for more on this in the weeks ahead,” stated Goldberg.   

The evening includes food and a cash bar.  Guests are invited to make a donation to the special Irene fund.    

This is the Chamber’s second attempt to put on this event. Everything was in place last year for the early September  “Free Community Dance Party” when, on August 28, Tropical Storm Irene came to call. The Chamber decided that its event would be too soon for too many – residents and businesses alike that were clearly in dire circumstance – and called it off.  Now, as we approach the one-year anniversary of Irene, it’s time to mark how well we’ve come through, celebrate the businesses that have worked so hard and acknowledge that there is still need to be filled. 


Sponsoring the evening are all those members who contributed to the Chamber’s 2012 One and Only Brattleboro promotional campaign. “Over 70 businesses and organizations expressed their generosity to support One and Only,” noted Goldberg creator of The One and Only Brattleboro and its Swing into Fall campaigns. “We are grateful to all and especially to key sponsors Entergy, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, Brattleboro Retreat, BDCC and the Thomas Thompson Trust -- all of whom went above and beyond to help us during a challenging year.  The Vermont Jazz Center has also been very supportive as we put the dance party together.”    

 The “Swingin’ at the Garden” community dance party is the linch-pin of a three-years young Swing into Fall campaign designed to build and maintain momentum from the summer tourist season through September into the exciting October leaf-peeping weeks, and all the way to the holiday shopping and vacationing season.  It will feature a wide range of events ‘starring’ makers of all kinds of music, visual and performance artists, craftspeople, theater performers, jazz masters, literary luminaries, circus artistes, lecturers on all sorts of topics, workshops and seminars.  It’s all in development right now, so look for more information as time goes by.”  http://www.brattleborochamber.org. Telephone: 802-254-4565.

Keene Jazz Orchestra

The Keene Jazz Orchestra was formed in April 2002 under the direction of Scott Mullett. The mission of the Orchestra is to offer a challenging setting in which local musicians of advanced abilities may study repertoire of big bands past and present. The Keene Jazz Orchestra is made up of local music teachers, students from the local schools, and other area adult musicians. The orchestra provides an outlet for local musicians to hone their jazz abilities and share them with the community. 

Scott Mullett, director of the Keene Jazz Orchestra, is a first-call tenor saxophonist in the greater Boston area. He has played and toured with many of the greatest big bands of our time including those of Artie Shaw and Woody Herman. Strongly influenced by his Keene High School band director, Bob Cummings, Scott went on to study jazz saxophone at Berklee College of Music, studying with many of the world’s best musicians. He has traveled all over the world playing saxophone, making his living in music as a saxophonist and teacher. After serving as Musical Director for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines in the 90’s, he returned to the Monadnock Region. He continues to play jazz and teach in the Boston area, as well as the Keene area.