Swing Bands and Performers

Michael Arenella & His Dreamland Orchestra

Michael Arenella & His Dreamland Orchestra is an ensemble steeped in the hot-dance band tradition of the Roaring Twenties. Their size ranges from a full 11-piece orchestra to smaller incarnations. They play their “Hot-and-Sweet” music anywhere that fine and eclectic tastes meet.

The Dreamland Orchestra is authentic. Arenella transcribes by hand their entire repertoire from period recordings. Their delivery, as well as their instruments, attire, and equipment — are faithfully accurate. Arenella’s strong yet vulnerable baritone lacks pretense or sarcasm. He treasures each lyric, and has faith in the songs he sings. Even the most optimisic Tin Pan Alley tune has a disarming quality in his hands.

Though certainly anachronistic, the orchestra’s presence invokes the vibrations of something unmistakably timeless. While authentic to a “T”, Michael Arenella prefers not to be labelled a recreationalist. He takes an antiquated template and infuses it with the immediacy of the present. Spontanaeity is what gave the original music of the era its magic, and it is also the primary ingredient and imprimatur of the Dreamland Orchestra.

His men are dapper dandies; hair pomaded and shoes shined. They are based in New York, which with London were the halcyon capitals of decadence. All of this allows them to capture the essence of what this music and times were all about: joy, romance, modernity, and possibility.

Upcoming / Recent Appearances

01/07/2012 -- 8th Annual Black Tie Dance
01/08/2011 -- 7th Annual Black Tie Dance, Special Connection & Partnering Lesson
01/02/2010 -- 6th Annual New Years Black Tie Swing Dance
05/02/2009 -- Michael Arenella & His Dreamland Orchestra
12/06/2008 -- Michael Arenella & His Dreamland Orchestra