We’re more than a string quartet and more than a jazz ensemble. We play all of this music – and so much more – with brilliance and gusto. A hundred fifty years ago there were so many small orchestras playing Europe’s popular symphonic music that you’d need a phone book-sized directory to catalogue them all. Even in the grand Vienna of Johann Strauss, the cost of mounting a concert or costume ball
with a full philharmonic orchestra was often prohibitive, and so “café” orchestras became an affordable, popular alternative. These were small enough to entertain in side-street clubs, yet played with such verve and professionalism they could hold forth in large pavilions teeming with dancers. The conductors of the best café orchestras knew how to arrange a Strauss waltz so that six or seven accomplished musicians could enthrall a crowd of listeners and simultaneously inspire dancers – staying all the while true to the original aesthetic of the larger-than-life compositions in their repertoires. These affordable ensembles made it possible for all strata of society to enjoy the music of Strauss, Josef Lanner, Emile Waldteufel and the other pop masters of their day. In the early 20th Century, the café orchestras of Europe evolved into larger dance orchestras, which ultimately led to the big bands of the 1930s and 1940s. Seattle’s Valse Café Orchestra coalesced in 1999 with a singular goal: to win the hearts of good dancers with post-modern renditions of dance hall classics. As the ensemble evolved and its popularity grew, it delved into realms of musical theater and performance art, and today performs in concert as well. Size of the ensemble varies from three to nine musicians, depending on the scope of performance and budget. The orchestra’s eclectic repertoire celebrates a romantic mélange of bygone eras and cultures: Paris in the thirties. Ragtime Manhattan. And dual genres of swing – the sophisticated urbane variety as well as a few Bob Wills barnburners. Disparate worlds indeed – all connected by the mesmerizing cadence of waltz and the exuberant syncopation of swing. As its name implies, the orchestra typically plays a preponderance of waltzes, but the group’s programs usually feature a mix of swing tunes, Foxtrots, one steps, polkas, two steps and tangos. With more than 400 arrangements in a repertoire that extends from about 1840 to 1950, the ensemble can usually create a program to suit any client’s vision. And every listener’s passion.
