by John Carden

photo by Jen FarielloOn Christmas Eve 2007 a miracle occurred. George Melvin, the house musician for Keswick Hall was scheduled to lead the hotel's guests in Christmas caroling. Mr. Melvin, a world class Hammond B3 jazz organist / pianist, had no worries of swinging the guests with his original grooves on well-known holiday tunes. It was the singing that gave him pause for the moment.

He scanned the great hall looking for an answer. Suddenly his eyes connected with a face that he knew, but could not quite place. Previously to that night, I had sung opera internationally to great acclaim. George summoned me to come over to the piano where he was playing.

"You sing don't you?" George asked, " I've seen your face in the paper."

" Well yes I do sing a little" I replied.

"Good," said George," You are going to lead these people in the singing tonight."

With that, George launched into a melody of swingin' holiday hits. As I sang, the room went silent. What was to be a holiday sing-along suddenly turned into our first concert together.  At the end of the evening George invited me to come and sing the following week with his band - and thus  'Greenwich Swing Time' was created in 2008.

Within that year the founding members, made up of George Melvin, Jim Howe , David Sanford, and myself played for many events, festivals , weddings etc, including the Charlottesville Pavillion where we played for an audience of several thousand. Collectively these musicians have worked nationally and internationally, gracing concert halls/clubs as diversified as Carnegie Hall to Blues Alley, Birdland, The Metropolitan Opera, Blue Note, The Apollo etc.

Through the years I have met and worked with many accomplished musicians, but at the end of the day,there is only one word to describe George Melvin, 'Love'  He is just that and when you put love out to people as George does it is no mystery why so many are drawn to him and his spirit of unconditional kindness.