We are a group of musicians based in Calgary that come together to play and record original and trad There is more history in the Bio section.
The Western Swing Project This project is the musical expression of an over thirty five year friendship between Neil Bentley and Dave Hamilton and a mutual love of western swing music. Having both grown up in Calgary and travelled extensively as working musicians they were involved in many different styles of music and a huge variety of situations
where they developed their skills and acquired res
pect and admiration for superlative musicianship. Meeting, speaking and working with many of these great players,
composers, singers and producers gave them a thorough education and resulted in the nickname “The Band Doctors”. While warming up for rehearsals at Ian Tyson’s ranch in the early eighties Dave Hamilton, David Wilkie and Neil Bentley founded the Great Western Orchestra and
recorded an album of country shuffles, ballads, and western swing tunes featuring a selection of well known musical guests. That experience led to more involvement,
recognition and appreciation by the musical community in Canada and the US. Fast forward thirty years and the urge to form a western big band is alive and well. Opportunity knocked and with the help of some wonderful old friends and some
very capable new friends they got together almost every Monday night as a rehearsal band to play some challenging, fun music and hone the chops. Gigging was never the prime motivation but soon the curiosity from many who wondered what we were up to was enough to encourage the group to look for a venue. The prime venue turned out to be recording and the Stampede City Swing album was arranged, produced, played and recorded by members of the Western
Swing Project.
