In his top hat, full-length wool coat and ascot, Dandy Wellington sang a smooth toned jazz number with his band as partygoers skated at the Altaneve on Ice event. It’s surprising given today’s popular music that a young man would take such interest in an era that existed way before he was even a thought. Find out why below:
I’ve been performing all my life. Jazz has been a part of my whole life. My mom always played jazz growing up. Everything from Fats Waller to Duke Ellington and some earlier Billie Holiday. I’ve had [music] in my life a long time. I studied theater, did a lot of performances and then formed my band.
I love the tradition of [jazz music] in the black community. I’m from Harlem and I’m surrounded by that history all the time. So many of my idols are from the silver screen: Fred Astaire, the Nicholas Brothers, Sammy Davis Jr. and so many others. It was almost a no-brainer that this music would continue to be in my life.
On his “jazzy” sense of style …
I dress like this everyday. I’m really into men’s fashion. In the 1920s and 1930s when a man stepped out of his house, he was elegant. Even if he worked in a coal mine, he had a button down shirt. The attention to detail no longer happens. People throw on whatever and go to work. I take pride in myself, my work and my business. If you look good, you feel good. You have to dress for what you want and where you want to be. This music is a lifestyle and a tradition. The music is directly connected to the culture and the people.
