Swing 440 Concert at 19 Carter, Carter Street, Berlin, MA, USA – Berlin, MA

Date: Saturday, June 27

Time: 7 – 9pm (Grounds will open at 6pm)

Genre: Gypsy Jazz

Tickets: $25 in advance; $30 at the door

$175 Summer Pass (for all eight concerts)

$5 for students (Use coupon code STUDENT at checkout)

FREE for kids!

Click here to see the full summer concert series lineup

Onsite vendor: IEMMALLO Wine

About the band:

Swing 440 brings the spirited tradition of Gypsy jazz to life, drawing inspiration from the legendary Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. Their vibrant sound—rooted in the swing era of the 1930’s and ’40s—is infused with a contemporary flair that’s sure to get toes tapping and audiences dancing.

Tomoko, a leader of the band, a graduate of Berklee College of Music in Jazz Composition, arranges traditional gypsy jazz tunes with some spices. A bit of an unusual combination of violin and clarinet blends beautifully and intricately. She also presents her original tunes in the style you almost think they have been around for decades.

They were nominated for Jazz Act of the Year by the 2025 New England Music Awards!

• Visit their website (Swing440.com)
• Follow them on Instagram and Facebook
• Listen to them on Spotify
• Check out their live performances at the Newton Jazz Festival, Kittery Dance Hall, and the Sanctuary in Maynard

Swing 440 has been actively performing in New England area since 2013. They appeared in numerous concert series and festivals including Newtonville Jazz Festival, Mandorla Music Summer Concert Series at Eustis Estate, 19 Carter Summer Concert Series, Cultural Center of Cape Cod, Brookline Village Fair, and Dot Jazz Series, as well as coffehouse performances at Homegrown Coffeehouse and New Revival Coffeehouse. They have released two albums, “Why Why” in 2017 and “Yo-ki Swing” in 2019.

About the members:

Tomoko Iwamoto, “jazzy” violinist in Boston MA, US, was born in Osaka, Japan. She has been in Boston jazz scene for more than 30 years. With a strong classical background, she expanded her repertoire in jazz, rock, pop to world music, toured with Hypnotic Clambake, while studying jazz composition and arranging at Berklee College of Music in Boston. During these years, being inspired by Turtle Island String Quartet, she formed a jazz string quartet, J-Way (formerly known as Underground String Quartet) for which she wrote many arrangements and original compositions, and performed in New England area.

Tomoko encountered Django Reihardt and Stephane Grappelli’s music 10 years ago. She was so much inspired by their music, she formed a band called “440” and started gigging! 440 have been at Newton Jazz Festival, Dot Jazz Series, and many other festivals and concert series. Their audience said “You were wonderful! The more we hear your music, the more addicted we become! thank you for yet another exciting, energetic and inspiring concert!”. In recent years, Tomoko is a guest artist with Women In World Jazz, and she performs with a legendary clarinetist, Billy Novick in swing trio “Jazz Tapestry”. She also collaborates with Jim Kweskin, the founder of the legendary 1960s Jim Kweskin Jug Band.

John Clark, on clarinet, is the founder of the Wolverine Jazz Band and has been a fixture on the New England Jazz scene for many years. He has played professionally in the Boston area with numerous traditional jazz and big bands, including the High Society Dance Orchestra, Dan Gabel’s Abeltones, Commonwealth Jazz, the New Black Eagle Jazz Band, and the Paramount Jazz Band of Boston. Clark also regularly appears with Dave Whitney and His Orchestra, the Swing Legacy, and the Mood Elevators, among others. John is an acknowledged authority on the history of jazz and has recorded extensively. He also holds a PhD. in Musicology and has published books and articles on the foundations of Early Jazz.

Jack Soref, Boston-based guitarist, became fascinated by the music of Django Reinhardt as a kid growing up in Madison, WI. That Fascination has taken him onto festival and concert stages, and venues all throughout the USA, Canada, Scotland, and France. Jack is a mainstay of Django Festivals Django in June, where he has taught since 2009, and the Midwest Gypsy Swing Fest, where he has performed as recently as 2023. The track “Dr. Soref” from Jack’s album of original compositions, Rain on the Terrace, has been featured on the compilation album Django Festival 14 released by legendary record label Hot Club Records. Jack is the 2023 recipient of the Henry Mac Fund award. Throughout his career Jack has performed as an accompanist for Jazz Manouche luminaries like Joscho Stephan, Tim Kliphius, Gonzalo Bergara, Jason Anick, Olli Soikkeli, Adrien Moignard, Ben Powell, Aurélien Bouly, Henry Acker, Samuel Farthing, Max O’Rourke and Titi Bamberger, and can be heard all around New England performing with those who love Django’s music.

Gregory Toro, on upright bass, was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. He fell in love with music and rhythm as a child, and at the age of ten joined a neighborhood steel band that played calypso and church music on weekends. He later took up guitar and piano, but found his true calling as a bass player when he was sixteen years old. Greg studied electric and upright bass and jazz composition at Berklee College of Music, where he had the opportunity to collaborate with musicians from many different countries and cultures. He has gone on to travel the world with jazz and rock groups, and continues to perform nightly in a wide variety of styles.