Beat the January blues with some dancehall boogie

After the excitement of the holidays January can feel like a let down. Spring is a long way off, the good movies came out in December, and the winter doldrums have settled in.

However, the Asheville Jazz Orchestra has an antidote on hand with its upbeat arrangements of danceable swing classics and sparkling original charts. Western North Carolina’s premiere big band makes its first appearance of 2016 at the White Horse Black Mountain on Friday, Jan. 8 in a concert guaranteed to make both ears and feet happy.

Founded in 2006, the AJO is composed of many musicians who have experience performing with latter-day incarnations of legendary big bands. The ensemble is directed by David Wilken, who also plays trombone with the group and writes original arrangements for the band.

Swing of things

Who: Asheville Jazz Orchestra

When: 8 p.m. Jan. 8

Where: White Horse Black Mountain

Cost: $15