Nighthawks write-up in NYTimes

There's a nice write-up of Vince Giordano's Nighthawks on the New York Times website. Interesting details about the band, including the fact that evidently Vince has one of the largest private collections of jazz-age sheet music in the world: 60,000-some pieces!

Looking forward to catching these guys when we're in New York in a couple weeks.

Fizz setlist 11/09/2009

Here's my set list from the late shift at Fizz last Monday. Not much to say about it, since it was an unusually slow night. I tried to keep things varied, but it is difficult if you don't have a certain critical mass of people. Instead of "reading the crowd" it becomes "reading the faces of a few people, guessing what they'd like to hear next." See below for my picks. And here's a BPM sparkline and frequency distribution.

1. Four Or Five Times - Sy Oliver - Sy Oliver et son orchestre: 1949-1952 - 3:08 - 140
2. When You're Smiling - Benny Goodman - Small Group Recordings Vol. 3/2 - 2:37 - 156
3. Tears Of Joy - Janiva Magness Band - My Bad Luck Soul - 3:08 - 110
4. Daddy - Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers - Miss Smith To You! - 4:39 - 126
5. Deep River - Sy Oliver - Sy Oliver et son orchestre: 1949-1952 - 3:00 - 145
6. Stay Cool - Count Basie - Blues By Basie-One O'Clock Jump - 3:12 - 155
7. Snatch And Grab It - Julia Lee & Her Boy Friends - Kansas City's First Lady Of The Blues - 2:56 - 180
8. Shotgun Boogie - Paul Tillotson the Love Trio - Lindy Hop Blues - 2:55 - 165
9. When I Grow Too Old to Dream - Louis Armstrong - When the Saints Go Marchin' In - 3:58 - 150
10. Bye-Bye, Blackbird - Carmen McRae - The Diva Series - 3:27 - 136
11. Down south camp meeting - Svend Asmussen - Still Fiddling - 3:41 - 145
12. Flat Foot Floogee - Ray Bryant - Swing Dance Special - 2:42 - 160
13. Honeysuckle Rose - Django Reinhardt - The Swing Sessions Volume 1 - 2:49 - 180
14. Oh! Lady Be Good - Artie Shaw - Perfect Swing - 3:11 - 205
15. Betcha Nickel - Ella Fitzgerald - My Heart Belongs to Daddy - 2:51 - 160
16. Cole Slaw - Louis Jordan - Louis Jordan And His Tympani Five, Volume 1 - 2:44 - 135
17. Splanky - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Live at the Legion - 4:31 - 135
18. Summertime - Gordon Webster - Happy When I'm With You - 4:04 - 120
19. Massachusetts - Maxine Sullivan And Her Jazz All-Stars - Memories Of You - 3:16 - 145
20. El Salon De Gutbucket - Engelbert Wröbel's Swing Society - Sophisticated Swing - 5:16 - 140
21. Oh I'm Evil - Una Mae Carlisle - Una Mae Carlisle: 1938-1941 - 2:25 - 150
22. Jump Session - Slim Gaillard - 1938-1939 - 2:35 - 160
23. Ballin' The Jack - Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band - This Kid's The Greatest! - 3:15 - 145
24. I'm Alone Because I Love You - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Live @ D.B.A. - 3:29 - 150
25. Keepin' Out A Mishif Now - Carling Family - 20th Jubilee - 3:32 - 120
26. Ain't She Sweet - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 2:28 - 145
27. One O'Clock Jump - Count Basie - Swinging The Blues: 1930-1939 - 3:03 - 171
28. King Porter Stomp - Benny Goodman - Ken Burns Jazz - 3:11 - 180
29. Callin' Your Bluff - Mills Blue Rhythm Band - Mills Blue Rhythm Band: 1933-1936 - 3:00 - 190
30. Hotcha Razz-Ma-Tazz - Cab Calloway - The Early Years 1930-1934 - 3:15 - 205
31. Sassy's Blues - Sarah Vaughan - Sarah Vaughan's finest hour - 5:37 - 130

Setlist from First Free Church 11/7/2009

Last Saturday I split the DJing duties with my friend Chris, which was fun. Chris went ULHS in New Orleans, and while he was there he went on a buying spree, picking up albums from a bunch of local musicians. He brought me an album by the Palmetto Bug Stompers that I'm enjoying as I write this.

We went back and forth pretty casually--it ended up being about half-hour chunks. Chris was kind enough to send me his setlist, so see below for the complete setlist. However, this sparkline and frequency distribution only report the BPMs from my tracks, not all of them.

I kicked things off with:

1. My Baby's Sweet - Stompy Jones - The Swing Session - 3:08 - 155
2. You Talk a Little Trash - Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five - Crazy Rhythm - 3:55 - 170
3. Five Feet Two, Eyes Of Blue - Creole Jazz Band - Jazz Del Bueno Para Bailar - 2:57 - 180
4. Sent For You Yesterday And Here You Come Today - Benny Goodman - B.G. In Hi-Fi - 3:05 - 155
5. Papa's In Bed With His Britches On - Cab Calloway - Are You Hep To The Jive? - 2:32 - 167
6. Let's Misbehave - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - You Do Something To Me - 2:52 - 188
7. Georgia Swing - Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen - Trad Jazz Masters - 2:40 - 205
8. Ain't Misbehavin' - Kermit Ruffins - Putumayo Presents: Kermit Ruffins - 4:36 - 140
9. Cole Slaw - Louis Jordan - Louis Jordan And His Tympani Five, Volume 1 - 2:44 - 135
10. Rock A Beatin' Boogie - The Deep River Boys - London Harmony - 2:34 - 170

Then Chris added:

1. The Two Little Squirrels (Nuts to You) - Louis Jordan and his Tympani Five - Let the Good Times Roll: The Anthology 1938-1953
   
2. Down in New Orleans - Fritzel's New Orleans Jazz Band - Fritzel's New Orleans Jazz Band
3. Rhythm Itch - Jonathan Stout and His Campus Five - Moppin' and Boppin'
4. How Come You Do Me Like You Do - Palm Court Jazz All Stars - Palm Court Jazz All Stars, Vol. 4
5. Sent for You Yesterday - Count Basie - Jazz Archive Masterpieces, Vol. 8
6. Chant of the Groove - Fats Waller - Ain't Misbehavin'
7. Jump Session - Slim Gaillard - 1938-1939
8. Dunkin' a Doughnut - Andy Kirk - The 12 Clouds of Joy
9. Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho - Sidney Bechet - Petite Fleur
10. Sugar Foot Stomp - Franz Jackson and the Original Jass All Stars - No Saints
    

Then I took over with:

1. Bucket Got a Hole In It - Kid Ory - In the Forties - 2:30 - 144
2. Didn't He Ramble - Kermit Ruffins - Livin' A Tremé Life - 5:51 - 180
3. Flat Foot Floogie - Louis Armstrong, The Mills Brothers - Swinging With The Mills Brothers - 3:02 - 185
4. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby - Louis Jordan - Louis Jordan And His Tympani Five, Volume 1 - 2:45 - 135
5. What Goes Up Must Come Down - Kay Starr - The Best of The Standard Transcriptions - 2:35 - 140
6. Calloway Boogie - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - How Big Can You Get?: The Music of Cab Calloway - 4:02 - 175
7. When You're Smiling - The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn - Forty Days and Forty Nights - 3:51 - 215
8. He Ain't Got Rhythm - Jennie Löbel & Swing Kings - Hep Cat's Best Of Modern Swing - 2:52 - 178
9. Artillerie Lourde - Django Reinhardt - Django In Rome, 1949 / 1950 (Disc D) - 3:45 - 150
10. Lady Be Good - Svend Asmussen - Musical Miracle Vol. 1: 1935-40 - 2:56 - 180

Chris followed up with:

1. Lady Bug Picnic - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Live @ D.B.A.
2. Doin' the New Low Down - Palm Court Jazz All Stars - Palm Court Jazz All Stars, Vol. 4
3. Sing You Sinners - Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra - Big Ben, Disc. 1
4. Southside - Franz Jackson and the Original Jass All Stars - No Saints
5. Jeep Jockey Jump - Glenn Miller - 3049505
6. Shoo Fly Pie - Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five - Jammin' the Blues
7. Taking a Chance on Love - Palm Court Jazz All Stars - Palm Court Jazz All Stars, Vol. 4
8. A-Tisket A-Tasket - Ella Fitzgerald - Ken Burns' Jazz: Ella Fitzgerald
9. T'ain't What You Do - Jimmie Lunceford - Lunceford Special 1938-40
10. All Right Okay You Win - Count Basie - Count Basie at Newport
11. Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee - Lionel Hampton - Jukebox Hits 1943-1950
    

I finished out the night with:

1. Till Tom special - Charlie Christian - Six-appeal - 3:01 - 175
2. Oh I'm Evil (Walker) - Una Mae Carlisle - Una Mae Carlisle: 1938-1941 - 2:25 - 150
3. Twenty Four Robbers - Gordon Webster - Happy When I'm With You - 2:39 - 205
4. South - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Live at the Legion - 3:17 - 182
5. Something Got A Hold On Me - Carrie Smith - Gospel time - 3:09 - 137
6. Trickeration - Cab Calloway - The Early Years 1930-1934 - 2:57 - 260

Setlist from First Friday at Big City Swing

Last night we had two floors going at Big City. I kicked things off upstairs, and by "kicked things off" I mean "played music and danced with my wife until more people showed up." It took a while for people to trickle in from downstairs (which was packed). Though it never got very crowded upstairs, it was good dancing and nice company. Jason took over for me after a while. At 10:30 everybody marched back downstairs for the Graduation Dance, and then I took over the downstairs music. The rest of the night it was crowded and lively--a really fun vibe.

DJing upstairs (mostly for dancers I'm good friends with), I didn't think too hard about song selections. Since it was so informal, I pretty much just played my latest favorites and tried to keep the followers happy by dancing a bunch, getting very sweaty in the process. Once I got downstairs, I had to focus more, paying attention to the floor, transitions between songs, balance, all that good DJ stuff. More comments below in the setlist. Here's the BPM sparkline and frequency distribution. And here are my contributions to the evening's music:

1. I Never Knew - Benny Goodman - 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert Plus 1944-47 - 3:05 - 170
2. My First Impression of You - Chu Berry - Classic Chu Berry Columbia and Victor Sessions - 2:52 - 145
3. St. Louis Blues - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra - Benny Goodman - Very Best of Benny Goodman - 3:24 - 135
4. Mood Hollywood - Bunny Berigan - The Key Sessions 1932-1933 (Disc B) - 2:58 - 190
5. Clementine - Duke Ellington - The Blanton-Webster Band - 2:59 - 165 (More folks start to drift in...)
   
6. Sweet Sue - Svend Asmussen - Musical Miracle Vol. 1: 1935-40 - 2:55 - 185
7. Four Or Five Times - Sy Oliver - Sy Oliver et son orchestre: 1949-1952 - 3:08 - 140 (First of several tracks off this album that I played)
8. When I Grow Too Old To Dream - Benny Goodman - B.G. In Hi-Fi - 3:25 - 160
9. Rose Room - Artie Shaw - Artie Shaw, King Of The Clarinet - 2:43 - 155
10. Froggy Bottom - Andy Kirk & His Clouds of Joy - Kansas City: Swing, Blues, Jive & Boogie - 3:05 - 150
11. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans - Bill Coleman - Bill Coleman In Paris 1936-1938 - 3:17 - 175
12. Hey, Ba-Ba-Re-Bop - Lionel Hampton - Lionel Hampton Story 3: Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop - 3:21 - 140
13. Apollo Jump - Lucky Millinder - Classic Big Band Jazz - 3:26 - 145
14. Who Ya Hunchin'? - Chick Webb - Jazz After Hours - 2:55 - 175 (This incited a Tranky Doo.)
15. Duke's Place - Ella Fitzgerald & Duke Ellington - Compact Jazz - 4:14 - 160
16. Jive At Five - Count Basie - The Complete Decca Recordings - 2:51 - 175
17. Dippermouth Blues - Lu Watters' Yerba Buena Jazz Band - Vol. 3: Stomps, Etc...& The Blues - 2:50 - 185
18. Mary Had A Little Lamb - Teddy Wilson - Teddy Wilson, His Piano Orchestra With Billie Holiday - 2:58 - 205
19. My Bucket's Got A Hole In It - Papa Bues Viking Jazzband - Live In Copenhagen - 3:36 - 135
20. Easy Does It - Paul Tillotson the Love Trio - Lindy Hop Blues - 2:57 - 130
21. But She's My Buddy's Chick - Sy Oliver - Sy Oliver et son orchestre: 1949-1952 - 2:48 - 130
22. How Big Can You Get? - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - How Big Can You Get?: The Music of Cab Calloway - 4:05 - 160 (Yes, you read that correctly. It's Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Jason took over for me from here.)

Downstairs, after the Graduation Dance:

1. Oo Poppa Do - Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers - One Hour Mama - 3:13 - 160 (I really like how the next 6 songs worked out--starting with a jump-bluesy feel, transitioning to powerhouse big bands. )
2. My Bad Luck Soul - Janiva Magness Band - My Bad Luck Soul - 2:10 - 160 (Where did I hear about Janiva Magness? I can't remember--might just have stumbled across her while browsing eMusic. Regardless, she's awesome.)
3. Rock Me All Night Long - The Fabulous Treniers - The Hoss Allen Sessions - 2:41 - 155
4. Smack Dab In the Middle - Count Basie - Count Basie at Newport - 3:38 - 124
5. Jump Through The Window - Roy Eldridge - Little Jazz Giant - 2:44 - 145
6. Tain't What You Do - Sy Oliver - Sy Oliver et son orchestre: 1949-1952 - 3:07 - 155 (This is a brassy version of TWYD from 1950. Despite the different recording, people still shim-shammed. )
   
7. Miss Brown To You - Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers - Miss Smith To You! - 2:58 - 130

Jason took over for me at this point (about 11:15) and went until around 11:50.

1. Your Mind Is On Vacation - Lyambiko - Shades Of Delight - 3:31 - 120 (Hat-tip to Hey Mr. Jesse.)
2. Flat Foot Floogee - Ray Bryant - Swing Dance Special - 2:42 - 160
3. Ballin' The Jack - Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band - This Kid's The Greatest! - 3:15 - 145
4. I Love Being Here With You - Ernestine Anderson - Ernestine Anderson - The Concord Jazz Heritage Series - 3:39 - 130 (Last "official" song of the night. The next three are exit music.)
5. Got My Own Thing Now - Squirrel Nut Zippers - Hot - 2:30 - 260
6. Something's Changed - Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights - 2:56 - 100
7. Who's Making Love - Johnnie Taylor - Stax Gold - 2:50 - 115