Fizz setlist 1/3/2011

One piece of advice I give to newbie DJs is that they should be patient when introducing new music, because dancers (at least at local dances) are more conservative than one would expect when it comes to familiar music. They seem to like hearing a lot of familiar tunes, much moreso than your average DJ. So for the first Fizz of the new year, I knew I would be breaking my own rule when I resolved to play nothing but music I'd never before played at Fizz.

Going in, I was aware that the challenge would be not allowing myself to rely on any old standbys or guaranteed floor-fillers. I tried to mitigate the unfamiliarity by finding some songs that were different renditions of familiar tunes, and some songs that were quite familiar but that I had never played (e.g. Indigo Swing). Here are the results, plus the usual BPM sparkline and frequency distribution:

1. Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me - New Orleans Moonshiners - New Orleans Moonshiners - 5:21 - 215
2. Clementine - Marty Grosz And His Hot Combination - Hooray For Bix! - 4:03 - 164
3. You Can Have My Husband - Tuba Skinny - Six Feet Down - 3:48 - 140
4. Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho - Kid Ory - In the Forties - 2:58 - 155 (This tune has a vocal verse in it, making it sound much more like the old spiritual that it is than the more common Sidney Bechet version. I followed it up with another vocal with a spiritual feel.)
5. Something Got A Hold On Me - Carrie Smith - Gospel time - 3:09 - 137
6. I Want A Big Butter and Egg Man - Louis Armstrong - Satchmo Plays King Oliver - 3:41 - 155
7. Keep The Rhythm Going - Mills Blue Rhythm Band - Mills Blue Rhythm Band: 1933-1936 - 2:51 - 170
8. Walkin' And Swingin - Andy Kirk & His Clouds of Joy - Kansas City: Swing, Blues, Jive & Boogie - 2:56 - 180 (This was a dud.)
9. Let This Be A Warning To You, Baby - Bunny Berigan - Gangbusters - 3:06 - 135
10. Fascinating Rhythm - Benny Goodman - Benny Goodman et son orchestre: 1945 Vol.2 - 3:00 - 140 (This tune is really unusual because the melody consists of a 7-count phrase, repeated twice. The first time through it starts on 1, the second time it starts on 8. Not a tune for folks who are still working on finding the top of a phrase.)
11. Let Me Off Uptown - Delta Rhythm Boys - The Best Of 1940-50 - 2:54 - 160 (This was an even bigger dud. Time to switch gears...)
12. (Today's The Day) I'm Glad I'm Not Dead - Indigo Swing - All Aboard! - 4:03 - 120 (Memories of 2000 and my college swing club.)
13. One Monkey Don't Stop No Show - Big Maybelle - The Okeh Rhythm & Blues Story 1949-1957 - 2:50 - 125
14. Honeysuckle Rose - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 3:59 - 150
15. I Cried For You - Stephanie Nakasian - Billie Remembered: The Classic Songs Of Billie Holiday - 3:51 - 160
16. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans - Bill Coleman - Bill Coleman In Paris 1936-1938 - 3:17 - 175
17. Alright, Okay, You Win - John Dokes With The George Gee Swing Orchestra - John Dokes Sings, George Gee Swings - 2:56 - 140 (New version of a very familiar tune. The next two, I tried to stick to the hi-fi brassy big band sound.)
18. But She's My Buddy's Chick - Sy Oliver - Sy Oliver et son orchestre: 1949-1952 - 2:48 - 130
19. Two for the Blues - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Live at the Legion - 3:18 - 110
20. It's You're Last Chance To Dance - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - The Hurricane Sessions - 4:30 - 180
21. Sugar Foot Stomp - Randy Sandke - We Love You, Louis! - 3:04 - 194
22. Last Night On The Backporch - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Ol' New Orleans Home - 4:10 - 150
23. Savoy Blues - The Wolverines Jazz Band Of Bern - Wolverines Of Bern At 35 - 3:56 - 140 (Another alternate version of a familiar tune.)
24. Trouble In Mind - Davina & The Vagabonds - Songs From Thomas Ave. - 4:04 - 113 (This went over really well. Go Davina.)
25. It Takes Two To Tango - Lester Young - Lester Young : 1951-1952 - 3:14 - 100 (The one tune that I'd played before at Fizz.)
26. Dolemite - Erskine Hawkins - Bluebird-10812A - 3:33 - 130
27. Shout'Em, Aunt Tillie - Duke Ellington - That Lindy Hop - 3:03 - 150
28. A-Well-A-Take-Um-A-Joe - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 3:05 - 175
29. Roll 'Em - Andy Kirk & His Clouds of Joy - 22 Original Big Band Recordings - 2:55 - 210
30. Come And Get It - Fats Waller - Fats Waller 1941 - 2:42 - 190 (I should have skipped this.)
31. Holiday In Harlem - Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald: 1937-1938 - 3:11 - 165
32. Milkman's Matinee - Mora's Modern Swingtet - 20th Century Closet - 3:40 - 130
33. A Woman's Intuition - Stompy Jones - Stompy Jones - 3:17 - 140 (By request.)
34. Heebie Jeebies - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - The Hurricane Sessions - 1:55 - 180 (This is an unusual track because it is solo banjo and vocal. Probably most folks were waiting for the band to kick in the whole time.)
35. When I Get Low - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 5:27 - 105 (I thought this would work better than it did. I think my lead-in didn't set things up right.)
36. Bring It On Down - The Baby Soda Jazz Band - Cures Everything But The Blues - 2:34 - 175 (Birthday jam. Happy Birthday Audra!)