First Friday at Big City Swing 6/2/2012

Last night was another jam-packed First Friday at Big City--the house was packed with lots of very talented and enthusiastic dancers. Like last month, fellow DJ and co-blogger Bob and I spent the better part of the evening trading 3 or 4 songs back and forth. One of these times, we'll try to get a record of the entire back-and-forth, rather than just my half of it. I've marked the points where Bob took over, as best I can remember. Here's the usual BPM sparkline and histogram, and here's my tunes:

• Jump Session - Slim Gaillard - 1938-1939 - 2:35 - 160
• Short Dressed Gal - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - New Orleans Preservation, Vol. 1 - 2:38 - 160
• Let Me Give You All My Love - Stompy Jones - The Swing Session - 2:29 - 160
• All Night Long - The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn - Permanent Magic - 2:48 - 170
• Cherokee - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - The Fabulous Swing Collection - 3:21 - 180
• I Never Knew - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Give Me Your Telephone Number - 3:32 - 190
• Bei Mir Bist Du Schane - Janis Siegel - Swing Kids - 4:11 - 150
• Honeysuckle Rose - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 3:59 - 150
• Let The Good Times Roll - Linda Hopkins - Wild Women Blues - 3:26 - 140
• Blues In Hoss' Flat - Duke Ellington Orchestra & Count Basie Orchestra - Duke Ellington Meets Count Basie - 3:14 - 144
• Two O'Clock Jump - Harry James - Harry James and His Big Band - 2:19 - 150
  (Bob played a few)
• Bli Blip - Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra - Live In Swing City: Swingin' With Duke - 3:16 - 135
• Love Me or Leave Me - Banu Gibson - Let Yourself Go - 3:07 - 165
• All Of Me - Twin Cities Hot Club - Twin Cities Hot Club - 4:10 - 165
  (Bob played a few)
• T'aint No Use - Benny Goodman - Benny Goodman - 2:45 - 155
• It's You Who Taught It To Me - Fats Waller - The Unique Mr. Waller - 2:42 - 160
• Ballin' The Jack - Eddie Condon - We Called It Music - 2:18 - 180
  (Bob played a few)
• Bennie's Bugle - 4Beat6 - The band that plays the music of Benny Goodman - 3:01 - 195
• Jeep Jockey Jump - The Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra - Swingin' The Century - 2:51 - 209
• Honeysuckle Rose - Louis Armstrong - Satch Plays Fats - 2:56 - 170
  (Bob played a few)
• Mr. Gee - Tab Smith - Top 'n' Bottom - 2:49 - 115
• The Darktown Strutters' Ball - Alberta Hunter - Amtrak Blues - 5:23 - 150
• T'aint What You Do - Sy Oliver - Yes Indeed - 3:02 - 165
  (Bob played a few)
• 8, 9 And 10 - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 2:43 - 175
• Put A Lid On It - Davina & The Vagabonds - Live @ The Times - 3:13 - 170
• Rosetta - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Ol' New Orleans Home - 3:36 - 205
  (Bob played a few)
• When I Get Low - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 5:27 - 105
• Wailing Interval - Duke Ellington - The Private Collection: Volume Six, Dance Dates, California, - 3:39 - 160
• Jump For Joy (Alternate Take) - Duke Ellington - The Blanton-Webster Band - 2:56 - 190  (for Tom, though Mary seemed to like it too.)
• Main Stem - Duke Ellington - The Blanton-Webster Band - 2:48 - 206 (This quickly turned into a jam...)
• Everybody Loves My Baby (cut) - Fritzel's New Orleans Jazz Band - Vol. 2 - 2:43 - 220  (...which continued...)
• Big Apple Contest - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Swingmatism - 2:57 - 210 (...right into the Big Apple, by request. After which, Bob played a few.) 
  
• One Monkey Don't Stop No Show - Big Maybelle - The Okeh Rhythm & Blues Story 1949-1957 - 2:50 - 125
• Shake That Thing - Willie Mabon - The Comeback - 3:33 - 120
• Baby Won't You Please Come Home - The Smoking Time Jazz Club - Quarter Note Vol. 1 - 4:08 - 110

Black Rock 5/22/2012

Last night I had the chance to DJ at the Black Rock Tavern, which has a regular Tuesday night swing dance. It was a nice change of pace for me for a couple of reasons. I don't often get to spin 3 full hours in a row, which forced me to pace myself, be a bit more deliberative than I usually am, and think about the overall flow of the evening. Change of pace also in the quite literal sense that the crowd there includes a lot of balboa dancers (who'd just had weekend workshops with some out of town instructors), so I played more 180+  BPM stuff than I would at Fizz or Big City. Finally, Black Rock has a very nice selection of beers on tap, and they are CHEAP! Three Floyd's Robert the Bruce for $3.50 makes for one happy DJ.

Here's the BPM sparkline and histogram, and here's the run-down:

1. Clementine - Duke Ellington - The Blanton-Webster Band - 2:59 - 165 (Starting off with mid-tempo big band)
2. Gotta Be This Or That - Benny Goodman - Benny Goodman '45 & '47 - 3:10 - 140
3. Sent For You Yesterday And Here You Come Today - Count Basie - Ken Burns Jazz - 2:59 - 160
4. Froggy Bottom - Andy Kirk & His Clouds of Joy - Kansas City: Swing, Blues, Jive & Boogie - 3:05 - 150
5. Nice Work If You Can Get It - Billie Holiday - Lady Day: The Master Takes And Singles - 3:10 - 160
6. Life Begins When You're In Love - Billie Holiday - Lady Day: The Master Takes And Singles - 3:02 - 180  (Yes two in a row from Billie. Who would possibly complain?)
7. A Viper's Moan - Willie Bryant And His Orchestra - 1935-1936 - 3:25 - 150
8. Walk 'Em - Buddy Johnson - Jukebox Hits 1940-1951 - 2:53 - 125
9. Money's Getting Cheaper - Jimmy Witherspoon - Jimmy Witherspoon - 2:59 - 135 (Thinking that I'd shift into more of a jump blues feel...)
10. They Raided The Joint - Roy Eldridge Sextet - Little Jazz Giant - 3:18 - 145
11. Humpty Dumpty - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 2:31 - 155 (but then got side-tracked by nursery rhyme songs.)
12. A-Tisket, A-Tasket - Ella Fitzgerald - Rhythm And Romance - 2:38 - 155
13. Four Or Five Times - Lionel Hampton - All Star Sessions, Volume 2: Hot Mallets - 2:50 - 180  (Time for small-group swing)
14. Whoa Babe - Django Reinhardt - The Swing Sessions Volume 1 - 2:43 - 200
15. Honeysuckle Rose - Louis Armstrong - Satch Plays Fats - 2:56 - 170
16. Sweet Potato Fries - Gordon Webster - Live In Rochester - 4:26 - 145
17. Yacht Club Swing - Echoes of Swing - Harlem Joys - 3:19 - 160
18. Moppin' And Boppin' - Fats Waller - 100 Swing & Big Band Classics - 4:27 - 170
19. The Dipsy Doodle - Chick Webb - Stomping At The Savoy - 3:15 - 184
20. Tickle Toe - Kansas City All-Stars - KC After Dark - 3:10 - 195
21. Undecided - Ella Fitzgerald - Live At The Savoy - 1939-40 - 3:06 - 210
22. Buzz-Buzz-Buzz - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 2:27 - 160
23. Cherokee - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - The Fabulous Swing Collection - 3:21 - 180
24. Fiddle Diddle - Lionel Hampton - All Star Sessions, Volume 1: Open House - 3:27 - 140
25. Tain't What You Do - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 3:06 - 160
26. Onion - Louis Jordan - Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five, 1938-1940, Volume 1 (Disc - 2:55 - 170 (transitioning into New Testament jazz.)
27. Bli Blip - Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra - Live In Swing City: Swingin' With Duke - 3:16 - 135
28. Don't Get Around Much Anymore - Cootie Williams - Do Nothing 'Till You Hear From Me - 3:43 - 120
29. Corner Pocket - Count Basie - April In Paris - 5:07 - 140
30. Yes Indeed - Slam Stewart - Slamboree - 3:35 - 150
31. He Beeped When He Should Have Bopped - Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers - Everybody's Talkin' 'Bout Miss Thing! - 3:32 - 170
32. Minor Swing - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Give Me Your Telephone Number - 3:41 - 195 (A few more to satisfy the balboa crowd.)
33. Smoke House Rhythm - Benny Goodman - VICTOR 26107 - 2:53 - 205
34. Number Two - The Hot Club Of San Francisco - Yerba Buena Bounce - 3:42 - 180
35. Artillerie Lourde - Twin Cities Hot Club - Twin Cities Hot Club - 5:28 - 140 (Time for "modern" music.)
36. She Keeps It Up All The Time - Duke Heitger - Duke Heitger's "Krazy Kapers" - 3:11 - 110
37. You Can Have My Husband - Tuba Skinny - Six Feet Down - 3:48 - 140
38. Bring It On Down - The Baby Soda Jazz Band - Cures Everything But The Blues - 2:34 - 175
39. When I Grow Too Old To Dream - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Live @ D.B.A. - 2:55 - 190
40. Georgia Grind - Lillian Boutté - Music Is My Life - 3:32 - 145
41. Ten 'Til Five - Glenn Crytzer And His Sycopators - Harlem Mad - 2:49 - 135
42. Shake That Thing - Wynonie Harris - Risque Blues - It Ain't the Meat - 2:26 - 135
43. Ochi Chornya - Wingy Manone - Wingy Manone: 1940-1944 - 2:54 - 165
44. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby - Louis Jordan - Louis Jordan And His Tympani Five, Volume 1 - 2:45 - 135
45. Sales Tax - Leigh Barker & The New Sheiks - The Sales Tax - 3:42 - 130
46. Someday Sweetheart - David Ostwald's Gully Low Jazz Band - Blues In Our Heart - 4:52 - 110
47. Fibre de verre - Paris Combo - Attraction - 3:39 - 135
48. Junk Man - Midnight Serenaders - Hot Lovin' - 4:39 - 110
49. Down south camp meeting - Svend Asmussen - Still Fiddling - 3:41 - 145
50. Pousse-Café - Al Casey - Jumpin' With Al - 3:51 - 165
51. Exactly Like You - Casey Driscoll - Le Mer - 4:16 - 185
52. Five Foot Two - Gordon Webster - Live In Rochester - 4:04 - 210
53. Ain't Misbehavin' - Fats Waller - The Very Best of Fats Waller - 3:59 - 100

Fizz 5/21/2012

Fun times at Fizz last night. It was pretty empty until right about 9:35 p.m., when all of a sudden a huge mob of people showed up, keeping the dance floor basically full for the rest of the night. My set wasn't the biggest stretch, most interesting, inspiring, flowing, acutely attuned to the floor 2 hours I've ever played. I pretty much alternated between new music by newer bands and old music by old big bands, with not much in between. But it kept people dancing. I limited myself to just two tracks off Gordon Webster's new album, even though I'm pretty sure that few would have complained if I'd played the whole thing start to finish. (It's fantastic. Go Buy It Now.) Here's my BPM sparkline, BPM histogram, and track listing:

1. Call The Police - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Ol' New Orleans Home - 4:43 - 200
2. Boot-Ta-La-Za - Slim Gaillard - 1938-46 - 3:25 - 214
3. Four Or Five Times - Engelbert Wrobel, Chris Hopkins, Dan Barrett - Harlem 2000 - 7:44 - 140
4. The Beaver Bump - Glenn Crytzer And His Sycopators - Harlem Mad - 3:35 - 150
5. Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - An Album To Benefit Preservation Hall & The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program - 2:41 - 130
6. Soft Winds - 4Beat6 - The band that plays the music of Benny Goodman - 2:46 - 165
7. Free Eats - Count Basie And His Orchestra - 1946-1947 - 2:56 - 155
8. Sweet Georgia Brown - Benny Goodman - Very Best of Benny Goodman - 3:07 - 175
9. Le Jazz Hot - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 2:44 - 140
10. You’ve Got To See Mama Ev’ry Night - Kay Starr - The Best of The Standard Transcriptions - 1:57 - 127
11. Jump Through The Window - Roy Eldridge - Little Jazz Giant - 2:44 - 145
12. Everybody Eats When They Come To My House - Cab Calloway - Are You Hep To The Jive? - 2:46 - 155
13. Strictly Jive - Chick Webb - Stomping At The Savoy (Disc 3) - 3:19 - 170
14. Peckin' - Duke Ellington - The Duke's Men: The Small Groups, Vol. 1 - 3:09 - 160
15. It's A Sin To Tell A Lie - Billie Holiday - Lady Day: The Master Takes And Singles - 3:04 - 150
16. Jive At Five - Count Basie - Swinging The Blues: 1930-1939 - 2:46 - 172
17. Lumby - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - Essential, Vol. 2 - 2:31 - 195
18. Night Train - Gordon Webster - Live In Rochester - 3:59 - 140
19. Knock Me a Kiss - Davina & The Vagabonds - Live @ the Times - 3:25 - 120
20. Cole Slaw - Louis Jordan - Louis Jordan And His Tympani Five, Volume 1 - 2:44 - 135
21. Shake That Thing - Kid Ory - The Ultimate Jazz Archive 9: Kid Ory, Vol. 1 - 3:31 - 148
22. South - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Live at the Legion - 3:17 - 180
23. The Heebie Jeebies Are Rockin' The Town - Lionel Hampton - All Star Sessions, Volume 2: Hot Mallets - 2:46 - 135
24. Dark Eyes - Fats Waller - Happy Birthday Fats Vol. 1 - 3:22 - 160
25. You Can Have My Husband - Tuba Skinny - Six Feet Down - 3:48 - 140
26. Lazy Lazy River - Leigh Barker & The New Sheiks - The Sales Tax - 5:09 - 120
27. Satchel Mouth Baby - Catherine Russell - Strictly Romancin' - 3:19 - 130
28. Somebody Loves Me - Stuff Smith - Cat On A Hot Fiddle - 3:42 - 150
29. I Like Pie - Gordon Webster - Live In Rochester - 5:37 - 160
30. Stompin' At The Savoy - George Gee - Swingin' Away - 4:00 - 170
31. For Dancers Only - Duke Ellington - Recollections Of The Big Band Era - 3:04 - 145
32. Flying Home - Lionel Hampton - Lionel Hampton Story 2: Flying Home - 3:10 - 195

Band breaks at Friday Night of ALHC

This past weekend I covered the band breaks of the Friday evening dance at the American Lindy Hop Championships (the event's first time in Chicago).  Note in particular the song from Leigh Barker & the New Sheiks--somebody asked about it after I played it--it comes on the recommendation of dogpossum. The sets ended up only being a few songs in all, but here they are:

• Queer Street ['45] - Count Basie - America's #1 Band - 3:05 - 170
• The Back Room Romp - Duke Ellington - The Duke's Men: The Small Groups, Vol. 1 - 2:49 - 150
• Oh I'm Evil - Una Mae Carlisle - Una Mae Carlisle: 1938-1941 - 2:25 - 150
• I'm Coming Virginia - Benny Goodman - The Yale University Archives, Volume 3 - 2:09 - 170
• Chant Of The Groove - Fats Waller - Fats Waller 1941 - 3:05 - 185
• Lazy Lazy River - Leigh Barker & The New Sheiks - The Sales Tax - 5:09 - 120
• All Of Me - Twin Cities Hot Club - Twin Cities Hot Club - 4:10 - 165
• 'Tain't What You Do - Sy Oliver - Sy Oliver et son orchestre: 1949-1952 - 3:07 - 155
• Five Foot Two - Gordon Webster - Live In Rochester - 4:04 - 210
• Shake That Thing - The Smoking Time Jazz Club - Quarter Note Vol. 1 - 4:25 - 125

First Friday at Big City Swing, 5/4/2012

Still playing catch-up. This set was also off my iPod, also mostly a back-and-forth between me and my co-blogger Bob. Here's the BPM sparkline and histogram (whoa, check out the long tail!), and here's the track listing:

1. Everybody Loves My Baby - Sippie Wallace - Sippie - 3:11 - 145
2. My Blue Heaven - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Songs of New Orleans - 5:21 - 150
3. How Big Can You Get? - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - How Big Can You Get?: The Music of Cab Calloway - 4:05 - 160
4. Savoy Blues - Duke Heitger - Duke Heitger's "Krazy Kapers" - 4:11 - 200
5. All I Know - The Countdown Quartet - Sadlack's Stomp - 2:56 - 125
6. 8, 9 And 10 - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 2:43 - 175
7. Free Eats - Count Basie And His Orchestra - 1946-1947 - 2:56 - 155
8. Somebody Stole My Gal - Benny Goodman - B.G. In Hi-Fi - 3:26 - 172
9. Swingin' On Nothin' - Midnight Serenaders - Hot Lovin' - 3:50 - 200
10. Satchel Mouth Baby - Catherine Russell - Strictly Romancin' - 3:19 - 130
11. Lavender Coffin - Lionel Hampton - Lionel Hampton Story 4: Midnight Sun - 2:47 - 135
12. Blues In Hoss' Flat - George Gee - Swingin - 5:15 - 148
13. Mack The Knife - Ella Fitzgerald - Mack The Knife: The Complete Ella In Berlin (Live) - 4:39 - 140
14. Killin' Jive - Cats & The Fiddle - We Cats Will Swing For You - 2:50 - 180
15. All The Cats Join In - Benny Goodman - Benny Goodman - 4:23 - 178
16. Take The A Train - Delta Rhythm Boys - The Best Of 1940-50 - 3:06 - 150
17. All Of Me - Sidney Bechet - The Fabulous Sidney Bechet - 4:08 - 110
18. I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate - Clarence Williams - Quadromania - 2:39 - 215
19. Six-appeal - Charlie Christian - Six-appeal - 3:20 - 145
20. Sunday In New York - Bobby Darin - Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 5: Wild Cool & Swingin - 2:31 - 145
21. Tain't What You Do - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 3:06 - 160
22. Four Or Five Times - Jimmy Noone - Jimmy Noone - 3:08 - 160
23. Fiddle Dee Dee - Lionel Hampton - Lionel Hampton Story 1: Hot Mallets - 2:39 - 195
24. Everybody Loves My Baby (cut) - Fritzel's New Orleans Jazz Band - Vol. 2 - 2:43 - 220
25. Just A Closer Walk With Thee - The Smoking Time Jazz Club - Quarter Note Vol. 1 - 6:06 - 75
26. Milenberg Joys - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 3:45 - 190
27. Swingin’ The Blues - Count Basie - The Complete Decca Recordings - 2:47 - 225
28. On Revival Day - Lavern Baker - tLaVern Sings Bessie Smith - 3:16 - 143
29. Blue Drag - Allen Toussaint - The Bright Mississippi - 4:21 - 110

Fizz 4/30/2012

I'm way behind posting setlists, so I'll be short and sweet. This set from two weeks ago was entirely off my iPod, because my laptop was out of commission due to spilled tea--call it death by Darjeeling. For a large part of this set, I was trading 3's with my friend John (thanks John!). That made it way easier to spin from an iPod, since I didn't have to set up a bunch of songs in a row. I'll post the usual BPM sparkline and histogram, even though the sparkline won't make much sense because my tracks weren't all consecutive.

• Joshua - Ben Webster - Big Ben 3: 52nd Street - 3:03 - 170
• Pousse-Café - Al Casey - Jumpin' With Al - 3:51 - 165
• Blue Minor - Chick Webb - Stomping At The Savoy - 2:50 - 180
• Reefer Man - Don Redman - Doin' the New Low Down - 3:33 - 220
• I found a million dollar baby - Benny Goodman - COLUMBIA 36136 - 2:57 - 200
• Parc On Summit - Glenn Crytzer And His Sycopators - Harlem Mad - 3:11 - 180
• Hey Sweet Potato - Buddy Johnson - The Best of Buddy's - 2:43 - 130
• Shipyard Ramble - Erskine Hawkins - Riff Time (The Essence Of Swing) - 3:31 - 190
• A Viper's Moan - Mora's Modern Rhythmists - Call Of The Freaks - 3:30 - 140
• Twenty-Four Robbers - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 3:11 - 140
• Small Fry - Casey MacGill's Blue 4 Trio - Barrelhouse - 3:39 - 95
• You’ve Been A Good Ole Wagon - Ann Savoy & Her Sleepless Knights - Black Coffee - 2:45 - 115
• All the Cats Join in - Catherine Russell - Inside This Heart of Mine - 3:38 - 115
• All I Know - The Countdown Quartet - Sadlack's Stomp - 2:56 - 125
• Jump Session - Slim Gaillard - 1938-1939 - 2:35 - 160
• Yacht Club Swing - Echoes of Swing - Harlem Joys - 3:19 - 160
• How Come You Do Me? - Eddie Condon - We Called It Music - 2:51 - 110
• Knock Me a Kiss - Davina & The Vagabonds - Live @ the Times - 3:25 - 120
• My Blue Heaven - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Songs of New Orleans - 5:21 - 150
• Milenberg Joys - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 3:45 - 190
• Shake That Thing - The Smoking Time Jazz Club - Quarter Note Vol. 1 - 4:25 - 125
• Whatcha Gonna Do When There Ain't No Swing? - Catherine Russell - Strictly Romancin' - 3:26 - 120
• Let Me Off Uptown - Roy Eldridge - Little Jazz - 3:24 - 130
• Southern sunset - Swing Parade South - Hommage a Sidney Bechet - 3:32 - 105
• We've Got The Blues - The Spirits Of Rhythm - Spirits of Rhythm 1932-1941 - 3:16 - 110
• 'Tain't What You Do - Sy Oliver - Sy Oliver et son orchestre: 1949-1952 - 3:07 - 155
• Minor Swing - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Give Me Your Telephone Number - 3:41 - 195
• Mr. Rhythm - Glenn Crytzer And His Sycopators - Harlem Mad - 4:08 - 130
• Chant Of The Groove - Fats Waller - Fats Waller 1941 - 3:05 - 185
• Undecided - Ella Fitzgerald - Live At The Savoy - 1939-40 - 3:06 - 210
• Fat and Greasy - Fats Waller - Ain't Misbehavin - 3:09 - 160
• The Heebie Jeebies Are Rockin' The Town - Lionel Hampton - All Star Sessions, Volume 2 - 2:46 - 135
• Junk Man - Midnight Serenaders - Hot Lovin' - 4:39 - 110

Riverwalk Jazz Radio Program

For those of you who have read this blog for little time, you may recall a post where I wrote into James telling him about a cool Jazz story I heard and promoting a show called Riverwalk Jazz with the Jim Cullum Jazz band. If not, see "Story about Lionel Hampton".

Unfortunately, I don't find the time to listen every week when it's on a local radio station (similar to as to how often I am finding time to regularly write on this blog). However, I felt compelled to post an official blog about 3 hours of my favorite local radio programming.

For local Chicago listeners, tune into 90.9 WDCB out of the College of Dupage from 10am-1pm every Saturday to listen to "Riverwalk Jazz" (10am-11) and "The Swing Shift" (11am-1pm). For listeners outside of Chicago, feel free to search on a Public Radio app on your phone or stream live at www.wdcb.org. Don't worry, if you miss the live broadcast (like me every week), you can still stream "Riverwalk Jazz" at their website www.riverwalkjazz.org. "Riverwalk" is on radio stations across the nation as well!

"The Swing Shift" has done artist portraits of big bands and other jazz artists - my most memorable and enjoyable program was called something like "The big debate: Hot Lips Page or Louis Armstrong?" where they played earlier, less known recordings that even a distinct Pops or Hot Lips trained ear would struggle figuring out who it was. I have requested a copy or for them to re-air this episode, but unfortunately, neither have happened yet. 

"Riverwalk" is by far, my favorite of the two programs and if you get hooked too, be aware that the audio episodes are only available online for 4 weeks after the live stream. After that, you can still read their "JazzNotes Archives" at http://www.riverwalkjazz.org/jazznotes-archive/ where you can get a short preview of what the show was about.

"Riverwalk" tells stories about jazz artist's lives, plays old interview clips and recordings if they have them available, and Jim Cullum's Jazz band performs many songs throughout the broadcast. Still not convinced? On their recent show "Dick Hyman: A Man for all Seasons," they played an original recording (in this case live radio broadcast) that faded into a modern live recording Jim Cullum's band did for the show - this is a typical of almost every show

As Louis Armstrong said, "Jazz is played from the heart. You can even live by it. Always love it."

So check it out!

p.s. There's only one week to listen to "Empress of the Blues: The Life and Music of Bessie Smith" (April 2012). This is a fantastic episode for all Jazz and Blues enthusiasts. There a story about Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong back in the 1920s. There's even a shout out from my favorite jazz artist, Sidney Bechet! I already purchased a CD recording of the tracks performed on that show by The Jim Cullum Jazz Band featuring Topsy Chapman. Look at the track list HERE. Great covers of "On Revival Day," "Gimme a Pigfoot," "West End Blues," my personal favorite from the show: "St. Louis Gal," and much more.

Fizz 3/19/2012

I was a bit swamped this week, so it's taken me until now to post my setlist from last Monday at Fizz. Still pretty busy, so I'll post without comment (but with the BPM sparkline and histogram). Here's what I played:

1. Swing It, Sister - The Mills Brothers - The Mills Brothers: Chronological Vol. 2 - 2:38 - 205
2. Ain't Misbehavin' - Fats Waller - The Very Best of Fats Waller - 3:59 - 100
3. Page Mr. Trumpet - Pete Johnson - NSC111 NATIONAL - 2:52 - 165
4. Rose Room - Crytzer's Blue Rhythm Band - Chasin' the Blues - 2:49 - 160
5. Come On Over To My House - Jay McShann - Jumpin' The Blues - 2:52 - 145
6. Gettin' In The Groove - Al Cooper's Savoy Sultans - 1938-1941 - 2:58 - 140
7. Shake That Thing - Wynonie Harris - Risque Blues - It Ain't the Meat - 2:17 - 135
8. Savoy Blues - The Wolverines Jazz Band Of Bern - Wolverines Of Bern At 35 - 3:56 - 140
9. Louisiana - Barney Kessel - To Swing Or Not To Swing - 3:56 - 140
10. Sad Sap Sucker Am I - Fats Waller - The Unique Mr. Waller - 3:06 - 140
11. Fat and Greasy - Fats Waller - Ain't Misbehavin - 3:09 - 160
12. Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen - Benny Goodman - The Very Best of Benny Goodman - 3:26 - 170
13. Madame Dynamite - Eddie Condon - Let's Swing It - 2:55 - 185
14. Tutti Frutti - Slim Gaillard - 1938-46 - 2:38 - 170
15. Swingin' On Nothin' - Midnight Serenaders - Hot Lovin' - 3:50 - 200
16. Miss Brown To You - Stephanie Nakasian - Billie Remembered: The Classic Songs Of Billie Holiday - 3:15 - 145
17. Somebody Loves Me - Stuff Smith - Cat On A Hot Fiddle - 3:42 - 150
18. On The Sunny Side of the Street - Benny Goodman - The Yale University Archives, Volume 3: Big Band In Europe - 3:11 - 135
19. Duke's Place - Ella Fitzgerald - Something To Live For - 4:13 - 140
20. Exactly Like You - Casey Driscoll - Le Mer - 4:16 - 185
21. Good Queen Bess - Johnny Hodges & His Orchestra - Passion Flower 1940-46 - 2:59 - 160
22. Nona - Erskine Hawkins - Vintage Dance Orchestras No. 277 - 2:44 - 145
23. Tain't What You Do - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 3:06 - 160
24. Everybody Loves My Baby - Catherine Russell - Strictly Romancin' - 3:22 - 200
25. The Dipsey Doodle - Mora's Modern Rhythmists - Call Of The Freaks - 2:58 - 180
26. Junk Man - Midnight Serenaders - Hot Lovin' - 4:39 - 110
27. Downright Disgusted Blues - Chu Berry - Classic Chu Berry Columbia and Victor Sessions - 2:31 - 125
28. I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me - Sidney Bechet - Jazz in Paris: Sydney Bechet et Claude Luter - 2:40 - 145
29. Le Jazz Hot - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 2:44 - 140
30. My Daddy Rocks Me - Benny Goodman - 1945 Vol.2 - 2:48 - 100
31. Peckin' - Duke Ellington - The Duke's Men: The Small Groups, Vol. 1 - 3:09 - 160
32. My Bucket's Got A Hole In It - Papa Bues Viking Jazzband - Live In Copenhagen - 3:36 - 135
33. Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 5:16 - 150

First Friday at Big City Swing 3/2/2012

Friday night was one of the crazier First Fridays in recent memory. Perhaps it was the busload of eager high-schoolers who showed up for the lesson, maybe also the group of college students who'd driven several hours to come to the dance. Maybe the camera crew from ABC, filming a segment on swing dancing for 190 North. Or the OTHER camera crew, in from Korea to film a documentary about American jazz culture (or something like that).

Anyways, add it all up and it was pretty nutso. Despite my best efforts to drive people away (cf #22 below), the floor stayed pretty jammed all night, with the exception of the "jam" that we staged for the benefit of the cameras. (They wanted to capture the natives in their natural habitat.) I ended up playing mostly modern bands, with just a few classic swing tracks--the crowd seemed pretty new, and seemed to respond best to the brighter and crisper sounds of modern recordings. In retrospect, I wish I hadn't skewed so heavily toward new stuff. Here's the usual BPM sparkline and histogram, and here's my setlist:

1. Route 66 - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 4:24 - 150
2. All Of Me - Della Reese - Cocktail Classics - 2:01 - 160
3. Slow Boat to China - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - The Mood I'm In - 3:37 - 160
4. Mood Hollywood - Don Neely's Royal Society Jazz Orchestra - Radio Rhythm - 3:31 - 170
5. Choo Choo Ch' Boogie - Louis Jordan - Jukebox Hits Volume 1 1942-1947 - 2:45 - 165
6. Sing Me a Swing Song (And Let Me Dance) - Benny Goodman - The Birth of Swing - 2:23 - 177
7. My Blue Heaven - The Cangelosi Cards - Clinton Street Recordings, I - 4:11 - 145
8. Jersey Bounce - Bernard Berkhout - Doctor Bernard and His Swing Orchestra - 3:27 - 135
9. Rose Room - Crytzer's Blue Rhythm Band - Chasin' the Blues - 2:49 - 160
10. I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling - Louis Armstrong - Satch Plays Fats - 3:13 - 160
11. 8, 9 And 10 - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 2:43 - 175
12. Blue Drag - The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn - Permanent Magic - 3:40 - 190
13. Rosetta - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Ol' New Orleans Home - 3:36 - 205 (I love how lazy this track is, despite the tempo.)
14. A Woman's Intuition - Stompy Jones - Stompy Jones - 3:17 - 140
15. All Right, Okay, You Win - Joe Williams - The Definitive Joe Williams - 3:05 - 130 
16. Twenty-Four Robbers - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 3:10 - 140
17. Six-appeal - Charlie Christian - Six-appeal - 3:20 - 145
18. All I Know - The Countdown Quartet - Sadlack's Stomp - 2:56 - 125
19. Last Night On The Backporch - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Ol' New Orleans Home - 4:10 - 150
20. Put A Lid On It - Davina & The Vagabonds - Live @ The Times - 3:13 - 170
21. Satchel Mouth Baby - Catherine Russell - Strictly Romancin' - 3:19 - 130 (Off her new album, which is FULL of great stuff)
22. Prince Nez - Squirrel Nut Zippers - Hot - 2:53 - 180 (This song doubles in tempo midway through, topping out at about 350 bpm)
23. Lindyhopper's Delight - Chick Webb - Strictly Jive - 2:45 - 195 (Jam circle)
24. I Can't Dance I Got Ants In My Pants - The Smoking Time Jazz Club - Quarter Note Vol. 1 - 4:13 - 210 (Jam circle continued)
25. Tain't What You Do - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 3:06 - 160 (right in to shim-sham)
26. Wham (Re-Bop-Boom-Bam) - Glenn Miller - Perfect Swing - 3:36 - 165
27. Le Jazz Hot - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 2:44 - 140
28. Ridin' And Jivin' - Earl Hines - Rosetta - 2:39 - 155 (The trombone player on this track has a dirty, dirty mind.)
29. Why Don't You Do Right - Benny Goodman - Benny Goodman - 3:17 - 125
30. Swing Brother Swing - Miss Sophie Lee - Tallulah Moon - 3:55 - 165
31. Just A Closer Walk With Thee - The Smoking Time Jazz Club - Quarter Note Vol. 1 - 6:06 - 75/160 (I started this track midway through the slow section. Lots of confused looks at first, until it picked up and started to swing. I wanted to play this one not just because it's a good tune, but to make sure that Bob, who was up to DJ right after me, would be kept on his toes. Don't want to let his reflexes get too dull.)

Turntable.FM

I have recently been spending some time on http://turntable.fm/lobby.

You need to check this site out if:

1) All of your Pandora swing dance stations aren't inspiring you enough

2) You want to listen to DJ's and dancers from across the country play their favorite tunes

3) You are an aspiring DJ that wants to try out music with a crowd rating your selections

4) You are an aspiring DJ that wants a quick way to grow their music collection

5) You are a seasoned DJ (that may be competitive) and you want to strut your stuff

6) You like rating a DJ's selection of a song (as you can "awesome" or "lame" every song)

7) You read this blog and like listening to songs your grandfather thought were hip

8) You will "awesome" the majority of the songs I spin on there -- I get more points that way!

WARNING: It can enjoyably ruin your sleep pattern as you may find yourself with other fellow music nerds that enjoy "geeking" out about different versions of songs, themes, and all out dancing fun into the wee hours of the night.

Rooms to check out:

"Swing Music For Dancers" and "Blues Music For Dancers"

The "Swing Music for Dancers" room has been growing pretty rapidly in the amount of listeners and the "Blues Music for Dancers" room is still fairly new, but I'd expect it to continue to grow.

You are able to upload any files from your computer to play as long as they are in mp3 format as well as search using the already uploaded library.

I've noticed that DJ'ing on this site with a full crowd of like minded (and some not so like minded) DJ's that it pushes me deeper into my collection to find hidden gems I'd forgotten about or didn't even realize I had.

Spread the word! Check it out! I look forward to seeing you on the turntables soon!

Fat Tuesday at Black Rock Tavern, 2/21/2012

I had a blast last night spinning tunes at Black Rock Pub, in celebration of Mardi Gras. This is the second year I've been invited to DJ. Last year, I played almost exclusively artists from or associated with New Orleans. This year, I wasn't so strict--I pretty much played what seemed appropriate in the moment, though that certainly involved a fair amount of New Orleans-flavored music.

The crowd was steady from around 9:15 or 9:30 all the way through 11:30ish. They were there to dance, for reals. I played more fast music than I could possibly ever have gotten away with at Fizz. Check out the BPM sparkline and histogram. And the setlist:

1. Swing Brother Swing - Miss Sophie Lee - Tallulah Moon - 3:55 - 165
2. Sugar - Katharine Whalen - Jazz Squad - 2:57 - 182
3. It's Been So Long - Duke Heitger - Rhythm Is Our Business - 3:34 - 155
4. My Bucket's Got A Hole In It - Fritzel's New Orleans Jazz Band - Vol. 2 - 4:22 - 120
5. I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me - Sidney Bechet - Jazz in Paris - 2:40 - 145
6. Ochi Chornya - Wingy Manone - 1940-1944 - 2:54 - 165
7. A Viper's Moan - Willie Bryant And His Orchestra - 1935-1936 - 3:25 - 150
8. Honeysuckle Rose - Adrian Rollini - 1934-1938 - 2:38 - 160
9. What a Pretty Little Miss - Fats Waller - 038212  BLUEBIRD -10437 - 2:32 - 190 (The first line never fails to crack me up: "Where have I been hiding all your life?")
10. Chicago - Muggsy Spanier - An Anthology Of Big Band Swing 1930-1955 - 2:36 - 185
11. Clementine - Marty Grosz And His Hot Combination - Hooray For Bix! - 4:03 - 164 (The sound quality on this track was poor)
12. Perdido Street Blues - Louis Armstrong - The Complete Decca Studio Master Takes 1940-1949 - 3:08 - 145
13. Ya Gotta See Baby Tonight - Louis Prima - Louis Prima et son orchestre : 1945 - 2:24 - 145
14. Ain't Got No Room for the Blues - Banu Gibson - Vintage Banu - 2:46 - 125
15. How Come You Do Me Like You Do - Kid Ory - This Kid's The Greatest! - 3:23 - 120
16. Do For Myself - Meschiya Lake And The Little Big Horns - Lucky Devil - 3:24 - 180
17. I'm Alone Because I Love You - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Live @ D.B.A. - 3:29 - 150
18. Black Coffee - The Careless Lovers - Black Coffee - Single - 2:39 - 195
19. Short Dressed Gal - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - New Orleans Preservation, Vol. 1 - 2:38 - 160
20. If You're A Viper - Kermit Ruffins - The Big Butter & Egg Man - 3:08 - 170
21. Lady Be Good - Svend Asmussen - Musical Miracle Vol. 1: 1935-40 - 2:56 - 180 (Violin + vibes)
22. Fiddle Dee Dee - Lionel Hampton - Lionel Hampton Story 1: Hot Mallets - 2:39 - 195 (More violin + vibes...can I tell you like this combo?)
23. There's Rhythm In Harlem - Mills Blue Rhythm Band - 1933-1936 - 3:11 - 205
24. Georgia Cake Walk - Eddie Condon - We Called It Music - 3:06 - 165
25. Lawd, Lawd - Cecil Scott & His Bright Boys - Harlem Big Bands - 3:13 - 215
26. Minor Drag - Tuba Skinny - Garbage Man - 3:23 - 240 (240 BPM didn't seem to phase people!)
27. Heebie Jeebies - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - The Hurricane Sessions - 1:55 - 180
28. Shake That Thing - The Smoking Time Jazz Club - Quarter Note Vol. 1 - 4:25 - 125
29. Somebody Changed The Lock - Dr. John - Dr. John's Gumbo - 2:45 - 95
30. Muddy Water - Davina & The Vagabonds - Live @ the Times - 2:29 - 123
31. Banana Split for My Baby - Louis Prima - The Wildest! - 2:31 - 137
32. Comes Love - Duke Heitger - Duke Heitger's "Krazy Kapers" - 4:34 - 150
33. Tuxedo Junction - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Ain't No School Like the Old School - 3:14 - 155 (Shim-sham)
34. Milenberg Joys - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 3:45 - 190
35. Smoke House Rhythm - Benny Goodman - VICTOR 26107 - 2:53 - 205
36. Shine On Harvest Moon - Pete Fountain - Dixieland's Kings - 2:50 - 160
37. Rosetta - The Baby Soda Jazz Band - Cures Everything But The Blues - 4:34 - 165
38. All of Me - Benoit Viellefon & His Orchestra - Swing à La Mode - 3:21 - 190
39. King Porter Stomp - Kansas City All-Stars - KC After Dark - 4:38 - 170
40. Bennie's Bugle - 4Beat6 - The band that plays the music of Benny Goodman - 3:01 - 195
41. Yeah Man - Four Vagabonds - Vol. 2 (1942-1943) - 2:15 - 135
42. Who Walks In When I Walk Out? - Louis Armstrong - The Wonderful Duets - 2:21 - 135
43. Georgia Grind - Louis Armstrong - The Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings - 2:34 - 140 (I was thinking that this would be the more modern version, the duet with Velma Middleton on Satchmo: A Musical Autobiography. Ooops.)
44. Get It Southern Style - Duke Ellington - The Duke's Men: The Small Groups, Vol. 1 - 2:43 - 120
45. On The Sunny Side Of The Street - James Booker - New Orleans Piano Wizard: Live! - 3:42 - 125
46. All I Know - The Countdown Quartet - Sadlack's Stomp - 2:56 - 125
47. On Revival Day - Lavern Baker - LaVern Sings Bessie Smith - 3:16 - 143
48. Twenty-Four Robbers - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 3:10 - 140
49. Back In Your Own Backyard - Billie Holiday - A Musical Romance - 2:42 - 155 (First of a Billie Holiday two-fer.)
50. Life Begins When You're In Love - Billie Holiday - Lady Day: The Master Takes And Singles - 3:02 - 180
51. Nappin' John - Roy Eldridge & His Gramercy Five - Little Jazz Giant - 3:04 - 190
52. King Porter Stomp - Wynton Marsalis - Mr. Jelly Lord - Standard Time Vol. 6 - 3:09 - 180 (Mardi Gras=excuse to play KPS twice.)
53. Fat and Greasy - Fats Waller - Ain't Misbehavin - 3:09 - 160
54. Georgia On My Mind - Louis Armstrong - When You're Smiling - 3:25 - 105
55. Prince Nez - Squirrel Nut Zippers - Hot - 2:53 - 180 (tempo doubles to 300+ BPM at the end, just to make sure people leave.)

Fizz setlist 2/13/2012

Fun night at Fizz last night--a full, energetic crowd, good buddies in the DJ booth, and a Little Sumpin' from Lagunitas Brewery, mix 'em together and it puts me in a good mood. As you'll see below, I was also in a mood to say "Why the Hell not?" and hit play on tunes that might normally be more borderline for me. My friends Bob & Anna were tag-teaming for the second half of the evening, but unfortunately I couldn't stick around for very long.

Here's the BPM sparkline and histogram, and here's what I played:

1. Apex Blues - Jim Cullum Jazz Band - Chasin' the Blues - 4:22 - 95 
2. No Regrets - Stephanie Nakasian - Billie Remembered: The Classic Songs Of Billie Holiday - 2:52 - 130 
3. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea - Marty Grosz - Rhythm Is Our Business - 5:04 - 155 
4. Rosetta - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Nice Work If You Can Get It - 3:08 - 170 
5. Nappin' John - Roy Eldridge & His Gramercy Five - Little Jazz Giant - 3:04 - 190 
6. Swing Brother Swing - Miss Sophie Lee - Tallulah Moon - 3:55 - 165 
7. Stay Cool - Count Basie - Blues By Basie-One O'Clock Jump - 3:12 - 155 (Now commencing the "brassy big band" portion of the evening)
8. Rumble - Sy Oliver - Yes Indeed - 3:55 - 130 
9. Jersey Bounce - Bernard Berkhout - Doctor Bernard and His Swing Orchestra - 3:27 - 135 
10. The Wild Mab Of The Fish Pond - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - 1941-Transcription Performance - 2:20 - 155 
11. Flat Foot Floogee - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra - The Fabulous Benny Goodman - 3:22 - 160 
12. Wham! (Re-Bop-Boom-Bam) - Jimmie Lunceford - Lunceford Special - 2:51 - 175 
13. I Can’t Dance (I Got Ants In My Pants) - Chick Webb - Stomping At The Savoy - 3:00 - 205  (There was a time in Fizz's history where I could NOT have played this--the floor would have completely cleared. Boy have things changed.)
14. Honeysuckle Rose - Louis Armstrong - Satch Plays Fats - 2:56 - 170 
15. All Of Me - Frank Sinatra - Swing And Dance With Frank Sinatra - 2:39 - 130 
16. Who Walks In When I Walk Out? - Louis Armstrong - The Wonderful Duets - 2:21 - 135 
17. Papa De-Da-Da - The Wolverines Jazz Band Of Bern - Wolverines Of Bern At 35 - 3:32 - 115  (Working through some Dixie now.)
18. Tight Like This - Tuba Skinny - Tubaskinny - 4:28 - 125 
19. Bucket Got a Hole In It - Kid Ory - In the Forties - 2:30 - 144 
20. I'm Alone Because I Love You - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Live @ D.B.A. - 3:29 - 150 
21. Jambalaya Strut - Dr. Michael White - Dancing In The Sky - 3:46 - 165  (This one was meant as a shout-out to DJ Thor.)
22. Stealin' Apples - Glenn Miller - Best of the Lost Recordings & The Secret Broadcasts - 3:16 - 210 
23. Jump Session - Slim Gaillard - 1938-1939 - 2:35 - 160 
24. Skin 'Em Back - Skeets Tolbert - Skeets Tolbert 1931-1940 - 2:43 - 150 
25. Shout, Sister, Shout! - Sister Rosetta Tharpe - The Gospel of the Blues - 2:41 - 145  (I knew I wanted to try out #27, so I worked up to it with some other gospel-sounding tunes.)
26. Sermonette - Gordon Webster - Happy When I'm With You - 3:40 - 115
27. He Calls That Religion - The Sojourners - Things About Comin' My Way - 4:00 - 120
28. Tight Like This - Milano Jazz Gang - To Satchmo with Respect - 3:01 - 110  (Yes, I played this tune twice--see #18. But they are two very different versions. )
29. Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me - Sidney Bechet - The Fabulous Sidney Bechet - 5:43 - 145 
30. Short Dressed Gal - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - New Orleans Preservation, Vol. 1 - 2:38 - 160 
31. High Shelf Booze - Eilen Jewell - Letters from Sinners & - 3:38 - 125 
32. Baby Can Dance - Carsie Blanton - Buoy - 2:56 - 180  (This last one was a going-away jam.)

First Friday at BCS 2/3/2012

I played mp3s for a very fun, crowded dance at Big City last night. There were probably 40 enthusiastic folks there for the lesson at 8, then a bunch more showed up right around 9. Both floors were open, and a good thing too--otherwise there wouldn't have been any room. I had the first half of the evening, followed by my friend (and now co-blogger!) Bob. It was the sort of night where we could have played the Gettysburg address over and over, and the floor would have stayed full--everyone seemed like they were just itching to dance.

Several folks asked me about specific songs. If you asked about a song, see

• #21 below, by the Swedish jazz-makers the Carling Family. Their website has full mp3s of some of their music.
• #26, by San Francisco-based Gaucho, featuring vocals by Tamar Korn, formerly of the Cangelosi Cards. You can get Gaucho's albums on EMusic.

Back to my set: check out the BPM sparkline--I think it's kind of interesting because it changes amplitude. For the first part of my set, I stayed in a pretty narrow  tempo range, then later I expanded outward by quite a bit. Here's the BPM histogram for completeness, and here's the run-down of what I played:

1. Hello, Dolly! - Louis Armstrong - Ken Burns Jazz - 2:24 - 155 
2. Sent For You Yesterday And Here You Come Today - Benny Goodman - B.G. In Hi-Fi - 3:05 - 155 
3. Baby Drives Me Wild - The Mighty Blue Kings - Meet Me In Uptown - 2:18 - 170 
4. 5 Foot 2 - Davina & The Vagabonds - Songs From Thomas Ave. - 3:42 - 175 
5. Look-A There - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 2:17 - 180 
6. Mumbles' Blues - Stompy Jones - The Swing Session - 2:39 - 160 
7. Froggy Bottom - Andy Kirk & His Clouds of Joy - Kansas City: Swing, Blues, Jive & Boogie - 3:05 - 150 
8. Betcha Nickel - Ella Fitzgerald - My Heart Belongs to Daddy - 2:51 - 160 
9. Savoy - Lucky Millinder - An Anthology Of Big Band Swing 1930-1955 - 3:04 - 164 
10. Hey-Ba-Ba-Re-Bop - Lionel Hampton - The Jubilee Sessions, 1943 to 1946 - 4:27 - 170 
11. One O'Clock Jump - Count Basie - Swinging The Blues: 1930-1939 - 3:03 - 171 
12. Bizet Has His Day - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Ain't No School Like the Old School - 3:43 - 155 
13. Fortunate Love - Glenn Crytzer And His Sycopators - Harlem Mad - 2:54 - 130 
14. Dear Old Southland - Sidney Bechet - Classic Sides 1931-1937 - 3:03 - 140 
15. Bucket Got a Hole In It - Kid Ory - In the Forties - 2:30 - 144 
16. Georgia Grind - Lillian Boutté - Music Is My Life - 3:32 - 145 
17. Black Coffee - The Careless Lovers - Black Coffee - Single - 2:39 - 195 
18. Last Night On The Backporch - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Ol' New Orleans Home - 4:10 - 150 
19. Savoy Blues - Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen - Trad Jazz Masters - 3:53 - 135 
20. I Ain't Gonna Play No Second Fiddle - Lavern Baker - LaVern Sings Bessie Smith - 4:05 - 90 
21. Keepin' Out A Mishif Now - Carling Family - 20th Jubilee - 3:32 - 120 
22. Tain't What You Do - Sy Oliver - Sy Oliver et son orchestre: 1949-1952 - 3:07 - 155 
23. Let's Get Together - Duke Ellington - Recollections Of The Big Band Era - 2:37 - 175 
24. My Blue Heaven - The Rosenberg Trio - Roots - 2:54 - 210 
25. I Like Pie, I Like Cake - The Four Clefs - BLUEBIRD 8884 - 2:48 - 155 
26. Sing On (Odessa Sing On) - Gaucho - Pearl - 5:07 - 135 
27. If You'se a Viper - John Sinclair - No Money Down : John Sinclair's Greatest Hits , Volume One - 3:55 - 150 
28. Baby Can Dance - Carsie Blanton - Buoy - 2:56 - 180

Fizz setlist 1/16/2012

Fizz last night got off to a slow start. The first few folks in the door asked if the heat could be turned on (my answer: no, because body warmth would be more than enough once things got going). The early arrivals ended up dancing in sweaters for a bit, because it was around 9:40 by the time the place felt like it was in full swing and adequately warm. Thankfully, once things got going, they didn't stop--lots of very energetic dancers kept the floor crowded and the room warm. In response, I played a set that was a bit faster than normal, though I also had the chance to dip into blues tunes for a bit. I also played "My Baby Can Dance" by Carsie Blanton (singer-songwriter-dancer), since it's been going viral on Facebook, and it produced squeals and shrieks of delight. Literally.

Here's the usual BPM sparkline and histogram. And here's the tunes:

1. Nice Work if You Can Get It - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Nice Work If You Can Get It - 3:19 - 170 
2. Swingin' On Nothin' - Midnight Serenaders - Hot Lovin' - 3:50 - 200 
3. Slow and Easy - Jim Cullum Jazz Band - Chasin' the Blues - 4:03 - 190 
4. Piano Boogie - Kansas City All-Stars - KC After Dark - 2:32 - 170 
5. Rosetta - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Nice Work If You Can Get It - 3:08 - 170 
6. Dipsy Doodle - Larry Clinton & His Orchestra - G.I. Jukebox, Original Hits from the Swing Era, 1938-1946 - 3:03 - 175 
7. Nona - Erskine Hawkins, His Orchestra - Vintage Dance Orchestras No. 277 - EP: Tuxedo Junction - 2:44 - 145 
8. Bearcat Shuffle - Andy Kirk & His Clouds of Joy - 1930-1941 - 3:02 - 150 
9. Honeysuckle Rose - Louis Armstrong - Satch Plays Fats (Remaster) - 2:56 - 170 
10. Spreadin' Rhythm Around - Fats Waller - Fats Waller: 1935-1936 - 2:44 - 180 
11. In The Groove (At The Grove) - Ella Fitzgerald - Live At The Savoy - 1939-40 - 2:35 - 195 
12. Love Me or Leave Me - Banu Gibson - Let Yourself Go - 3:07 - 165 
13. Georgia Grind - Lillian Boutté - Music Is My Life - 3:32 - 145 
14. He Ain’t Got Rhythm - Bernard Berkhout - Doctor Bernard and His Swing Orchestra - 4:44 - 165 
15. Four Or Five Times - Sy Oliver - Sy Oliver et son orchestre: 1949-1952 - 3:08 - 140 
16. Shake That Thing - The Smoking Time Jazz Club - Quarter Note Vol. 1 - 4:25 - 125 
17. Someday You'll Want Me To Want You - Catherine Russell - Cat - 3:13 - 145 
18. My Blue Heaven - The Cangelosi Cards - Clinton Street Recordings, I - 4:11 - 145 
19. Some of These Days - Billie & DeDe Pierce - Gulf Coast Blues - 2:38 - 150 
20. Heebie Jeebies - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - The Hurricane Sessions - 1:55 - 180 
21. Hop, Skip And Jump - Engelbert Wröbel's Swing Society - Sophisticated Swing - 3:47 - 175 
22. When You're Smiling - Mona's Hot Four - Live at Mona's - 3:33 - 195 
23. Mr. Rhythm - Glenn Crytzer And His Sycopators - Harlem Mad - 4:08 - 130 
24. Dear Old Southland - Sidney Bechet - Classic Sides 1931-1937 (CD A) - 3:03 - 140 
25. The Harlem Stride - Ella Fitzgerald - Live At The Savoy - 1939-40 - 3:29 - 200
26. I Like Pie, I Like Cake - The Four Clefs - BLUEBIRD 8884 - 2:48 - 155 
27. Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 5:16 - 150 
28. Put A Lid On It - Davina & The Vagabonds - Live @ The Times - 3:13 - 170 
29. When I Grow Too Old To Dream - Cats & The Fiddle - We Cats Will Swing For You - 2:47 - 200 
30. Careless Love - Tuba Skinny - Tubaskinny - 4:25 - 135 
31. Money Blues - Lavern Baker - LaVern Sings Bessie Smith - 2:53 - 103 
32. My Daddy Rocks Me - Benny Goodman - Benny Goodman et son orchestre: 1945 Vol.2 - 2:48 - 100 
33. Billie's Blues - Billie Holiday - Blue Billie - 2:40 - 120 
34. Baby Can Dance - Carsie Blanton - Buoy - 2:56 - 180 
35. Shine On Harvest Moon - Pete Fountain - Dixieland's Kings - 2:50 - 160 
36. Blue Lou - Chick Webb - Jazz After Hours - 3:12 - 180 
37. Jump Through The Window - Roy Eldridge - Little Jazz Giant - 2:44 - 145 
38. I'm Alone Because I Love You - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Live @ D.B.A. - 3:29 - 150

Blues DJ Set 1/14/12

I will likely not post all my DJ sets, but this post is a follow up on my previous post on Blues Music 101.

People often ask about what would separate a great DJ to a good DJ. I feel a good DJ plays great music that the crowd likes and dances to. A great DJ plays great music, reads the crowd, and can shift the energy of the floor. I don't want to get into a lot on DJ theory during this post, but I wanted to shed some thoughts I have on some Blues DJ'ing since I cross over between the lindy hop and blues worlds.

First a few tips about blues DJ sets:

Blues music has a variety of different styles and tempos. I think too often blues DJ’s fall into playing only on genre. Everyone is going to have a favorite genre. For me, it’s slower Jazz. I love New Orleans Jazz and find myself most creative in dancing to it. I tend to play more what I would consider “classic/traditional” vs. contemporary music. I think it gets back to pure forms of the music and dance.

I think it’s important to switch up between the genres of music throughout a blues set. I try to expose students to all the different genres throughout lessons, especially during musicality exercises. The different genres call for different movements and moods. It’s important not to be a “roller coaster” DJ switching genres too quickly. The same applies for tempos. I think it’s reasonable to play songs at similar tempos over a period of 3-5 songs as long as the feel of the song is different. 15 minutes of the same tempo/genre/feel can easily kill the energy of a dance floor.

With that said, below is the most recent set I played. A few background notes/thoughts I was thinking about:

• Audience: My audience consisted of mostly beginner dancers who had just learned basic blues dancing.
• Music Selection: After discussion of blues music using food and other analogies to refer to sex, I was encouraged to play some of my “dirty” music. Maybe sometime, I’ll write about the “dirtiest songs” in my collection, but that will need to be another time. I repeated some artists to feature artists or tracks people asked about. Sound quality is important as old blues/jazz recordings aren’t the best sound quality. I also mixed in some songs used during the lessons.
• Tempo: I varied tempo and varied genres throughout the 90 minute set. You will also see a portion where tempo was very close across 5 songs, but the feel of the music was different.
• Length of Song: I generally try to vary time length. It was a smaller group at the dance so I attempted to keep the 4:00+ songs to a minimum to encourage switching partners and keep a “fresh” feeling among the room. I also wanted to build some confidence in case some of the new beginners didn’t feel they ran out of ideas or “moves” they could do.

I would say I was fairly conservative being I was playing for a beginner crowd and played some good standards. Overall, I got good feedback and response from the crowd.

1. "Tain’t Nobody’s Business if I do” - Ernestine Anderson - 77 BPM - 4:31

People just start arriving - trying to create ambiance with first 2 songs

2. "Need your love so bad” - B.B. King & Sheryl Crow - 76 BPM - 3:57

3. “(Night Time is) the Right Time” - Ray Charles - 81 BPM - 3:24

Time to get the dance kicked off with a classic

3. "I ain’t got Nobody” - Big Maybelle - 81 BPM - 2:53

Respond to “soulful” female vocal call/response to Ray Charles in previous song

4. "The World’s Jazz Crazy” - Claire Austin - 84 BPM - 2:45

Let’s move into some Jazz - song had symbolism in lyrics too

5. "When I get low, I get High” - Gordon Webster - 113 BPM - 5:27

Pick up tempo

6 "St. James Infirmary” - New Orleans All Star Stompers - 66 BPM - 3:07

Some of the beginners looked challenged by faster tempo, so slowed down with recognizable tune in a different style than traditional versions of this song

7. "Nobody Knows you when you’re down and out” - Bessie Smith - 92 BPM - 2:58

Transition song - classic Blues

8. “Walk on” - Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee - 115 BPM - 3:14

This song has a little speaking intro part - now playing with instrumental feel

9. "Dirty Low Down and Bad” - Keb’ Mo’ - 100 BPM- 3:07

Contemporary blues - keeping tempo moving - strong guitar sound

10. "I Got Rambling on my Mind” - Otis Spann - 89 BPM - 4:07

Chicago Blues - slowing down a little adding piano to transition to next song

The last 3 songs had guitar as a primary instrument, but had completely different feels.

11. "All Over Again” - B.B. King & Mark Knopfler - 83 BPM - 4:54

12. “My Handy Man Ain’t Handy No More” - Alberta Hunter - 103 BPM - 3:46

First of 3 “dirty” songs played by request/suggestion

13. Shave ‘Em Dry II” - Lucille Bogan - 115 BPM - 3:22

This is not the best version of the song, but I played it because this song doesn’t disguise the “dirty.”

14. "Three Time Lose” - Linda Hopkins - 82 BPM - 2:24

I was listening to a women in jazz/blues documentary so I think I was inspired to play some sassy “woman power” music

15. “How Many More Years” - Howlin’ Wolf - 99 BPM - 2:51

16. “Love in Vain” - Robert Johnson - 85 BPM - 2:21

17. “You Know My Love” - Otis Rush - 78 BPM - 2:42

18. “Blue Drag” - Django Reinhardt -111 BPM - 2:56

One of my favorite songs - it has a quiet intro so it worked as a great transition back into some Jazz

19. "Egyptian Fantasy” - Kenny Davern - 90 BPM - 4:01

Another favorite - played it in particular for my friend Justin who was DJ’ing next.

20. “Horn Man Blues” - Dr. Michael White - 73 BPM - 7:01 (faded this one out)

Song 3 of “dirty” - this starts the streak of “woman power”

21. "A Good Man is Hard to Find” - Big Maybelle - 86 BPM - 2:12

22. “Mannish Boy” - Muddy Waters - 72 BPM - 2:57

A little intermission and response to “woman power”

23. “Backlash Blues” - Nina Simone - 77 BPM - 2:29

24. “I’ll Never Be Free” - Lavern Baker - 72 BPM - 2:22

25. “Mean Old World” - Snooks Eaglin - 75 BPM - 3:51

Transition song

26. “Kind Hearted Woman” - Big Head Blues Club ft. Ruthie Foster - 75 BPM - 4:08

27. “Blues in the Night” - Eva Cassidy - 70 BPM - 4:08

Notice similar tempo of last 6 songs, but all had different feel. I played the Eva Cassidy track in response to a discussion to the unfortunate dancing “sexy” to her “popular” cover of the traditional gospel tune “Wade in the Water.”

Blues Music 101

Long time reader, first time posting...I look forward to collaborating on this site. Responses, feedback, and thoughts are more than welcome!

I recently taught a beginner blues workshop and was asked where to begin if wanting to build a blues dance DJ’ing collection. I don’t see myself as the ultimate authority on any this, but I hope to provide some insight. If not, it will allow me to “geek out” a little on a topic I like discussing at lengths.

Some of the easiest way to find blues music is to create a Pandora station and find music that you like to download. There are some great compilations of blues music as including the Chess Box Set that I’d recommend. I find blues music interesting because not all blues music is what I would call “danceable” so I will list a variety of artists with a warning to be aware what could be considered “danceable” or not. There is plenty of blues music that I would enjoy listening to, but not dance to.

Below is a working categorial list of some artists within blues music. This is not an authoritative list, but more of how I think of things. I could narrow it down categories as some of the artists’ placements are debatable. Some categories can be split up as well. If anything, I feel this may be a good introductory starting list of artists to check out.

Here is a working list among some categories I separate artists into:

Classic Women of the Blues:

Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Mahalia Jackson (Gospel roots), Ethel Waters, Etta James, Dinah Washington, Billie Holliday, Big Maybelle, Big Mama Thornton, Lil’ Johnson, Lucille Bogan, Memphis Minnie, Ruth Brown, Victoria Spivey, Lucille Hegamin, Koko Taylor, Roosevelt Sykes, Georgia White, Bea Booze, Ida Cox

Other Female Favorites:

Alberta Hunter, Odetta, Lavern Baker, Nina Simone, Shemekia Copeland, Hadda Brooks

Chicago Blues/Electric Blues

Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Memphis Slim, Pinetop Perkins, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Bo’ Diddley John Lee Hooker, Slim Harpo, Otis Rush, T-Bone Walker, Amos Milbourne, Magic, Slim, B.B. King, Johnny Winter Jimmy Reed, Bobby Blue Band, Bo Diddle, Buddy Guy, Eurreal Montgomery, Junior Wells, Albert King, Freddie King, Lowell Fulsom, Z.Z. Hill

Delta Blues/Country Blues

Robert Johnson, Son House, Big Joe Williams, Skip James, Big Bill Broonzy, Elmore James, Sonny Boy Williamson, Sonny Terry, Snooks Eaglin, Bo Carter, Willie Johnson

Contemporary Blues Favorites:

Keb’ Mo,' Bonnie Lee, Janiva Magness, Susan Tedeschi, Bonnie Rait, Johnny Lang, Taj Mahal, Albert Collins, Eric Clapton (some of his is Pop music), Blind Boys of Alabama, Carey Bell, Carolyn Wonderland, Elvin Bishop, Eric Bibb, Johnny Lang

Jazz artists to check out

Sindey Bechet, Jelly Roll Morton Edmond Hall, King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Hot Lips Page, Pee Wee Russell, Ray Charles (wasn’t sure where to categorize him) Ernestine Anderson, Jimmy Rushing, Jimmy Witherspoon, Kid Ory, Earl Hines, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, Cootie Williams, Humphrey Lyttleton, Dr. Michael White, Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton. A lot of other classic jazz artists have some great tunes.

What are your thoughts? Would you categorize something differently or separate categories more? Other favorites I missed?

There'll be some changes made...and introducing Bob & Chris

Hello loyal readers. I want to let you know about some big, exciting changes coming to Pustoblogsky. First and foremost...you've heard about them in my posts, you may have heard them spinning music at dances around Chicago, and now they'll be joining me as official blog authors. Introducing:

• Chris...a.k.a., the Mysterious Man with the Middles. Chris is my arch-rival in a quest to find the longest possible version of Tiger Rag. So far the best I've done is a paltry 5:25--I'm sure he's got me beat at the moment.
• Bob...,a.k.a., DJ Thor. Because he brings the thunder to every dance he DJs. Bob is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to dance music--he's sought-after for both blues and swing dances (and last I heard, he was working on his polka collection too). 

I'll let them introduce themselves in more detail (and with actual aspects of their life, as oppose to stuff I just make up). I'm very excited to have them on board--I think it will lead to some great insights, conversations, and disputes that ultimately will need to be settled in the DJ booth or on the dance floor. And I anticipate that it will force me to begrudgingly increase my eMusic subscription level. 

Taking on co-bloggers is a prelude to some other changes around here. Once we dream one up, the blog will be getting a new name, a new URL, and hopefully a face-lift. I'll keep you posted on all of these, so you can be sure to change your blog aggregators and bookmarks. And if you have suggestions for a suitably geeky name, please leave a comment!

First Friday at Big City Swing 1/6/2012

Last night's dance at Big City Swing was a lot of fun, even if the crowd wasn't as large as it has been the past few months (probably because there was a live band playing elsewhere in the city). A mix of first-timers, students, a barbershop quartet from a local high school, visitors from Europe, & well-known scenesters kept things pretty lively. Here's the bpm sparkline and histogram, and here's my set list:

1. Sent For You Yesterday - George Gee - If Dreams Come True - 3:32 - 165
2. Savoy - Lucky Millinder - An Anthology Of Big Band Swing 1930-1955 - 3:04 - 164
3. Frenesi - Artie Shaw - His First Three Bands: 1936-1940 - 3:06 - 150 (Not sure why I thought it would be a good idea to play this song early in the night, since it has lots of weird little interludes in it. One person came up to me after it was over and asked "That was a swing song?" Of course, most people danced right through the weird bits, so it could be that nobody else noticed.)
4. The Back Room Romp - Duke Ellington - The Duke's Men: The Small Groups, Vol. 1 - 2:49 - 150
5. Swinga-Dilla Street - Echoes of Swing - Harlem Reflections - 4:24 - 155
6. Put A Lid On It - Davina & The Vagabonds - Live @ The Times - 3:13 - 170
7. Bring It On Down - The Baby Soda Jazz Band - Cures Everything But The Blues - 2:34 - 175
8. Gang Busters - Cats & The Fiddle - We Cats Will Swing For You - 3:06 - 185
9. Choo Choo Ch' Boogie - Louis Jordan & His Tympani Five - Jukebox Hits Volume 1 - 2:45 - 165
10. Honey Pie - Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers - Everybody's Talkin' 'Bout Miss Thing! - 4:10 - 150
11. Old Mother Hubbard - Ella Fitzgerald - Swingin' Ella - 2:44 - 145
12. Loose Wig - Lionel Hampton - Lionel Hampton Story 2: Flying Home - 3:04 - 140
13. Good Queen Bess - Johnny Hodges & His Orchestra - Passion Flower 1940-46 - 2:59 - 160
14. Tutti Frutti - Slim Gaillard - 1938-46 - 2:38 - 170
15. Tain't What You Do - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 3:06 - 160 (By request from the barbershop quartet.)
16. One Is Never Too Old To Swing - Cats & The Fiddle - We Cats Will Swing For You - 2:55 - 210
17. Shine On Harvest Moon - Pete Fountain - Dixieland's Kings - 2:50 - 160
18. My Blue Heaven - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Songs of New Orleans - 5:21 - 150
19. Georgia Grind - Louis Armstrong - Satchmo: A Musical Autobiography Disc 1 - 3:19 - 115
20. Mr. Rhythm - Glenn Crytzer And His Sycopators - Harlem Mad - 4:08 - 130
21. Last Night On The Backporch - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Ol' New Orleans Home - 4:10 - 150
22. Let Me Off Uptown - Delta Rhythm Boys - The Best Of 1940-50 - 2:54 - 160
23. Wham! (Re-Bop-Boom-Bam) - Jimmie Lunceford - Lunceford Special - 2:51 - 175
24. Cement Mixer (Put-Ti-Put-Ti) - Jimmie Lunceford - Jukebox Hits 1935-1947 - 2:45 - 155 (The Lunceford double-header was intentional. Wanna make something of it?)
25. Ballin' The Jack - Earl Hines - Live Broadcasts From The Hangover Club - 4:00 - 145
26. Frankie & Johnny - Firehouse Five Plus Two - Firehouse Five Plus Two Story - 2:51 - 130
27. Joshua Fit the Battle - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 3:57 - 180
28. Twenty-Four Robbers - Fats Waller - The Unique Mr. Waller - 2:45 - 190
29. The Five Pennies - The Famous Castle Jazz Band - The Five Pennies - 2:52 - 205 (I'd forgotten how much fun this song is.)