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

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.)

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.)

Fizz 10/10/2011

I had the early set last night at Fizz, back in the saddle after nearly 2 months. It was a fun evening, not terribly packed, but the dance floor seemed comfortably full for most of the evening. (The bar area was quite crowded because the Bears were playing.) My friend John had the late set, and around 10:45 we started trading songs back and forth. More on that below.

Once again, I'm going to publish my setlist on Spotify, even though only about half the songs are available. Let me know if it works for you. The usual bpm sparkline and freq. distribution exclude the first five songs since I played them to an empty room. Here's the complete run-down:

1. Page Mr. Trumpet - Pete Johnson - NSC111 NATIONAL- - 2:52 - 165 (As usual, there was hardly anyone there when I started. Folks trickled in.)
2. Swing, Brother, Swing - Willie "The Lion" Smith - Willie "The Lion" Smith And His Cubs - 2:51 - 230
3. Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes - The Harlem Hamfats - Harlem Hamfats Vol. 2 1936-1937 - 2:42 - 160
4. I Got Rhythm - Django Reinhardt - The Swing Sessions Volume 1 - 2:16 - 280
5. Sweet Sue - Svend Asmussen - Musical Miracle Vol. 1: 1935-40 - 2:55 - 185
6. "Murder" He Says - Four Vagabonds - Four Vagabonds Vol. 3 (1943) - 2:31 - 150 (Folks are dancing by this point.)
7. Gettin' In The Groove - Al Cooper's Savoy Sultans - Al Cooper's Savoy Sultan: 1938-1941 - 2:58 - 140
8. Swing Low - Adrian Rollini - 1934-1938 - 3:05 - 175
9. Summit Ridge Drive - Buddy DeFranco - Plays Artie Shaw - 4:35 - 145
10. He Ain't Got Rhythm - Jimmie Lunceford - Life Is Fine - 2:45 - 174
11. The Right Idea - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - Swing Street Strut - 3:13 - 185
12. Rosetta - The Baby Soda Jazz Band - Cures Everything But The Blues - 4:34 - 165
13. Savoy Blues - The Wolverines Jazz Band Of Bern - Wolverines Of Bern At 35 - 3:56 - 140
14. Comes Love - Duke Heitger - Duke Heitger's "Krazy Kapers" - 4:34 - 150
15. All Of Me - Twin Cities Hot Club - Twin Cities Hot Club - 4:10 - 165
16. Look-A There - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 2:17 - 180
17. Cement Mixer (Put-Ti-Put-Ti) - Jimmie Lunceford - Jukebox Hits 1935-1947 - 2:45 - 155
18. Afternoon Of A Moax - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - Swing Street Strut - 3:24 - 130
19. Shout 'Em, Aunt Tillie - Duke Ellington - That Lindy Hop - 3:03 - 150 (This one didn't really take. Not right for the crowd.)
20. Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho - Sidney Bechet - Sidney Bechet: 1949 - 3:20 - 175 (So play a sure-fire winner to recover and climb the energy.)
21. Scram! - Echoes of Swing - Harlem Joys - 3:20 - 195
22. As Long As I Live - Catherine Russell - Inside This Heart of Mine - 3:33 - 120
23. Don't Get Around Much Anymore - Barbara Morrison - Live at the 9:20 Special - 4:16 - 140 (Since she was just in town, singing at WCLX)
24. It Takes Two To Tango - Lester Young - Lester Young : 1951-1952 - 3:14 - 100 (Because I'm no longer allowed to play this one at home.)
25. Sing On (Odessa Sing On) - Gaucho - Pearl - 5:07 - 135
26. Ballin' The Jack - Kid Ory - This Kid's The Greatest! - 3:15 - 145
27. It's You're Last Chance To Dance - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - The Hurricane Sessions - 4:30 - 180
28. Yam Brown - Bob Hunt's Duke Ellington Orchestra - What A Life! - 2:43 - 225 (This one really didn't take. Too 20's charleston, too different I guess.)
29. I Like Pie, I Like Cake - The Four Clefs - BLUEBIRD 8884 - 2:48 - 155 (Again recover with a familiar floor-filler.)
30. Let's Get Drunk And Truck - The Harlem Hamfats - Let's Get Drunk And Truck - 3:06 - 175 (Because nobody was there to dance to the first Hamfats song I played.)
31. I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby - Louis Armstrong - Satch Plays Fats - 4:28 - 162 (This one was John's pick.)
32. Jump Through The Window - Roy Eldridge - Little Jazz Giant - 2:44 - 145 (I counter with another trumpet feature.)
33. Wham! (Re-Bop-Boom-Bam) - Jimmie Lunceford - Lunceford Special - 2:51 - 175 (John's pick: "One good Skye & Frida routine deserves another.")
34. Swingtime in the Rockies - Bernard Berkhout's Swing Orchestra - nieuw album_41 - 3:15 - 220 (I wanted to peak here.)
35. Lucky Number - Artie Shaw - Greatest Big Band Classics - 2:42 - 190 (John's pick.)
36. Ain't Misbehavin' - Sidney Bechet - Perdido Street Blues - 2:52 - 145 (Birthday jam for Bob "DJ Thor" B, who is a big Bechet fan.)
37. Exactly Like You - Cecile Mclorin Salvant and the Jean-Francois Bonnel Paris Quintet - Cecile - 5:10 - 125 (I got a complaint and a request for something "smoother" so I played this.)
38. Mr. Rhythm - Glenn Crytzer And His Sycopators - Harlem Mad - 4:08 - 130 (John's pick.)
39. Broken Hearted Blues - Tuba Skinny - Garbage Man - 3:45 - 120 (from Meschiya Lake to Erika Lewis.)

First Friday at Big City Swing 10/7/2011

Last night at Big City Swing was buckets of fun. Actually, they probably should have had some buckets on hand--it got so sweaty in there, condensation started forming on the ventilation near the ceiling, then dripping down on me and my laptop. I didn't really mind, I was having such a good time. Highlights of the night included out-of-town friends showing up (all of whom have become straight up Rock Stars when it comes to lindy hop), dancing with several awesome followers who have just moved to town, and a phenomenal tap performance by Bril Barrett of MaddRhythms.

Bril danced to an Oscar Peterson track and left everyone speechless. His dancing is amazingly confident and controlled, yet loose and relaxed. And his rhythms, in addition to being totally mind-blowing, had a very strong continuity to them. Sometimes when I watch tap-dancers--even very very talented ones--showing off their fancy steps, I find it hard to follow their variations because they seem to deviate from whatever pulse they had going. Not with Bril--every beat he made was clear, in the pocket, and you could hear how all his fancy rhythms were connected to each other. (Bril offers several levels of tap classes at Big City Swing. When he finished dancing, his comment was "You too can learn to do that in only four easy lessons.....of twenty years a piece.")

At the start of the evening, Jenna and I taught the taster lesson, and decided to use music that was a bit faster than usual. (For intro. lessons, we usually use music 150-160 bpm--last night we ranged up to 180.) That allowed me to play fast stuff for the first couple songs in my set, which put me in a really good position for the rest of the night. As you can see in the sparkline, I was able to ride the tempo up and down nicely, though looking at it now, I think I could have pushed the boundaries out more in both directions. More on this in the running commentary.

Here's the setlist (sparkline and freq. distribution):

1. Put A Lid On It - Davina & The Vagabonds - Live @ The Times - 3:13 - 170 (This was the transition from lesson to dance. My Swing 1 students from last month really dug this tune.)
2. Bring It On Down - The Baby Soda Jazz Band - Cures Everything But The Blues - 2:34 - 175
3. When I Grow Too Old To Dream - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Live @ D.B.A. - 2:55 - 190
4. My Blue Heaven - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Songs of New Orleans - 5:21 - 150
5. Meet Me in Uptown - The Mighty Blue Kings - Meet Me In Uptown - 2:59 - 145
6. Sure, Had A Wonderful Time - Louis Jordan - Louis Jordan And His Tympani Five, Volume 1 - 3:00 - 135
7. Route 66 - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 4:24 - 150 (First of two songs off this album that I played. Then Bob played at least one more during his set.)
8. Come On-A My House - Rosemary Clooney - The Essential Rosemary Clooney - 1:56 - 180
9. The Wild Mab Of The Fish Pond - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - 1941-Transcription Performance - 2:20 - 155
10. Georgia Grind - Lillian Boutté - Music Is My Life - 3:32 - 145
11. Big Fat Mama - Lucky Millinder - Apollo Jump - 3:08 - 135
12. A Viper's Moan - Willie Bryant And His Orchestra - 1935-1936 - 3:25 - 150 (Stoner swing interlude.)
13. Peckin' - Duke Ellington - The Duke's Men: The Small Groups, Vol. 1 - 3:09 - 160
14. Evenin' - Count Basie - Count Basie at Newport - 3:32 - 165
15. Everybody Rock - Ella Fitzgerald - Live At The Savoy - 1939-40 - 3:18 - 185
16. Milenberg Joys - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 3:45 - 190
17. Down south camp meeting - Svend Asmussen - Still Fiddling - 3:41 - 145
18. No Regrets - Stephanie Nakasian - Billie Remembered: The Classic Songs Of Billie Holiday - 2:52 - 130
19. Southern sunset - Swing Parade South - Hommage a Sidney Bechet - 3:32 - 105 (Slowest song that I played all evening. Didn't seem to phase anyone. I probably could have played more stuff in this range.)
20. Six Appeal - Jonathan Stout & His Campus Five - Crazy Rhythm - 3:29 - 135
21. Skin 'Em Back - Skeets Tolbert - Skeets Tolbert 1931-1940 - 2:43 - 150
22. Wham (Re-Bop-Boom-Bam) - Glenn Miller - Perfect Swing - 3:36 - 165
23. 8, 9 And 10 - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 2:43 - 175
24. I Can't Dance I Got Ants In My Pants - The Smoking Time Jazz Club - Quarter Note Vol. 1 - 4:13 - 210 (Fastest song of the set. Seemed to get people excited, leading in to a jam circle on the next song....)
25. Black Coffee - The Careless Lovers - Black Coffee - Single - 2:39 - 195
26. If You're A Viper - Kermit Ruffins - The Big Butter & Egg Man - 3:08 - 170
27. Everybody Loves My Baby - Sippie Wallace - Sippie - 3:11 - 145
28. Ochi Chornya - Wingy Manone - Wingy Manone: 1940-1944 - 2:54 - 165
29. Dear Old Southland - Sidney Bechet - Classic Sides 1931-1937 (CD A) - 3:03 - 140
30. Grabtown Grapple - Artie Shaw - 1944-45 - 3:00 - 190
31. Tain't What You Do - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 3:06 - 160 (Shim-sham, timed to lead in to the tap performance.)

First Friday at Big City Swing 7/8/2011

Crazy night at Big City last night. Jenna & John's taster lesson was crowded and quite boisterous, which always makes my job easier. I thought I was all set to roll through a bunch of energetic, beginner-friendly tunes, but then my stupid netbook decided to give me trouble again. JRiver just crashed on me outright, so I had to switch over to iTunes and preview separately through my iPod. That threw me a bit, and I ended up with not-the-greatest set I've ever played. The room was packed pretty much the whole night through, lots of beginners and also a bunch of lindy-hoppers who danced to just about everything. A jam broke out on its own, and lots of folks went in--not just your usuals--which was cool.

As far as I the music, I stuck in a (mostly modern) small group swing groove for most of the evening, because the crowd seemed to be responding to it and because I was concerned about playing hi fidelity tracks with clear rhythm sections so that the newer folks would stay engaged. Upon reflection, I think I could have branched out more in terms of the styles I played and the range of tempos (note the longish stretch in the middle my set that was pretty much all 140-165 bpm). If you were there, let me know what you think. Here's the setlist (BPM sparkline and freq. distribution):

1. Shotgun Boogie - Paul Tillotson the Love Trio - Lindy Hop Blues - 2:55 - 165 (Last song of the lesson. Tried and true.)
2. My Blue Heaven - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Songs of New Orleans - 5:21 - 150 (Another trusty old favorite)
3. Deed I Do - Katharine Whalen - Jazz Squad - 2:42 - 170 (My media player died here.)
4. Baby's Boogie Woogie - Stompy Jones - The Swing Session - 3:05 - 165
5. Jump Jive An' Wail - The Brian Setzer Orchestra - The Dirty Boogie - 2:53 - 200 (Obligatory.)
6. That Chick's Too Young To Fry - Louis Jordan - Jukebox Hits Volume 1 1942-1947 - 2:26 - 190 (This was too lo-fi for the crowd, esp. after JJ&W.)
7. Shake That Thing - Wynonie Harris - Risque Blues – It Ain't the Meat - 2:17 - 135
8. Route 66 - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 4:24 - 150
9. When I Take My Sugar to Tea - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Jump for Joy - 4:00 - 165
10. Someday You'll Want Me To Want You - Catherine Russell - Cat - 3:13 - 145
11. They Raided The Joint - Roy Eldridge Sextet - Little Jazz Giant - 3:18 - 145 (Mellowed out here, which worked okay, but I should have picked a different Roy Eldridge tune.)
12. Oh I'm Evil - Una Mae Carlisle - Una Mae Carlisle: 1938-1941 - 2:25 - 150
13. Wailing Interval - Duke Ellington - The Private Collection: Volume Six, Dance Dates, California, - 3:39 - 160 (Wrong call. I love this tune, but it's not good for newer dancers.)
14. Savoy Blues - The Wolverines Jazz Band Of Bern - Wolverines Of Bern At 35 - 3:56 - 140
15. Potato Chips - Slim Gaillard - Laughing In Rhythm: The Best Of The Verve Years - 3:05 - 145 (This one takes me back.)
16. All Of Me - Twin Cities Hot Club - Twin Cities Hot Club - 4:10 - 165 (Announcement about ticket give-away to BBVD's upcoming Chicago concert, followed by obligatory BBVD tune...)
17. Calloway Boogie - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - How Big Can You Get?: The Music of Cab Calloway - 4:02 - 175
18. Bennie's Bugle - 4Beat6 - The band that plays the music of Benny Goodman - 3:01 - 195 (This is really a great track.)
19. For Dancers Only - Duke Ellington - Recollections Of The Big Band Era - 3:04 - 145 (Starting around here I think I started to hit my stride. I like how the rest of the set went.)
20. Four Or Five Times - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 3:12 - 135
21. Six-appeal - Charlie Christian - Six-appeal - 3:20 - 145
22. She Keeps It Up All The Time - Duke Heitger - Duke Heitger's "Krazy Kapers" - 3:11 - 110 (I liked how this slower tune went over.)
23. Perdido Street Blues - Southside Aces - A Big Fine Thing - 3:54 - 135 (Off their latest album, just released.)
24. Chant Of The Groove - Fats Waller - Fats Waller 1941 - 3:05 - 185 (A jam broke out at the beginning of this track.)
25. Lindyhopper's Delight - Chick Webb - Strictly Jive - 2:45 - 195 (It felt like people wanted more, and this was the first tune at hand.)
26. Tain't What You Do - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 3:06 - 160 (Shim-sham to broaden the focus.)
27. Come On Over To My House - Jay McShann - Jumpin' The Blues - 2:52 - 145 (And then get everyone back on the floor.)
28. Baby Won't You Please Come Home? - Crytzer's Blue Rhythm Band - Chasin' the Blues - 3:38 - 125
29. South - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Live at the Legion - 3:17 - 180
30. Toast My Bread - Wycliffe Gordon - This Rhythm On My Mind - 4:17 - 100 (Hehe.)

First Friday at Big City Swing 6/3/2011

Thanks to friends of ours who stepped up to babysit, my wife and I BOTH got to go out dancing on Friday! At the same time! Crazy. I also spun the early set (at the First Friday dance at Big City Swing). Going in, I knew it was going to be hot & crowded (it is Big Sweaty Swing, after all), and so I was anticipating riding the tempo wave up and down a bit faster than I might otherwise. I've noticed (through very unsystematic observation) that hot nights often tend to be more conducive to both fast & slow tunes, and that's how it seemed to work out. An extremely lively beginner lesson (Bigs, what did you feed those folks?!?) led into a fairly high-energy early part of the evening. When our friends from Madison showed up, that added another burst of energy--it seemed like they were on the floor dancing their faces off non-stop all night.

Here's what I played (plus the BPM sparkline and frequency distribution):

1. Rosetta - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Nice Work If You Can Get It - 3:08 - 170 (Off their new album)
2. Love Me or Leave Me - Banu Gibson - Let Yourself Go - 3:07 - 165
3. Shine On Harvest Moon - Pete Fountain - Dixieland's Kings - 2:50 - 160
4. In the Mood - Glenn Miller - Best of the Lost Recordings & The Secret Broadcasts - 3:15 - 180 (Pandering to the newbies)
5. I Sent For You Yesterday And Here You Come Today - Benny Goodman - Benny Goodman - 3:09 - 160
6. Rose Room - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Ain't No School Like the Old School - 3:09 - 150
7. Lumby - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - 1941-Transcription Performance - 2:43 - 180 (for Puppy)
8. Baby, What's The Matter With You? - Roy Eldridge Quintet - Little Jazz Giant - 3:20 - 140
9. Spoon Calls Hootie - Jimmy Witherspoon - Jimmy Witherspoon - 2:45 - 140
10. Dark Eyes - Fats Waller - Happy Birthday Fats Vol. 1 - 3:22 - 160
11. Back Bay Shuffle - Ella Fitzgerald - Live At The Savoy - 1939-40 - 4:14 - 185 (For Jon)
12. Six-appeal - Charlie Christian - Six-appeal - 3:20 - 145
13. Easy Does It - Paul Tillotson the Love Trio - Lindy Hop Blues - 2:57 - 130
14. Exactly Like You - Carmen McRae - 135 - 2:11 - 135
15. Sing On (Odessa Sing On) - Gaucho - Pearl - 5:07 - 135
16. If You'se a Viper - John Sinclair - No Money Down - 3:55 - 150
17. All Night Long - The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn - Permanent Magic - 2:48 - 170
18. Sister Kate - Earl Hines & His Orchestra - Roots Of Jazz Scat Vocals - 3:05 - 99 (Trying to impress DJ Thor with this one)
19. Solid As A Rock - Count Basie - Count Basie Et Son Orchestre 1950-1951 - 3:03 - 135
20. Joshua Fit the Battle - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 3:57 - 180 (Holy Moly does this track drive. Seemed like the room felt it too.)
21. Big Apple Contest - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Swingmatism - 2:57 - 210 (I'd got it into my head that I wanted a Big Apple. We made it through the first half, through London Bridge, before people's memories petered out and it turned into more of a jam.)
22. Tain't What You Do - Sy Oliver - Sy Oliver et son orchestre: 1949-1952 - 3:07 - 155 (Right into a shim-sham, to incorporate more dancers into the spectacle)
23. I'm Alone Because I Love You - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Live @ D.B.A. - 3:29 - 150 (and then try to get everyone in the room dancing)
24. Knock Me a Kiss - Davina & The Vagabonds - Live @ the Times - 3:25 - 120
25. St. James Infirmary - Hot Lips Page - CO38291 HARMONY-Ha1069 - 4:34 - 95
26. Savoy Blues - Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen - Trad Jazz Masters - 3:53 - 135 (For the black bottomers)
27. Shake That Thing - Willie Mabon - The Comeback - 3:33 - 120
28. Rock Me All Night Long - The Fabulous Treniers - The Hoss Allen Sessions - 2:41 - 155
29. Shortin' Bread - Fats Waller - The Unique Mr. Waller - 2:41 - 190 >(For Dan, who suggested a good note to end on)

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!)

Fizz setlist 12/13/2010

It was moderately crowded at Fizz last night--a decent turnout, considering the weather. I had a lot of music picked out that I was excited to play, and so was feeling pretty impatient because nobody showed up 'til about 9:30. Even then, there were only a few folks in the room, so I kept the music on the relaxed side. (I tend to dislike it when brash, punchy big band music gets played to an almost empty room--it just doesn't fit the vibe.)

Here's the BPM sparkline, which looks funny due to the fast stuff I played right at the start of the night, to an empty room. Same with the frequency distribution, from which you may note that I kept things quicker than usual. Here's what I played:

1. Swing, Brother, Swing - Willie "The Lion" Smith & His Cubs - Willie "The Lion" Smith And His Cubs - 2:51 - 230
2. Yam Brown - Bob Hunt's Duke Ellington Orchestra - What A Life! - 2:43 - 225
3. Number Two (none) - The Hot Club Of San Francisco - Yerba Buena Bounce - 3:42 - 180
4. Yankee Doodle Never Went to Town - Chu Berry - Classic Chu Berry Columbia and Victor Sessions - 2:46 - 160 (A few people were just coming in at this point.)
5. Comes Love - Duke Heitger - Duke Heitger's "Krazy Kapers" - 4:34 - 150
6. Swinga-Dilla Street - Echoes of Swing - Harlem Reflections - 4:24 - 155
7. That's What I Like - Julia Lee & Her Boy Friends - Kansas City's First Lady Of The Blues - 2:47 - 150 (There was a group showing each other 6-count moves in the corner, so I figured they would like some boogie.)
8. Choo Choo Ch' Boogie - Louis Jordan & His Tympani Five - Jukebox Hits Volume 1 1942-1947 - 2:45 - 165
9. On The Sunny Side of the Street - Benny Goodman - The Yale University Archives, Volume 3 - 3:11 - 135
10. All Of Me - Gordon Webster - Happy When I'm With You - 4:07 - 150
11. Baby, What's The Matter With You? - Roy Eldridge Quintet - Little Jazz Giant - 3:20 - 140
12. Stuffy - Jonathan Stout & His Campus Five - Jammin' the Blues - 3:46 - 150
13. Love Me or Leave Me - Banu Gibson - Let Yourself Go - 3:07 - 165 (This one was for Mary, and served as a transition from small-combo jazz to jankier stuff.)
14. 8, 9 And 10 - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 2:43 - 175
15. When You Wore a Tulip - The Baby Soda Jazz Band - Jazz Roots Elixir - 3:30 - 160
16. I'm Alone Because I Love You - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Live @ D.B.A. - 3:29 - 150 (And this one was for Jason.)
17. Milenberg Joys - Gordon Webster - Live in Philadelphia - 3:45 - 185 (Holy House-rocking, Batman! This track is AMAZING. More on Gordon Webster soon. I was dancing during this song, and so didn't have time to adjust course: I should have pushed the tempo & energy higher on the next song, rather than let it fall.)
18. Billie's Blues - Tuba Skinny - Tubaskinny - 3:19 - 135 (Now transitioning from jank to big band.)
19. The Back Room Romp - Duke Ellington - The Duke's Men: The Small Groups, Vol. 1 - 2:49 - 150
20. Vine Street Rumble - Ernie Krivda - The Band That Swings - 3:10 - 160
21. King Porter Stomp - Kansas City All-Stars - KC After Dark - 4:38 - 170
22. Ain't Misbehavin' - Louis Armstrong - Satch Plays Fats - 4:01 - 170 (This track is high-energy. I wanted to go up one more notch, but didn't want to push it immediately. Instead, I gave it a breather with the next song, which has a more relaxed feel even though it's not that much slower...)
23. I Sent For You Yesterday And Here You Come Today - Benny Goodman - Benny Goodman - 3:09 - 160 (..then after that I kicked it up. This illustrates a pet theory of mine about how to climb tempos. I feel like it works, though I only have impressionistic evidence.)
24. Undecided - Ella Fitzgerald - Live At The Savoy - 1939-40 - 3:06 - 210
25. Shiny Stockings - Count Basie - April In Paris - 5:17 - 120
26. They Raided The Joint - Roy Eldridge Sextet - Little Jazz Giant - 3:18 - 145
27. Accentuate The Positive - Bill Henderson - Complete VeeJay Recordings - Vol. 2 - 3:19 - 120 (Not Lou Rawls.)
28. St. Louis Blues - Benny Goodman - Very Best of Benny Goodman - 3:24 - 135
29. Ya Gotta See Baby Tonight - Louis Prima - Louis Prima et son orchestre : 1945 - 2:24 - 145
30. Blue Drag - Earl Hines - Swingin' Down - 2:59 - 140
31. Dark Eyes - Fats Waller - Happy Birthday Fats Vol. 1 - 3:22 - 160 (Will I ever tire of this tune? I think not. But to brighten the mood after the last two--both of which were "dark" sounding--how about a shim-sham?)
32. Tain't What You Do - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 3:06 - 160
33. Dipsy Doodle - Larry Clinton & His Orchestra - G.I. Jukebox, Original Hits from the Swing Era, 1938-1946 - 3:03 - 175 (After Dipsey Doodle, we had a "holiday burlesque" performance from Rachel & John. They called it "How Santa Got his Groove Back." Not to spoil the secret, but it ends on a rather Jewish note. Had I been quicker-witted, I would have followed up immediately with #36.)
34. Bring It On Down - The Baby Soda Jazz Band - Cures Everything But The Blues - 2:34 - 175
35. Madame Dynamite - Eddie Condon - Let's Swing It - 2:55 - 185
36. Bei Mir Bist Du Schon - Slim Gaillard - Ice Cream on Toast - 2:10 - 180
37. Don’t Be That Way - Chick Webb - Stomping At The Savoy - 2:35 - 205

For sentimental reasons...

Seeing Jerry's list inspired me to pull together a list of my own cliche, overplayed jams and songs that remind me of old times. Everyone knows that music can carry really strong sentimental value, but I think its something that DJs sometimes overlook (myself included). Also, no matter how into the latest trends you are, you've got to admit that our taste wasn't uniformly 100% all bad back in the day. Some of the stuff that got played was really quality music, and deserves a fresh listen, especially since dancers who aren't ancient (and crotchety old) bastards may never have heard them. So, here's my own selection of songs that bring back strong memories and tracks that will never get old in my book:

1. Swing Lover - Indigo Swing - Indigo Swing - 3:11 - 115 (You are not allowed to call yourself old school unless you can recite the introduction to this song verbatim, right now.)
2. It's Only A Paper Moon - Oscar Peterson - With Respect To Nat - 2:32 - 124 (This was the song playing week in and week out as everyone learned the lindy hop at Its All Swing Studio in Boston. It still makes me roll my eyes but I love it anyways.)
3. Oh! Babe - Lucky Millinder - Apollo Jump - 2:56 - 170 (The Love Dogs, Boston's favorite jump blues band at one time, used to do a rollicking version of this tune. Back when I was but a young pup, I remember being at a dance when Ed Scheer, the lead singer, stopped everyone in their tracks with his extended scat solo on this number.)
4. I Love Being Here With You - Ernestine Anderson - Ernestine Anderson - The Concord Jazz Heritage Series - 3:39 - 130 (Birthday jam song of choice at Monday Night Practice in Boston.)
5. St. James Infirmary - Lou Rawls - Lou Rawls Live! - 4:34 - 115 (Slick Mike, the MNP DJ for years, ended every dance with Lou Rawls. In the past year or two they have a new DJ crew there, so I'm not sure if that tradition continues.)
6. You Don't Know What Love Is - Rachelle Ferrell - First Instrument - 5:14 - 120 (This was my absolute favorite song back in the days of groove. I have a really vivid memory of dancing with my teacher, Marilee, to this song.)
7. Plenty (Feat. Erykah Badu) - Guru's Jazzmatazz - Streetsoul - 4:38 - 165 (If you started dancing in the last 6 or 7 years, you may not know this song. It may just blow your mind.)
8. Evil Gal Blues - Aretha Franklin - Aretha Sings The Blues - 2:43 - 118 (Blues Brian played this album all the time at the Wednesday night dance at MIT.)
9. Fever - Kenny Burrell & Jimmy Smith - Blue Bash! - 5:36 - 116 (Years ago, when Johnny & Becky came to Boston--you probably have no idea who they are...just picture Johnny as like the Peter Strom of the day, only he was about 5 foot 2, a very talented contact juggler, a little bit balding, and prone to wearing wife beaters. Anyways, Johnny & Becky taught a workshop and played this song over and over again, but Johnny refused to tell me who it was. It took me about 3 years to figure it out.)
10. Happy-Go-lucky Local (Night Train) - Oscar Peterson - Night Train - 5:00 - 110 (I still love the Ray Brown bass solo in this song.)
11. In the Mood - Glenn Miller - Best of the Lost Recordings & The Secret Broadcasts - 3:15 - 180 (Just to be crotchety, I enjoy pointing out that this version of In the Mood, recorded when Glenn Miller had his military band, is actually a pretty respectable piece of music.)
12. Meet Me in Uptown - The Mighty Blue Kings - Meet Me In Uptown - 2:59 - 145 (These guys were kings of Chicago at one time.)
13. Minor Swing - Django Reinhardt - Django Reinhardt 3: Minor Swing - 3:16 - 200 (Periodically I get it into my head that Stuff Smith was a better fiddler than Stephane Grappelli. And then I hear this track again and change my mind.)
14. Carioca - Artie Shaw - Self Portrait - 4:06 - 215 (People will still be dancing balboa to this tune 100 years from now.)
15. Bei Mir Bist Du Schane - Janis Siegel - Swing Kids - 4:11 - 150 (The crowning achievement of the Boston College Swing Kids was the routine we put together to this song. I think I had a Swango solo during the slow bit. Supposedly there's a video that exists to document this...)
16. Tutti Frutti - Slim Gaillard - 1938-46 - 2:38 - 170 (As you read this, there is a swing dance happening somewhere in the world, and this song is playing.)
17. Let Me Off Uptown - Roy Eldridge - Little Jazz - 3:24 - 130 (This song is a DJ's best friend, because it starts out chill, has an appealing vocal, and goes out with a lot of energy.)
18. I Want a Tall Skinny Papa - Sister Rosetta Tharpe - The Gospel of the Blues - 2:52 - 140 (I played this song last Monday and my wife pointed out to me that it will soon be her jam, in a very literal sense.)

Greatest hits of lindy hop

Jerry Almonte just posted a nice piece about a recent "greatest hits of lindy hop" set he played at Jam Cellar, the regular Tuesday night dance in D.C. As he describes it:

Most DJ’s have a stash of overplayed hits they keep in reserve if a night isn’t going for them. I thought it would be fun just the wheel them out all at once especially since I haven’t heard a bunch of them in a long time. I’m not going to pretend like this was some great challenge or anything. In fact I’m pretty sure any tone deaf moron would have been able to keep any Lindy Hop floor full by putting the playlist below on shuffle. However, the last time I did something like this was a couple of years ago, but it was at a venue that has more beginner/intermediate level dancers. Most of them hadn’t heard any of the songs at all. The fun part was watching them react, and being reminded of why certain songs are just the jam. It was like re-watching the last 10 years of social dance compressed into 2 hours.

The post includes his setlist, which brought back a lot of memories, and reminded me of songs that I never really play. Here's some notes on a couple of the songs from his set:

• Nina Simone's "My Baby Just Cares for Me" never fails to put me in a sentimental mood, since I associate it so strongly with my college swing club where I first learned charleston and lindy hop.
• It's perpetually interesting how different scenes can have such different perspectives on songs. A bunch of the tracks that Jerry lists as played out in D.C. have seldom if ever been played in Chicago. Muggy Spanier's "Sister Kate" I've played all of three times at dances, and not once in the past 2 years. I'd put money on it that none of the other regular DJs in Chicago have ever played it. It is a great track.
• Same thing with Fats Waller's "Dark Eyes." I do love that tune and played Wingy Manone's version pretty often for a while.
• Same thing with Eddie Condon's "Madame Dynamite." I used to play this all the time. Last year my dance partner won a jack & jill once to this song (see here starting at 6:43) and so lately I've avoided playing it because nothing will ever match that dance.
• "I Didn't Like It the First Time," a.k.a. "The Spinach Song" by Julia Lee & her Boyfriends. Sure its cornball novelty. But it's sure fun to play when your audience is kids from the Moody Bible Institute.
• "Jump Through the Window" by Roy Eldridge. Ever since Skye & Frida did their routine to this song, probably every DJ in the country plays this song now. I love dancing to it, but have tried to be a little bit cautious about playing it too much because I didn't want to ruin it. I've often substituted Eldridge's version of "Little Jazz" when I get the urge to play "Jump."
• The only song off Jerry's list that I find really annoying is Ella doing "Smooth Sailing." It just grates on me. Please don't play it. Everything else I'm cool with and would actually love to hear given more air around town.

Fizz 9/13/2010

I had the early set at Fizz last night. I felt like I was kind of all over the place, but in the end I was reasonably happy with this set. I played a couple of streaks--several songs in a row by the same artist, but with a variety of feels. I ended up playing 4 (!) Ellington tracks, which is unusual for me. My friend John (affectionately known as DJ Puppy) was in the booth with me, watching over my shoulder and suggesting tracks. Some of the picks below are his.

Here's the BPM sparkline and frequency distribution (a long-tailed distribution for once! nice and symmetric too), and here's the run-down:

1. I Don't Care Who Knows - Catherine Russell - Sentimental Streak - 3:18 - 125
2. Pick-a-Rib - The Bob Wilber & Dany Doritz Quintet - Memories of you : Lionel and Benny - 3:03 - 155
3. Stuffy - Jonathan Stout & His Campus Five - Jammin' the Blues - 3:46 - 150
4. Savoy Blues - Duke Heitger - Duke Heitger's "Krazy Kapers" - 4:11 - 100
5. Did I Remember - Stephanie Nakasian - Billie Remembered: The Classic Songs Of Billie Holiday - 3:03 - 140
6. My Blue Heaven - Django Reinhardt - Django In Rome, 1949 /1950 (Disc B) - 3:32 - 185 (For all the bal dancers)
7. Empty Glass - Lionel Hampton - Lionel Hampton Story 3: Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop - 3:07 - 140
8. The Back Room Romp - Duke Ellington - The Duke's Men: The Small Groups, Vol. 1 - 2:49 - 150
9. Ain't Misbehavin' - Kermit Ruffins - Putumayo Presents: Kermit Ruffins - 4:36 - 140
10. If You're A Viper - Helen Humes - Deed I Do - 3:41 - 100 (For Dan)
11. Little Jazz - Roy Eldridge - Little Jazz Giant - 3:06 - 140
12. Hey, Ba-Ba-Re-Bop - Lionel Hampton - Lionel Hampton Story 3: Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop - 3:21 - 140
13. Betcha Nickel - Ella Fitzgerald - My Heart Belongs to Daddy - 2:51 - 160
14. Mood Hollywood - Don Neely's Royal Society Jazz Orchestra - Radio Rhythm - 3:31 - 170
15. Blue Lou - Benny Goodman - B.G. In Hi-Fi - 2:51 - 195
16. Ballin' The Jack - Kid Ory - This Kid's The Greatest! - 3:15 - 145
17. My Blue Heaven - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Songs of New Orleans - 5:21 - 148 (Played this tune twice--whoops! Different feels though.)
18. Bli-Blip - Duke Ellington - The Blanton-Webster Band - 3:09 - 150
19. Harlem Air Shaft - Duke Ellington - Piano In the Background - 4:03 - 170 (I was on the fence about going one more with Ellington--it would have been Main Stem, which is a kick-ass track but a challenge for most dancers. Opted for Glenn Miller instead. Sigh.)
20. Jeep Jockey Jump - Glenn Miller - Inspirational Swing! - 2:13 - 200
21. Apollo Jump - Lucky Millinder - Classic Big Band Jazz - 3:26 - 145
22. Hey Sweet Potato - Buddy Johnson & His Orchestra - The Best of Buddy's - 2:43 - 130
23. Wailing Interval - Duke Ellington - The Private Collection: Volume Six, Dance Dates, California, - 3:39 - 160 (Puppy's suggestion.)
24. Boogie Woogie (I May Be Wrong) - Count Basie - The Complete Decca Recordings - 2:50 - 172
25. Behave Yourself - Benny Goodman - Benny Goodman - Small Group Recordings Vol. 3/2 (CD 06) - 3:00 - 135
26. Vibraphone Blues - Benny Goodman - Benny Goodman - 3:23 - 85
27. Georgia Grind - Louis Armstrong - Satchmo: A Musical Autobiography Disc 1 - 3:19 - 115 (Another Puppy pick.)
28. Do Your Duty - Tuba Skinny - Tuba Skinny - 3:46 - 120 (For Bob B.)
29. Bring It On Down - The Baby Soda Jazz Band - Cures Everything But The Blues - 2:34 - 175
30. Forty Days & Forty Nights - The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn - Forty Days and Forty Nights - 2:51 - 215
31. Short Dressed Gal - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - New Orleans Preservation, Vol. 1 - 2:38 - 160 (More Preservation Hall, I know. These guys are so good though.)
32. Goodnight Moon - Shivaree - I Oughtta Give You a Shot in the Head for Making Me Live in This Dump - 4:03 - 115 (This one was for a birthday jam, by request. I usually wouldn't play this, because it's both too long for a birthday jam and also it's not swing music, not even remotely. The birthday dude's friends pleaded with me to play it, and since there weren't any other birthdays that I knew of, I conceded.)
33. Fibre de verre - Paris Combo - Attraction - 3:39 - 135 (Trying to follow up the feel of the last track, but bring it back towards jazz.)
34. Soul Swinga Nova - Paul Tillotson the Love Trio - Lindy Hop Blues - 2:54 - 135 (Evidently I should be burned at the stake for playing this tune. Everybody's a critic.)
35. Fiddle Dee Dee - Lionel Hampton - Lionel Hampton Story 1: Hot Mallets - 2:39 - 195 (For Thea.)