First Friday at Big City Swing 2/5/2010

It was a PACKED house at Big City last night--two beginner lessons going (both featuring everyone's favorite: the mini-dip), a couple out-of-towners in for the blues workshops the next day, and an enthusiastic crowd throughout the evening made for a fun night. I was back and forth between the first and second floors for the first part of the evening, and I thought both DJs (Bob downstairs and Nathan upstairs) did an exemplary job, hitting the perfect vibe for the night. I took over downstairs around 10:30. See my set notes below (along with BPM sparkline and frequency distribution). I started out trying to stick to mini-sets all in a particular style of music, but didn't exactly keep that up all night.

1. Ballin' The Jack - Earl Hines - Live Broadcasts From The Hangover Club - 4:00 - 145 (This one and the following two are what I would call Chicago-style small groups.)
2. The Dark Town Strutter's Ball - Sid Phillips - Ridin' High - 3:04 - 195 (Bigs liked this one.)
3. Life Begins When You're In Love - Billie Holiday - Lady Day: The Master Takes And Singles - 3:02 - 180
4. Afternoon Of A Moax - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - Swing Street Strut - 3:24 - 130 (moving into big band here and the next two)
5. Good Evenin' Good Lookin' (Helen Forrest, Vocals) - Benny Goodman - Benny Goodman - 3:10 - 150
6. Troubled - Glenn Miller with Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra - The Glenn Miller Story Vol. 1-2 - 2:45 - 185 (This song has an intense, dark mood to it, so for the next one I thought I'd better loosen things up.)
7. Jump Session - Slim Gaillard - 1938-1939 - 2:35 - 160
8. Public Jitterbug No.1 - Cats & The Fiddle - We Cats Will Swing For You - 2:54 - 205
9. Gettin' In The Groove - Panama Francis & his Savoy Sultans - Gettin' in the groove - 3:06 - 130 (Next couple are more modern-sounding.)
10. Don't You Miss Your Baby - Jimmy Witherspoon - Jimmy Witherspoon & Panama Francis' Savoy Sultans - 3:55 - 140
11. Bei Mir Bist Du Schane - Janis Siegel - Swing Kids - 4:11 - 150 (Bei Mir ends with a big burst of energy, and the floor seemed to be feeling it, so I bumped the tempo and energy WAY up.)
12. Harlem Jump - Jack Teagarden - Casey Jones - 2:35 - 230 (It cleared the floor a little bit, but lots of folks seemed to take it in stride.)
13. Jumpin' Punkins - Duke Ellington - The Blanton-Webster Band - 3:42 - 130 (Next couple are relaxed, classic-sounding recordings.)
14. Small Fry - Adrian Rollini - Tap Room Swing - 2:49 - 120
15. There'll Be Some Changes Made - Una Mae Carlisle - Una Mae Carlisle: 1938-1941 - 2:45 - 110
16. Le Jazz Hot - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 2:44 - 140
17. Ja-Da - The Famous Castle Jazz Band - The Five Pennies - 3:07 - 150 (Moving into Dixie/New Orleans stuff here, as I often do...)
18. Short Dressed Gal - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - New Orleans Preservation, Vol. 1 - 2:38 - 160 (..but I move onto something else with the next one.)
19. Yacht Club Swing - Fats Waller - Yacht Club Swing 1938 - 3:51 - 162
20. Six Appeal - Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five - Crazy Rhythm - 3:29 - 135
21. Blooz ... First Thaingh 'Dis Moanin' - Wycliffe Gordon - Originals Only - 5:23 - 85 (There's a blues weekend with out-of-town instructors this weekend, so I thought I'd throw this one in. People didn't seem as enthusiastic about it as I expect they would be, so I move on a bit.)
22. Tears Of Joy - Janiva Magness Band - My Bad Luck Soul - 3:08 - 110
23. Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho - Sidney Bechet - Sidney Bechet: 1949 - 3:20 - 175 (This one elicited a couple of audible "Yay!"'s and "Yes!"'s)
24. Minor Swing - Django Reinhardt - Django Reinhardt 3: Minor Swing - 3:16 - 200
25. St. Louis Blues - Benny Goodman - Don't Be That Way - 3:49 - 130 (Chilling out for the end of the night.)
26. They Can't Take That Away From Me - Sarah Vaughan - Ken Burns Jazz - 2:43 - 125
27. Sermonette - Earl Grant - Singin' & Swingin': The Best Of Earl Grant - 2:42 - 125
28. Sugar In My Bowl - Miss Tess - When Tomorrow Comes - 3:15 - 105
29. That Chick's Too Young To Fry - The Prisonaires - Just Walkin' In The Rain - 1:45 - 190

Fizz setlist 1-18-2010

My first Fizz of 2010 started off on the slow side. The beginner lesson was dancing to Peggy Lee's "Fever" when I came in, so I figured I should start off on the slowish/groovy-ish side in comparison to what I'd usually play for beginners. That didn't last long, as I figured out that they seemed to respond to big band more than groovy stuff. By about 9:45, more people showed up and the room got really energetic, to the point that the crowd would take whatever I threw at them. That makes a fun night for a DJ. Here's what I played (and BPM sparkline and frequency distribution).

1. L.O.V.E. - Nat King Cole - Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 5: Wild Cool & Swingin - 2:34 - 150
2. Ja-Da - Stuff Smith - Stuff Smith/ Dizzy Gillespie/ Oscar Peterson - 4:04 - 152
3. Someday You'll Want Me To Want You - Catherine Russell - Cat - 3:13 - 145
4. Ain't Nothing To It (Waller-Kirkeby) - Fats Waller - Fats Waller 1941 - 3:12 - 135 (This song is FILTHY.)
5. Old Mother Hubbard - Ella Fitzgerald - Swingin' Ella - 2:44 - 145
6. Cabaret - Louis Armstrong - Louis Armstrong - 3:59 - 155 (Still quiet during Cabaret. People finally hit the floor on the next one.)
7. Now Or Never - Katharine Whalen - Jazz Squad - 2:13 - 165
8. Jump Session - Slim Gaillard - 1938-1939 - 2:35 - 160
9. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A letter - Jay McShann - For Dancers Only! - 3:55 - 146
10. Jersey Bounce - Ella Fitzgerald - Claps Hands, Here Comes Charlie! - 3:35 - 132
11. Soul Swinga Nova (Soul Bossa Nova) - Paul Tillotson the Love Trio - Lindy Hop Blues - 2:54 - 135
12. Flat Foot Floogee - Ray Bryant - Swing Dance Special - 2:42 - 160
13. Killin' Jive - Cats & The Fiddle - We Cats Will Swing For You - 2:50 - 180
14. Oh! Babe - Lucky Millinder - Apollo Jump - 2:56 - 170 (This song went over really well, and the crowd started being very responsive.)
15. What's Buzzin' Cousin - Cab Calloway - Are You Hep To The Jive? - 2:42 - 190
16. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) - Lionel Hampton - Lionel Hampton Story 1: Hot Mallets - 3:15 - 180
17. Jeep Jockey Jump - Glenn Miller - Inspirational Swing! - 2:13 - 200
18. Smack Dab In The Middle - George Gee - Swingin - 3:00 - 142
19. Sent For You Yesterday And Here You Come Today - Benny Goodman - B.G. In Hi-Fi - 3:05 - 155
20. Cavernism - Mora's Modern Rhythmists - Mr. Rhythmist Goes To Town - 3:24 - 185 (This song went over way better than I expected. Note for future reference.)
21. Minor Swing - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Give Me Your Telephone Number - 3:41 - 195 (This one was by request. I therefore felt entitled to play the next one.)
22. Roll 'Em Pete - Count Basie - Count Basie at Newport - 3:00 - 215
23. On Revival Day - Lavern Baker - Precious Memories / LaVern Sings Bessie Smith - 3:16 - 143
24. Sweet Mama Tree Top Tall - The Deep River Boys - London Harmony - 2:28 - 158 (Out on a limb a bit here, but it seemed to go over well.)
25. Georgia Grind - Louis Armstrong - Satchmo: A Musical Autobiography Disc 1 - 3:19 - 115 (Time to go to New Orleans on this one and the next three.)
26. Ballin' The Jack - Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band - This Kid's The Greatest! - 3:15 - 145
27. At Georgia Camp Meeting - Bunk Johnson/Lu Watters - Bunk and Lu - 3:28 - 175
28. Wake Up Neesie - Kermit Ruffins - Big Easy - 5:50 - 130 (I knew I should move into a blues-ier sound here. The next couple fit that bill, while still being very high energy.)
29. Let The Good Times Roll - Linda Hopkins - Wild Women Blues - 3:26 - 140
30. My Bad Luck Soul - Janiva Magness Band - My Bad Luck Soul - 2:10 - 160
31. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby - Louis Jordan - Louis Jordan And His Tympani Five, Volume 1 - 2:45 - 135 (Next couple tracks feature guitars. I don't really know why I went here.)
32. Honeysuckle Rose - Twin Cities Hot Club - Twin Cities Hot Club - 4:47 - 140
33. Four Or Five Times - Jimmy Noone - Jimmy Noone - 3:08 - 160
34. Life Begins When You're In Love - Billie Holiday - Lady Day: The Master Takes And Singles - 3:02 - 180
35. Tippin' In - Erskine Hawkins And His Orchestra - Jukebox Hits 1940-1950 - 3:20 - 150
36. Sermonette - Earl Grant - Singin' & Swingin': The Best Of Earl Grant - 2:42 - 125 (Finishing slow, since my tempo was pretty high most of the night.)
37. Southern sunset - Swing Parade South - Hommage a Sidney Bechet - 3:32 - 105
38. Sugar In My Bowl - Miss Tess - When Tomorrow Comes - 3:15 - 105

3rd Fizziversary: Top Hits 2007-2009

Continuing my look back at 3 years worth of sets at Fizz, here is the list you've all been waiting for: most-played single tracks over the past three years. These tracks aren't necessarily the best music I've ever played, but they are all reliable, fun dance tunes. I think the list gives a certain sense of what music has really worked for me at Fizz. Some of these songs have been consistent favorites, while others were tunes that I played the hell out of for a year, then laid off. Here's the top ten (well, #1 is definitely #1, #2 and #3 are tied, and #4 through #10 are tied):

1. It's You Who Taught It to Me - Fats Waller - The Unique Mr. Waller - 2:42 - 160 (12 plays)
   
2. Keepin' Outta Mishif Now - The Carling Family - 20th Jubilee - 3:32 - 120 (10 plays)
3. All of Me - Twin Cities Hot Club - Twin Cities Hot Club - 4:10 - 165 (10 plays)
4. Solid as a Rock - Ella Fitzgerald - Swingin' Ella - 3:00 - 145 (9 plays)
5. Come On Over to My House - Jay McShann - Jumpin' the Blues - 2:52 - 145 (9 plays)
6. I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby - Louis Armstrong - Satch Plays Fats - 4:28 - 160 (9 plays)
7. On Revival Day - LaVern Baker - LaVern Sings Bessie Smith - 3:16 - 140 (9 plays)
8. Shine On Harvest Moon - Pete Fountain - Pete Fountain and the Kings of Dixieland - 2:52 - 160 (9 plays)
9. Don't You Miss Your Baby -Jimmy Witherspoon - Jimmy Witherspoon & Panama Francis' Savoy Sultans - 3:55 - 140 (9 plays)
   
10. Fibre de Verre - Paris Combo - Attraction - 3:39 - 135 (9 plays)

And here's the top songs by year. The length varies because I list all songs that have at least 5 plays in a given year.

2007

1. For Dancers Only - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford After Dark - 2:41 - 150 (5 plays)
   
2. On Revival Day - LaVern Baker - LaVern Sings Bessie Smith - 3:16 - 140 (5 plays)
3. I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby - Louis Armstrong - Satch Plays Fats - 4:28 - 160 (5 plays)
4. Shine On Harvest Moon - Pete Fountain - Pete Fountain and the Kings of Dixieland - 2:52 - 160 (5 plays)
5. Boogie Woogie - Tommy Dorsey - The Fabulous Swing Collection - 3:07 - 145 (5 plays)

2008

1. It's You Who Taught It to Me - Fats Waller - The Unique Mr. Waller - 2:42 - 160 (7 plays)
2. I Don't Care Who Knows - Catherine Russell - Sentimental Streak - 3:18 - 125 (5 plays)
3. All of Me - Twin Cities Hot Club - Twin Cities Hot Club - 4:10 - 165 (5 plays)

2009

1. Don't You Miss Your Baby - Jimmy Witherspoon - Jimmy Witherspoon & Panama Francis' Savoy Sultans - 3:55 - 140 (7 plays)
2. My Bucket's Got a Hole in It - Papa Bues Viking Jazz Band - Live in Copenhagen - 3:36 - 135 (6 plays)
3. Moten Swing - Barney Kessel - To Swing or Not to Swing - 3:57 - 160 (5 plays)
4. Stay Cool - Count Basie - Blues By Basie/One O'Clock Jump - 3:12 - 155 (5 plays)
5. It's You Who Taught It to Me - Fats Waller - The Unique Mr. Waller - 2:42 - 160 (5 plays)
6. Easy Does It - The Paul Tillotson Love Trio - Lindy Hop Blues - 2:57 - 130 (5 plays)
7. Shotgun Boogie - The Paul Tillotson Love Trio - Lindy Hop Blues - 2:55 - 165 (5 plays)
8. Somebody Loves Me - Stuff Smith - Cat on a Hot Fiddle - 3:42 - 150 (5 plays)
9. Down South Camp Meeting - Svend Asmussen - Still Fiddling - 3:41 - 145 (5 plays)

3rd Fizziversary: Top Tunes

Continuing my look back at 3 years worth of sets from Fizz (1,375 tracks over 40 nights of mouse-jockeying), I thought I'd take a look at the most popular tunes I played, regardless of the artist. When I get hooked on a song, I often go searching for other renditions of the same tune. Playing versions of a song other than the one that folks are most accustomed to can help keep things fresh and interesting, even though the song may be a standard. So, over the past three years, my favorite tunes have been:

1. All of Me (20 plays, versions by Della Reese, Dick Hyman, Helen O'Connell, Louis Armstrong, Twin Cities Hot Club)
2. Ain't Misbehavin' (16 plays, versions by Benny Goodman, Kermit Ruffins, Fats Waller, Sidney Bechet))
3. Honeysuckle Rose (15 plays, versions by Anita O'Day, Twin Cities Hot Club, Django Reinhardt, Katherine Davis, Louis Armstrong)
4. Sent for You Yesterday (14 plays, versions by Benny Goodman, Count Basie)
5. For Dancers Only (12 plays, versions by The Solomon Douglas Swingtet, Junior Mance, The American Jazz Orchestra, Jimmie Lunceford)
6. It's You Who Taught It to Me (12 plays, all from Fats Waller)
7. Flying Home (11 plays, versions by Charlie Barnet, Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman)
8. Moten Swing (11 plays, versions by Barnie Kessel, Oscar Peterson)

I think this is a pretty interesting list. The number 1 song happens to be the tune that my wife and I used for our first dance at our wedding. It's disappointing that other versions of Moten Swing didn't make the list, like the Count Basie or Jay McShann recordings.

3rd Fizziversary: Top Albums

Continuing my look back at 3 years worth of sets from Fizz, here are the albums I had in heaviest rotation:

1. Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford After Dark (30 plays)
2. Fats Waller - The Unique Mr. Waller (28)
3. Benny Goodman - B.G. in Hi-Fi (24)
4. The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Give Me Your Telephone Number (21)
5. Ella Fitzgerald - Swingin' Ella (18)

And here's how things break down by year:

2007

1. The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Give Me Your Telephone Number (15)
2. Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford After Dark (13)
3. Benny Goodman - B.G. in Hi-Fi (12)
4. Duke Ellington - Sophisticated Lady (10)
5. George Gee - Swingin' (10)
   
6. The Fabulous Swing Collection (10)

2008

1. Fats Waller - The Unique Mr. Waller (13)
2. Benny Goodman - B.G. in Hi-Fi (10)
3. Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford After Dark (10)
4. Jay McShann - Jumpin' the Blues (7)
   
5. Twin Cities Hot Club - Twin Cities Hot Club (7)
6. Cats & the Fiddle - We Cats Will Swing for You (7)

2009

1. The Paul Tillotson Love Trio - Lindy Hop Blues (13)
2. Fats Waller - The Unique Mr. Waller (9)
3. Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford After Dark (7)
4. Jimmy Witherspoon - Jimmy Witherspoon with Panama Francis' Savoy Sultans (7)
5. Solomon Douglas - Live at the Legion (7)

I think it's interesting that Paul Tillotson & Solomon Douglas both made the list in 2009. Tillotson's album has several tracks on it that have become standby/emergency-floor-fillers for me. And Solomon's album is just really good--it has a wide variety of interesting, danceable tunes.

I also looked at things from a slightly different perspective, to get a sense of my "most valuable albums." I did this by counting the number of unique tracks on a given album that have been played during my sets. The winners:

1. The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Give Me Your Telephone Number (10 tracks played, out of 17 on this disc)
2. Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford After Dark (9 of 28 on this double-disc set)
3. Benny Goodman - B.G. in Hi-Fi (8 of 20 on this disc)
4. Count Basie - America's #1 Band (7 of 90 in this 4-CD boxed set)
5. Jay McShann - Jumpin' the Blues (7 of 50 on this double-disc)
6. The Fabulous Swing Collection (7 of 15 on this compilation album)
7. Fats Waller - The Unique Mr. Waller (7 of 20 on this disc)
8. Duke Ellington - Sophisticated Lady (6 of 19 on this disc)

I'd recommend any of these albums if you are looking to build up your collection.

3rd Fizziversary: Top Played Artists

Today, January 15th, 2010, marks 3 year since my first set at Fizz. I thought I'd celebrate that momentous milestone in my own inimitably geeky way: by analyzing 3 years of set lists, as posted on this blog of course. I've got a data set with all 40 sets and 1,375 tracks I've played at Fizz (plus or minus a couple, since in the early days I had some trouble with my software not logging all the tracks I played), including artist, album, time, and BPM information. Over the next couple posts, I'll look at the artists, albums, and tracks that I played most often--it'll be a bit like my own personal Billboard charts.

To kick things off, here are the top 12 artists that I played most frequently over the past 3 years:

1. Benny Goodman (59 plays)
2. Ella Fitzgerald (58)
3. Count Basie (45)
4. Fats Waller (43)
5. Louis Armstrong (42)
6. Duke Ellington (37)
7. Jimmie Lunceford (37)
8. Artie Shaw (31)
9. The Boilermaker Jazz Band (28)
10. Lionel Hampton (22)
11. Sidney Bechet (22)
12. Jay McShann (21)

Taken together, these 12 artists represent 32% of all the music I played at Fizz. No surprises here really--more just a confirmation that my leaning is decidedly towards big band and other swing-era music. Breaking it down by year tells basically the same story:

2007: Ella Fitzgerald (26), Benny Goodman (20), The Boilermakers (18), Duke Ellington (18)
2008: Ella Fitzgerald (19), Fats Waller (19), Benny Goodman (16)
2009: Benny Goodman (23), Count Basie (20), Louis Armstrong (16)

The only minor surprise here is that the Paul Tillotson Love Trio sneaks in to a tie for 4th in 2009 with 13 plays, along with Ella Fitzgerald and Fats Waller.

(The way I scored things above, an artist gets a point every time I play one of their tracks, so Paul Tillotson would get 13 plays regardless of whether I play the same tune 13 times or 13 different tunes once each. If instead I count the number of unique titles I've played by an artist, the results come out basically the same. Benny Goodman still comes out as number 1, with 24 unique titles; Basie and Ella are tied for second; and most of the remaining top 12 are the same.)

First (Second) Friday at Big City Swing 1/8/2010

Whoa what a night at Big City last night. 80 people showed up for the beginner lesson, so they had to be split between two floors. The place was jammed for most of the night--past 11 p.m., when a little more space cleared and you could almost maybe swing out. The crowd's energy was awesome--it made for a really fun night. Plus there were some out-of-towners there (from Madison and Indianapolis) who were a lot of fun to watch and dance with.

I played from a little before 9:00 to around 10:30, when my friend Bob took over (and did a great job keeping the night rolling). Here's my set (plus BPM sparkline and frequency distribution):

1. The Spinach Song - Julia Lee & Her Boy Friends - Kansas City's First Lady Of The Blues - 2:59 - 160
2. Sent For You Yesterday - George Gee - If Dreams Come True - 3:32 - 165
3. What's Buzzin' Cousin - Cab Calloway - Are You Hep To The Jive? - 2:42 - 190
4. Strictly Jive - Chick Webb - Stomping At The Savoy - 3:19 - 170
5. Betcha Nickel - Ella Fitzgerald - My Heart Belongs to Daddy - 2:51 - 160
6. My Baby's Sweet - Stompy Jones - The Swing Session - 3:08 - 155
7. 5-10-15 Hours - Blue Harlem - Talk To Me - 3:17 - 130
8. My Bad Luck Soul - Janiva Magness Band - My Bad Luck Soul - 2:10 - 160
9. Shotgun Boogie - Paul Tillotson the Love Trio - Lindy Hop Blues - 2:55 - 165
10. Minor Swing - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Give Me Your Telephone Number - 3:41 - 195
11. Ballin' The Jack - Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band - This Kid's The Greatest! - 3:15 - 145
12. Jump Through The Window - Roy Eldridge - Little Jazz Giant - 2:44 - 145
13. All Right, Okay, You Win - Count Basie - Count Basie at Newport - 2:45 - 145
14. One O'Clock Jump - Benny Goodman - An Anthology Of Big Band Swing 1930-1955 - 3:10 - 177
15. Come On Over To My House - Jay McShann - Jumpin' The Blues - 2:52 - 145
16. Four Or Five Times - Jimmy Noone - Jimmy Noone - 3:08 - 160
17. Gettin' In The Groove - Panama Francis & his Savoy Sultans - Gettin' in the Groove (Paris 1971) - 3:06 - 130
18. Shiny Stockings - Count Basie - April In Paris - 5:17 - 120
19. Cool Kind Of Poppa - Mildred Anderson - Person To Person - 2:57 - 140
20. Vine Street Boogie - Jay McShann - Jumpin' The Blues - 2:37 - 155
21. Chant Of The Groove - Fats Waller - Fats Waller 1941 - 3:05 - 185
22. Ochi Chornya - Wingy Manone - Wingy Manone: 1940-1944 - 2:54 - 165
23. Perdido Street Blues - Louis Armstrong - The Complete Decca Studio Master Takes 1940-1949 - 3:08 - 145
24. I'm Alone Because I Love You - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Live @ D.B.A. - 3:29 - 150
25. Shine On Harvest Moon - Pete Fountain - Dixieland's Kings - 2:50 - 160
26. Home To Mississippi - Otis Spann - Otis Spann: Best Of The Vanguard Years - 3:30 - 130