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.