First Friday at Big City Swing 5/7/2010

Whew. Last night at Big City Swing was FUN. Lots of beginners, lots of seasoned dancers, some out-of-town friends, and weather that wasn't too hot. (And some generous folks who had BYOB'ed.) FUN! I'll leave it at that.

My friend Bob played the first set downstairs, until about 10:30. Here's what I played from 10:30 to about 12:15 a.m. (Here's the BPM sparkline and frequency distribution.)

1. Papa What Are You Trying To Do To Me I've Been Doing It For Myself - Randy Sandke - The Re-Discovered Louis & Bix - 3:49 - 200 (I'd had a request for a charleston number.)
2. I'm Alone Because I Love You - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Live @ D.B.A. - 3:29 - 150
3. Ballin' The Jack - Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band - This Kid's The Greatest! - 3:15 - 145
4. One Monkey Don't Stop No Show - Big Maybelle - The Okeh Rhythm & Blues Story 1949-1957 - 2:50 - 125 (I wanted to do a long build starting with the next tune, using classic big band. Lavay provided a transition to that sort of sound.)
5. Miss Brown To You - Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers - Miss Smith To You! - 2:58 - 130
6. Little Jazz - Roy Eldridge - Little Jazz Giant - 3:06 - 140
7. Ridin' And Jivin' - Earl Hines - Rosetta - 2:39 - 155
8. Sent For You Yesterday - Count Basie - The Complete Decca Recordings - 2:58 - 165
9. Posin' - Jimmie Lunceford - Jukebox Hits 1935-1947 - 3:01 - 190 (Peak of the build, but this song has more of a relaxed playful energy to it, rather than driving or big. I wanted to go out big, so I backed off the tempo a bit...)
10. Jump Session - Slim Gaillard - 1938-1939 - 2:35 - 160 (Then bumped it back up with something more energetic.)
11. Minor Swing - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Give Me Your Telephone Number - 3:41 - 195
12. No Regrets - Stephanie Nakasian - Billie Remembered: The Classic Songs Of Billie Holiday - 2:52 - 130
13. Don't Be That Way - Lionel Hampton - Lionel Hampton Story 1: Hot Mallets - 2:35 - 132
14. As Long As I Live - Catherine Russell - Inside This Heart of Mine - 3:33 - 120
15. Easy Does It - Paul Tillotson the Love Trio - Lindy Hop Blues - 2:57 - 130
16. Bizet Has His Day - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Ain't No School Like the Old School - 3:43 - 155 (This is a really cool recording off Solomon's latest album, which is due out soon.)
17. Solid As A Rock - Count Basie - Count Basie Et Son Orchestre 1950-1951 - 3:03 - 135
18. The Back Room Romp - Duke Ellington - The Duke's Men: The Small Groups, Vol. 1 - 2:49 - 150
19. Buzz-Buzz-Buzz - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 2:27 - 160
20. Gettin' In The Groove - Al Cooper's Savoy Sultans - Al Cooper's Savoy Sultan: 1938-1941 - 2:58 - 140 (I played the wrong version of this tune--I meant to play the Panama Francis version, recorded 35 years after this one, and much less scratchy.)
21. Summit Ridge Drive - Artie Shaw - His First Three Bands: 1936-1940 - 3:19 - 125
22. Smile - Asylum Street Spankers - My Favorite Record - 3:54 - 140 (Novelty music, but the room seemed ready for it.)
23. It's Love Baby (24 Hours a Day) - Erbie Bowser, T.D. Bell, and the Blues Specialists - Down Home Saturday Night - 4:13 - 125 (There were audible shrieks of delight when I played this tune. Not kidding.)
24. You Can Have My Husband - Koko Taylor - The Earthshaker - 2:47 - 130
25. Put A Lid On It - Squirrel Nut Zippers - Hot - 2:39 - 198
26. My Blue Heaven - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Songs of New Orleans - 5:21 - 148
27. Yacht Club Swing - Echoes of Swing - Harlem Joys - 3:19 - 160
28. Life Begins When You're In Love - Billie Holiday - Lady Day: The Master Takes And Singles - 3:02 - 180 (This was going to be my last official song of the night, since it was midnight. I kept going, but took license to play whatever the heck I wanted to.)
29. Callin' Your Bluff - Mills Blue Rhythm Band - Mills Blue Rhythm Band: 1933-1936 - 3:00 - 190
30. Rockin' In Rhythm - Duke Ellington - Early Ellington: The Complete Brunswick and Vocalion Recordings, 1926-1931 - 3:02 - 185
31. Beyond The Sea - Royal Crown Revue - Mugzy's Move - 3:48 - 125 (Throwback tune, I thought the folks that were still there would enjoy it.)
32. T'Ain't No Use - Stuff Smith - Time And Again - 3:34 - 107 (My friend Carlos turned me on to this one.)
33. Chant Of The Groove - Fats Waller - Fats Waller 1941 - 3:05 - 185