My jazz can beat up your jazz

Heh. I just found Glenn Crytzer's blog. Crytzer is a musician and band leader from Seattle, a guy who is really interested in swing-era jazz. It's great stuff, especially if you (like me) want to learn more about swing music. His passion comes through really clearly, as does his sharp tongue:

"I just like to move to the music, I don't really care what it is" doesn't equate to "I'm a free spirit and just love the feeling of movement, all music is wonderful cause it's amazing", it actually equates to "Shucks Ma, why's I got to learn to read, I just likes lookin at the picters." If you're not dancing to the music (or not deliberately dancing NOT to the music for our modern dance friends), you're not dancing, you're just moving around - take an aerobics class.

Zing! I'd recommend starting here, with an enlightening posts about what makes swing music swing music. Then here, with an explanation of the contrast between different styles of jazz (trad. jazz, swing, bebop, etc.).