First Friday at Big City Swing 7/2/2010

Last night at Big City was kind of an odd night. It was pretty hot & sweaty (Big Sweaty Swing!), so after the beginner lesson people gradually drifted upstairs, where the air conditioning was stronger. By about 10 p.m., there was hardly anyone dancing downstairs, and I was playing for an empty room. Someone came up and requested "At Last," which isn't something I get asked for very often (or ever), but I figured why not, since there wasn't anyone else dancing. (I also made the mistake of asking the guy and the girl who was with him whether they were getting married, since At Last is such a common first dance song. I figured they might be taking wedding dance at Big City, and wanted to practice to the song they'd picked. But evidently not. I got blank stares, followed by an embarrassing silence. Whoops.)

So here's the music I played, some of which was played to a basically empty room. (And here's the sparkline and frequency distribution.)

1. Stompin' At The Savoy - Benny Goodman - B.G. In Hi-Fi - 3:15 - 150
2. Old Mother Hubbard - Ella Fitzgerald - Swingin' Ella - 2:44 - 145
3. Tuxedo Junction - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Ain't No School Like the Old School - 3:14 - 155
4. Choo Choo Ch' Boogie - Louis Jordan & His Tympani Five - Jukebox Hits Volume 1 1942-1947 - 2:45 - 165
5. Baby Drives Me Wild - The Mighty Blue Kings - Meet Me In Uptown - 2:18 - 170
6. A Woman's Intuition - Stompy Jones - Stompy Jones - 3:17 - 140
7. My Blue Heaven - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Songs of New Orleans - 5:21 - 148
8. All Of Me - Frank Sinatra - The Essential Frank Sinatra (The Columbia Years) - 2:40 - 130
9. Sure, Had A Wonderful Time - Louis Jordan - Louis Jordan And His Tympani Five, Volume 1 - 3:00 - 135
10. It's Been So Long - Duke Heitger And His Swing Band - Rhythm Is Our Business - 3:34 - 155
11. Shotgun Boogie - Paul Tillotson the Love Trio - Lindy Hop Blues - 2:55 - 165
12. Jump, Jive, An' Wail - Louis Prima - Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 5: Wild Cool & Swingin - 3:31 - 200
13. When I Take My Sugar to Tea - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Jump for Joy - 4:00 - 165
14. Someday You'll Want Me To Want You - Catherine Russell - Cat - 3:13 - 145
15. Did I Remember - Stephanie Nakasian - Billie Remembered: The Classic Songs Of Billie Holiday - 3:03 - 140
16. Gettin' In The Groove - Panama Francis & his Savoy Sultans - Gettin' in the groove (Paris 1971) - 3:06 - 130
17. Apollo Jump - Lucky Millinder - Classic Big Band Jazz - 3:26 - 145
18. Duke's Place - Ella Fitzgerald - Something To Live For - 4:13 - 140
19. Twenty-Four Robbers - Fats Waller - The Unique Mr. Waller - 2:45 - 190
20. For Dancers Only - John Lewis, The American Jazz Orchestra - The Music Of Jimmie Lunceford - 4:34 - 145
21. At Last - Barbara Morrison - Live At The Dakota, Volume 2 - 6:37 - 50
22. The Feeling Music Brings - Susan Tedeschi - Austin City Limits: Live From Austin, TX - 5:20 - 120
23. That's Rhythm - Rex Stewart - Jazz Foundations, Vol. 62 - Rex Stewart - 2:52 - 145
24. Taking a Chance on Love - Anita O'Day - Anita Sings the Most - 2:24 - 135
25. Little Jazz - Roy Eldridge - Little Jazz Giant - 3:06 - 140
26. Swinga-Dilla Street - Echoes of Swing - Harlem Reflections - 4:24 - 155
27. Mood Hollywood - Don Neely's Royal Society Jazz Orchestra - Radio Rhythm - 3:31 - 170
28. I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby - Louis Armstrong - Satch Plays Fats - 4:41 - 160
29. Singin' the Blues Till My Daddy Comes Home - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Live at the Legion - 3:25 - 128