First Friday at Big City Swing 6/2/2012

Last night was another jam-packed First Friday at Big City--the house was packed with lots of very talented and enthusiastic dancers. Like last month, fellow DJ and co-blogger Bob and I spent the better part of the evening trading 3 or 4 songs back and forth. One of these times, we'll try to get a record of the entire back-and-forth, rather than just my half of it. I've marked the points where Bob took over, as best I can remember. Here's the usual BPM sparkline and histogram, and here's my tunes:

• Jump Session - Slim Gaillard - 1938-1939 - 2:35 - 160
• Short Dressed Gal - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - New Orleans Preservation, Vol. 1 - 2:38 - 160
• Let Me Give You All My Love - Stompy Jones - The Swing Session - 2:29 - 160
• All Night Long - The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn - Permanent Magic - 2:48 - 170
• Cherokee - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - The Fabulous Swing Collection - 3:21 - 180
• I Never Knew - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Give Me Your Telephone Number - 3:32 - 190
• Bei Mir Bist Du Schane - Janis Siegel - Swing Kids - 4:11 - 150
• Honeysuckle Rose - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 3:59 - 150
• Let The Good Times Roll - Linda Hopkins - Wild Women Blues - 3:26 - 140
• Blues In Hoss' Flat - Duke Ellington Orchestra & Count Basie Orchestra - Duke Ellington Meets Count Basie - 3:14 - 144
• Two O'Clock Jump - Harry James - Harry James and His Big Band - 2:19 - 150
  (Bob played a few)
• Bli Blip - Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra - Live In Swing City: Swingin' With Duke - 3:16 - 135
• Love Me or Leave Me - Banu Gibson - Let Yourself Go - 3:07 - 165
• All Of Me - Twin Cities Hot Club - Twin Cities Hot Club - 4:10 - 165
  (Bob played a few)
• T'aint No Use - Benny Goodman - Benny Goodman - 2:45 - 155
• It's You Who Taught It To Me - Fats Waller - The Unique Mr. Waller - 2:42 - 160
• Ballin' The Jack - Eddie Condon - We Called It Music - 2:18 - 180
  (Bob played a few)
• Bennie's Bugle - 4Beat6 - The band that plays the music of Benny Goodman - 3:01 - 195
• Jeep Jockey Jump - The Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra - Swingin' The Century - 2:51 - 209
• Honeysuckle Rose - Louis Armstrong - Satch Plays Fats - 2:56 - 170
  (Bob played a few)
• Mr. Gee - Tab Smith - Top 'n' Bottom - 2:49 - 115
• The Darktown Strutters' Ball - Alberta Hunter - Amtrak Blues - 5:23 - 150
• T'aint What You Do - Sy Oliver - Yes Indeed - 3:02 - 165
  (Bob played a few)
• 8, 9 And 10 - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 2:43 - 175
• Put A Lid On It - Davina & The Vagabonds - Live @ The Times - 3:13 - 170
• Rosetta - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Ol' New Orleans Home - 3:36 - 205
  (Bob played a few)
• When I Get Low - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 5:27 - 105
• Wailing Interval - Duke Ellington - The Private Collection: Volume Six, Dance Dates, California, - 3:39 - 160
• Jump For Joy (Alternate Take) - Duke Ellington - The Blanton-Webster Band - 2:56 - 190  (for Tom, though Mary seemed to like it too.)
• Main Stem - Duke Ellington - The Blanton-Webster Band - 2:48 - 206 (This quickly turned into a jam...)
• Everybody Loves My Baby (cut) - Fritzel's New Orleans Jazz Band - Vol. 2 - 2:43 - 220  (...which continued...)
• Big Apple Contest - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Swingmatism - 2:57 - 210 (...right into the Big Apple, by request. After which, Bob played a few.) 
  
• One Monkey Don't Stop No Show - Big Maybelle - The Okeh Rhythm & Blues Story 1949-1957 - 2:50 - 125
• Shake That Thing - Willie Mabon - The Comeback - 3:33 - 120
• Baby Won't You Please Come Home - The Smoking Time Jazz Club - Quarter Note Vol. 1 - 4:08 - 110

Black Rock 5/22/2012

Last night I had the chance to DJ at the Black Rock Tavern, which has a regular Tuesday night swing dance. It was a nice change of pace for me for a couple of reasons. I don't often get to spin 3 full hours in a row, which forced me to pace myself, be a bit more deliberative than I usually am, and think about the overall flow of the evening. Change of pace also in the quite literal sense that the crowd there includes a lot of balboa dancers (who'd just had weekend workshops with some out of town instructors), so I played more 180+  BPM stuff than I would at Fizz or Big City. Finally, Black Rock has a very nice selection of beers on tap, and they are CHEAP! Three Floyd's Robert the Bruce for $3.50 makes for one happy DJ.

Here's the BPM sparkline and histogram, and here's the run-down:

1. Clementine - Duke Ellington - The Blanton-Webster Band - 2:59 - 165 (Starting off with mid-tempo big band)
2. Gotta Be This Or That - Benny Goodman - Benny Goodman '45 & '47 - 3:10 - 140
3. Sent For You Yesterday And Here You Come Today - Count Basie - Ken Burns Jazz - 2:59 - 160
4. Froggy Bottom - Andy Kirk & His Clouds of Joy - Kansas City: Swing, Blues, Jive & Boogie - 3:05 - 150
5. Nice Work If You Can Get It - Billie Holiday - Lady Day: The Master Takes And Singles - 3:10 - 160
6. Life Begins When You're In Love - Billie Holiday - Lady Day: The Master Takes And Singles - 3:02 - 180  (Yes two in a row from Billie. Who would possibly complain?)
7. A Viper's Moan - Willie Bryant And His Orchestra - 1935-1936 - 3:25 - 150
8. Walk 'Em - Buddy Johnson - Jukebox Hits 1940-1951 - 2:53 - 125
9. Money's Getting Cheaper - Jimmy Witherspoon - Jimmy Witherspoon - 2:59 - 135 (Thinking that I'd shift into more of a jump blues feel...)
10. They Raided The Joint - Roy Eldridge Sextet - Little Jazz Giant - 3:18 - 145
11. Humpty Dumpty - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 2:31 - 155 (but then got side-tracked by nursery rhyme songs.)
12. A-Tisket, A-Tasket - Ella Fitzgerald - Rhythm And Romance - 2:38 - 155
13. Four Or Five Times - Lionel Hampton - All Star Sessions, Volume 2: Hot Mallets - 2:50 - 180  (Time for small-group swing)
14. Whoa Babe - Django Reinhardt - The Swing Sessions Volume 1 - 2:43 - 200
15. Honeysuckle Rose - Louis Armstrong - Satch Plays Fats - 2:56 - 170
16. Sweet Potato Fries - Gordon Webster - Live In Rochester - 4:26 - 145
17. Yacht Club Swing - Echoes of Swing - Harlem Joys - 3:19 - 160
18. Moppin' And Boppin' - Fats Waller - 100 Swing & Big Band Classics - 4:27 - 170
19. The Dipsy Doodle - Chick Webb - Stomping At The Savoy - 3:15 - 184
20. Tickle Toe - Kansas City All-Stars - KC After Dark - 3:10 - 195
21. Undecided - Ella Fitzgerald - Live At The Savoy - 1939-40 - 3:06 - 210
22. Buzz-Buzz-Buzz - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 2:27 - 160
23. Cherokee - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - The Fabulous Swing Collection - 3:21 - 180
24. Fiddle Diddle - Lionel Hampton - All Star Sessions, Volume 1: Open House - 3:27 - 140
25. Tain't What You Do - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 3:06 - 160
26. Onion - Louis Jordan - Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five, 1938-1940, Volume 1 (Disc - 2:55 - 170 (transitioning into New Testament jazz.)
27. Bli Blip - Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra - Live In Swing City: Swingin' With Duke - 3:16 - 135
28. Don't Get Around Much Anymore - Cootie Williams - Do Nothing 'Till You Hear From Me - 3:43 - 120
29. Corner Pocket - Count Basie - April In Paris - 5:07 - 140
30. Yes Indeed - Slam Stewart - Slamboree - 3:35 - 150
31. He Beeped When He Should Have Bopped - Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers - Everybody's Talkin' 'Bout Miss Thing! - 3:32 - 170
32. Minor Swing - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Give Me Your Telephone Number - 3:41 - 195 (A few more to satisfy the balboa crowd.)
33. Smoke House Rhythm - Benny Goodman - VICTOR 26107 - 2:53 - 205
34. Number Two - The Hot Club Of San Francisco - Yerba Buena Bounce - 3:42 - 180
35. Artillerie Lourde - Twin Cities Hot Club - Twin Cities Hot Club - 5:28 - 140 (Time for "modern" music.)
36. She Keeps It Up All The Time - Duke Heitger - Duke Heitger's "Krazy Kapers" - 3:11 - 110
37. You Can Have My Husband - Tuba Skinny - Six Feet Down - 3:48 - 140
38. Bring It On Down - The Baby Soda Jazz Band - Cures Everything But The Blues - 2:34 - 175
39. When I Grow Too Old To Dream - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Live @ D.B.A. - 2:55 - 190
40. Georgia Grind - Lillian Boutté - Music Is My Life - 3:32 - 145
41. Ten 'Til Five - Glenn Crytzer And His Sycopators - Harlem Mad - 2:49 - 135
42. Shake That Thing - Wynonie Harris - Risque Blues - It Ain't the Meat - 2:26 - 135
43. Ochi Chornya - Wingy Manone - Wingy Manone: 1940-1944 - 2:54 - 165
44. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby - Louis Jordan - Louis Jordan And His Tympani Five, Volume 1 - 2:45 - 135
45. Sales Tax - Leigh Barker & The New Sheiks - The Sales Tax - 3:42 - 130
46. Someday Sweetheart - David Ostwald's Gully Low Jazz Band - Blues In Our Heart - 4:52 - 110
47. Fibre de verre - Paris Combo - Attraction - 3:39 - 135
48. Junk Man - Midnight Serenaders - Hot Lovin' - 4:39 - 110
49. Down south camp meeting - Svend Asmussen - Still Fiddling - 3:41 - 145
50. Pousse-Café - Al Casey - Jumpin' With Al - 3:51 - 165
51. Exactly Like You - Casey Driscoll - Le Mer - 4:16 - 185
52. Five Foot Two - Gordon Webster - Live In Rochester - 4:04 - 210
53. Ain't Misbehavin' - Fats Waller - The Very Best of Fats Waller - 3:59 - 100

Fizz 5/21/2012

Fun times at Fizz last night. It was pretty empty until right about 9:35 p.m., when all of a sudden a huge mob of people showed up, keeping the dance floor basically full for the rest of the night. My set wasn't the biggest stretch, most interesting, inspiring, flowing, acutely attuned to the floor 2 hours I've ever played. I pretty much alternated between new music by newer bands and old music by old big bands, with not much in between. But it kept people dancing. I limited myself to just two tracks off Gordon Webster's new album, even though I'm pretty sure that few would have complained if I'd played the whole thing start to finish. (It's fantastic. Go Buy It Now.) Here's my BPM sparkline, BPM histogram, and track listing:

1. Call The Police - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Ol' New Orleans Home - 4:43 - 200
2. Boot-Ta-La-Za - Slim Gaillard - 1938-46 - 3:25 - 214
3. Four Or Five Times - Engelbert Wrobel, Chris Hopkins, Dan Barrett - Harlem 2000 - 7:44 - 140
4. The Beaver Bump - Glenn Crytzer And His Sycopators - Harlem Mad - 3:35 - 150
5. Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - An Album To Benefit Preservation Hall & The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program - 2:41 - 130
6. Soft Winds - 4Beat6 - The band that plays the music of Benny Goodman - 2:46 - 165
7. Free Eats - Count Basie And His Orchestra - 1946-1947 - 2:56 - 155
8. Sweet Georgia Brown - Benny Goodman - Very Best of Benny Goodman - 3:07 - 175
9. Le Jazz Hot - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 2:44 - 140
10. You’ve Got To See Mama Ev’ry Night - Kay Starr - The Best of The Standard Transcriptions - 1:57 - 127
11. Jump Through The Window - Roy Eldridge - Little Jazz Giant - 2:44 - 145
12. Everybody Eats When They Come To My House - Cab Calloway - Are You Hep To The Jive? - 2:46 - 155
13. Strictly Jive - Chick Webb - Stomping At The Savoy (Disc 3) - 3:19 - 170
14. Peckin' - Duke Ellington - The Duke's Men: The Small Groups, Vol. 1 - 3:09 - 160
15. It's A Sin To Tell A Lie - Billie Holiday - Lady Day: The Master Takes And Singles - 3:04 - 150
16. Jive At Five - Count Basie - Swinging The Blues: 1930-1939 - 2:46 - 172
17. Lumby - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - Essential, Vol. 2 - 2:31 - 195
18. Night Train - Gordon Webster - Live In Rochester - 3:59 - 140
19. Knock Me a Kiss - Davina & The Vagabonds - Live @ the Times - 3:25 - 120
20. Cole Slaw - Louis Jordan - Louis Jordan And His Tympani Five, Volume 1 - 2:44 - 135
21. Shake That Thing - Kid Ory - The Ultimate Jazz Archive 9: Kid Ory, Vol. 1 - 3:31 - 148
22. South - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Live at the Legion - 3:17 - 180
23. The Heebie Jeebies Are Rockin' The Town - Lionel Hampton - All Star Sessions, Volume 2: Hot Mallets - 2:46 - 135
24. Dark Eyes - Fats Waller - Happy Birthday Fats Vol. 1 - 3:22 - 160
25. You Can Have My Husband - Tuba Skinny - Six Feet Down - 3:48 - 140
26. Lazy Lazy River - Leigh Barker & The New Sheiks - The Sales Tax - 5:09 - 120
27. Satchel Mouth Baby - Catherine Russell - Strictly Romancin' - 3:19 - 130
28. Somebody Loves Me - Stuff Smith - Cat On A Hot Fiddle - 3:42 - 150
29. I Like Pie - Gordon Webster - Live In Rochester - 5:37 - 160
30. Stompin' At The Savoy - George Gee - Swingin' Away - 4:00 - 170
31. For Dancers Only - Duke Ellington - Recollections Of The Big Band Era - 3:04 - 145
32. Flying Home - Lionel Hampton - Lionel Hampton Story 2: Flying Home - 3:10 - 195

Band breaks at Friday Night of ALHC

This past weekend I covered the band breaks of the Friday evening dance at the American Lindy Hop Championships (the event's first time in Chicago).  Note in particular the song from Leigh Barker & the New Sheiks--somebody asked about it after I played it--it comes on the recommendation of dogpossum. The sets ended up only being a few songs in all, but here they are:

• Queer Street ['45] - Count Basie - America's #1 Band - 3:05 - 170
• The Back Room Romp - Duke Ellington - The Duke's Men: The Small Groups, Vol. 1 - 2:49 - 150
• Oh I'm Evil - Una Mae Carlisle - Una Mae Carlisle: 1938-1941 - 2:25 - 150
• I'm Coming Virginia - Benny Goodman - The Yale University Archives, Volume 3 - 2:09 - 170
• Chant Of The Groove - Fats Waller - Fats Waller 1941 - 3:05 - 185
• Lazy Lazy River - Leigh Barker & The New Sheiks - The Sales Tax - 5:09 - 120
• All Of Me - Twin Cities Hot Club - Twin Cities Hot Club - 4:10 - 165
• 'Tain't What You Do - Sy Oliver - Sy Oliver et son orchestre: 1949-1952 - 3:07 - 155
• Five Foot Two - Gordon Webster - Live In Rochester - 4:04 - 210
• Shake That Thing - The Smoking Time Jazz Club - Quarter Note Vol. 1 - 4:25 - 125

First Friday at Big City Swing, 5/4/2012

Still playing catch-up. This set was also off my iPod, also mostly a back-and-forth between me and my co-blogger Bob. Here's the BPM sparkline and histogram (whoa, check out the long tail!), and here's the track listing:

1. Everybody Loves My Baby - Sippie Wallace - Sippie - 3:11 - 145
2. My Blue Heaven - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Songs of New Orleans - 5:21 - 150
3. How Big Can You Get? - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - How Big Can You Get?: The Music of Cab Calloway - 4:05 - 160
4. Savoy Blues - Duke Heitger - Duke Heitger's "Krazy Kapers" - 4:11 - 200
5. All I Know - The Countdown Quartet - Sadlack's Stomp - 2:56 - 125
6. 8, 9 And 10 - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 2:43 - 175
7. Free Eats - Count Basie And His Orchestra - 1946-1947 - 2:56 - 155
8. Somebody Stole My Gal - Benny Goodman - B.G. In Hi-Fi - 3:26 - 172
9. Swingin' On Nothin' - Midnight Serenaders - Hot Lovin' - 3:50 - 200
10. Satchel Mouth Baby - Catherine Russell - Strictly Romancin' - 3:19 - 130
11. Lavender Coffin - Lionel Hampton - Lionel Hampton Story 4: Midnight Sun - 2:47 - 135
12. Blues In Hoss' Flat - George Gee - Swingin - 5:15 - 148
13. Mack The Knife - Ella Fitzgerald - Mack The Knife: The Complete Ella In Berlin (Live) - 4:39 - 140
14. Killin' Jive - Cats & The Fiddle - We Cats Will Swing For You - 2:50 - 180
15. All The Cats Join In - Benny Goodman - Benny Goodman - 4:23 - 178
16. Take The A Train - Delta Rhythm Boys - The Best Of 1940-50 - 3:06 - 150
17. All Of Me - Sidney Bechet - The Fabulous Sidney Bechet - 4:08 - 110
18. I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate - Clarence Williams - Quadromania - 2:39 - 215
19. Six-appeal - Charlie Christian - Six-appeal - 3:20 - 145
20. Sunday In New York - Bobby Darin - Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 5: Wild Cool & Swingin - 2:31 - 145
21. Tain't What You Do - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 3:06 - 160
22. Four Or Five Times - Jimmy Noone - Jimmy Noone - 3:08 - 160
23. Fiddle Dee Dee - Lionel Hampton - Lionel Hampton Story 1: Hot Mallets - 2:39 - 195
24. Everybody Loves My Baby (cut) - Fritzel's New Orleans Jazz Band - Vol. 2 - 2:43 - 220
25. Just A Closer Walk With Thee - The Smoking Time Jazz Club - Quarter Note Vol. 1 - 6:06 - 75
26. Milenberg Joys - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 3:45 - 190
27. Swingin’ The Blues - Count Basie - The Complete Decca Recordings - 2:47 - 225
28. On Revival Day - Lavern Baker - tLaVern Sings Bessie Smith - 3:16 - 143
29. Blue Drag - Allen Toussaint - The Bright Mississippi - 4:21 - 110

Fizz 4/30/2012

I'm way behind posting setlists, so I'll be short and sweet. This set from two weeks ago was entirely off my iPod, because my laptop was out of commission due to spilled tea--call it death by Darjeeling. For a large part of this set, I was trading 3's with my friend John (thanks John!). That made it way easier to spin from an iPod, since I didn't have to set up a bunch of songs in a row. I'll post the usual BPM sparkline and histogram, even though the sparkline won't make much sense because my tracks weren't all consecutive.

• Joshua - Ben Webster - Big Ben 3: 52nd Street - 3:03 - 170
• Pousse-Café - Al Casey - Jumpin' With Al - 3:51 - 165
• Blue Minor - Chick Webb - Stomping At The Savoy - 2:50 - 180
• Reefer Man - Don Redman - Doin' the New Low Down - 3:33 - 220
• I found a million dollar baby - Benny Goodman - COLUMBIA 36136 - 2:57 - 200
• Parc On Summit - Glenn Crytzer And His Sycopators - Harlem Mad - 3:11 - 180
• Hey Sweet Potato - Buddy Johnson - The Best of Buddy's - 2:43 - 130
• Shipyard Ramble - Erskine Hawkins - Riff Time (The Essence Of Swing) - 3:31 - 190
• A Viper's Moan - Mora's Modern Rhythmists - Call Of The Freaks - 3:30 - 140
• Twenty-Four Robbers - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 3:11 - 140
• Small Fry - Casey MacGill's Blue 4 Trio - Barrelhouse - 3:39 - 95
• You’ve Been A Good Ole Wagon - Ann Savoy & Her Sleepless Knights - Black Coffee - 2:45 - 115
• All the Cats Join in - Catherine Russell - Inside This Heart of Mine - 3:38 - 115
• All I Know - The Countdown Quartet - Sadlack's Stomp - 2:56 - 125
• Jump Session - Slim Gaillard - 1938-1939 - 2:35 - 160
• Yacht Club Swing - Echoes of Swing - Harlem Joys - 3:19 - 160
• How Come You Do Me? - Eddie Condon - We Called It Music - 2:51 - 110
• Knock Me a Kiss - Davina & The Vagabonds - Live @ the Times - 3:25 - 120
• My Blue Heaven - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Songs of New Orleans - 5:21 - 150
• Milenberg Joys - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 3:45 - 190
• Shake That Thing - The Smoking Time Jazz Club - Quarter Note Vol. 1 - 4:25 - 125
• Whatcha Gonna Do When There Ain't No Swing? - Catherine Russell - Strictly Romancin' - 3:26 - 120
• Let Me Off Uptown - Roy Eldridge - Little Jazz - 3:24 - 130
• Southern sunset - Swing Parade South - Hommage a Sidney Bechet - 3:32 - 105
• We've Got The Blues - The Spirits Of Rhythm - Spirits of Rhythm 1932-1941 - 3:16 - 110
• 'Tain't What You Do - Sy Oliver - Sy Oliver et son orchestre: 1949-1952 - 3:07 - 155
• Minor Swing - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Give Me Your Telephone Number - 3:41 - 195
• Mr. Rhythm - Glenn Crytzer And His Sycopators - Harlem Mad - 4:08 - 130
• Chant Of The Groove - Fats Waller - Fats Waller 1941 - 3:05 - 185
• Undecided - Ella Fitzgerald - Live At The Savoy - 1939-40 - 3:06 - 210
• Fat and Greasy - Fats Waller - Ain't Misbehavin - 3:09 - 160
• The Heebie Jeebies Are Rockin' The Town - Lionel Hampton - All Star Sessions, Volume 2 - 2:46 - 135
• Junk Man - Midnight Serenaders - Hot Lovin' - 4:39 - 110

First Friday at Big City Swing 3/2/2012

Friday night was one of the crazier First Fridays in recent memory. Perhaps it was the busload of eager high-schoolers who showed up for the lesson, maybe also the group of college students who'd driven several hours to come to the dance. Maybe the camera crew from ABC, filming a segment on swing dancing for 190 North. Or the OTHER camera crew, in from Korea to film a documentary about American jazz culture (or something like that).

Anyways, add it all up and it was pretty nutso. Despite my best efforts to drive people away (cf #22 below), the floor stayed pretty jammed all night, with the exception of the "jam" that we staged for the benefit of the cameras. (They wanted to capture the natives in their natural habitat.) I ended up playing mostly modern bands, with just a few classic swing tracks--the crowd seemed pretty new, and seemed to respond best to the brighter and crisper sounds of modern recordings. In retrospect, I wish I hadn't skewed so heavily toward new stuff. Here's the usual BPM sparkline and histogram, and here's my setlist:

1. Route 66 - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 4:24 - 150
2. All Of Me - Della Reese - Cocktail Classics - 2:01 - 160
3. Slow Boat to China - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - The Mood I'm In - 3:37 - 160
4. Mood Hollywood - Don Neely's Royal Society Jazz Orchestra - Radio Rhythm - 3:31 - 170
5. Choo Choo Ch' Boogie - Louis Jordan - Jukebox Hits Volume 1 1942-1947 - 2:45 - 165
6. Sing Me a Swing Song (And Let Me Dance) - Benny Goodman - The Birth of Swing - 2:23 - 177
7. My Blue Heaven - The Cangelosi Cards - Clinton Street Recordings, I - 4:11 - 145
8. Jersey Bounce - Bernard Berkhout - Doctor Bernard and His Swing Orchestra - 3:27 - 135
9. Rose Room - Crytzer's Blue Rhythm Band - Chasin' the Blues - 2:49 - 160
10. I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling - Louis Armstrong - Satch Plays Fats - 3:13 - 160
11. 8, 9 And 10 - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 2:43 - 175
12. Blue Drag - The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn - Permanent Magic - 3:40 - 190
13. Rosetta - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Ol' New Orleans Home - 3:36 - 205 (I love how lazy this track is, despite the tempo.)
14. A Woman's Intuition - Stompy Jones - Stompy Jones - 3:17 - 140
15. All Right, Okay, You Win - Joe Williams - The Definitive Joe Williams - 3:05 - 130 
16. Twenty-Four Robbers - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 3:10 - 140
17. Six-appeal - Charlie Christian - Six-appeal - 3:20 - 145
18. All I Know - The Countdown Quartet - Sadlack's Stomp - 2:56 - 125
19. Last Night On The Backporch - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Ol' New Orleans Home - 4:10 - 150
20. Put A Lid On It - Davina & The Vagabonds - Live @ The Times - 3:13 - 170
21. Satchel Mouth Baby - Catherine Russell - Strictly Romancin' - 3:19 - 130 (Off her new album, which is FULL of great stuff)
22. Prince Nez - Squirrel Nut Zippers - Hot - 2:53 - 180 (This song doubles in tempo midway through, topping out at about 350 bpm)
23. Lindyhopper's Delight - Chick Webb - Strictly Jive - 2:45 - 195 (Jam circle)
24. I Can't Dance I Got Ants In My Pants - The Smoking Time Jazz Club - Quarter Note Vol. 1 - 4:13 - 210 (Jam circle continued)
25. Tain't What You Do - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 3:06 - 160 (right in to shim-sham)
26. Wham (Re-Bop-Boom-Bam) - Glenn Miller - Perfect Swing - 3:36 - 165
27. Le Jazz Hot - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 2:44 - 140
28. Ridin' And Jivin' - Earl Hines - Rosetta - 2:39 - 155 (The trombone player on this track has a dirty, dirty mind.)
29. Why Don't You Do Right - Benny Goodman - Benny Goodman - 3:17 - 125
30. Swing Brother Swing - Miss Sophie Lee - Tallulah Moon - 3:55 - 165
31. Just A Closer Walk With Thee - The Smoking Time Jazz Club - Quarter Note Vol. 1 - 6:06 - 75/160 (I started this track midway through the slow section. Lots of confused looks at first, until it picked up and started to swing. I wanted to play this one not just because it's a good tune, but to make sure that Bob, who was up to DJ right after me, would be kept on his toes. Don't want to let his reflexes get too dull.)

Fat Tuesday at Black Rock Tavern, 2/21/2012

I had a blast last night spinning tunes at Black Rock Pub, in celebration of Mardi Gras. This is the second year I've been invited to DJ. Last year, I played almost exclusively artists from or associated with New Orleans. This year, I wasn't so strict--I pretty much played what seemed appropriate in the moment, though that certainly involved a fair amount of New Orleans-flavored music.

The crowd was steady from around 9:15 or 9:30 all the way through 11:30ish. They were there to dance, for reals. I played more fast music than I could possibly ever have gotten away with at Fizz. Check out the BPM sparkline and histogram. And the setlist:

1. Swing Brother Swing - Miss Sophie Lee - Tallulah Moon - 3:55 - 165
2. Sugar - Katharine Whalen - Jazz Squad - 2:57 - 182
3. It's Been So Long - Duke Heitger - Rhythm Is Our Business - 3:34 - 155
4. My Bucket's Got A Hole In It - Fritzel's New Orleans Jazz Band - Vol. 2 - 4:22 - 120
5. I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me - Sidney Bechet - Jazz in Paris - 2:40 - 145
6. Ochi Chornya - Wingy Manone - 1940-1944 - 2:54 - 165
7. A Viper's Moan - Willie Bryant And His Orchestra - 1935-1936 - 3:25 - 150
8. Honeysuckle Rose - Adrian Rollini - 1934-1938 - 2:38 - 160
9. What a Pretty Little Miss - Fats Waller - 038212  BLUEBIRD -10437 - 2:32 - 190 (The first line never fails to crack me up: "Where have I been hiding all your life?")
10. Chicago - Muggsy Spanier - An Anthology Of Big Band Swing 1930-1955 - 2:36 - 185
11. Clementine - Marty Grosz And His Hot Combination - Hooray For Bix! - 4:03 - 164 (The sound quality on this track was poor)
12. Perdido Street Blues - Louis Armstrong - The Complete Decca Studio Master Takes 1940-1949 - 3:08 - 145
13. Ya Gotta See Baby Tonight - Louis Prima - Louis Prima et son orchestre : 1945 - 2:24 - 145
14. Ain't Got No Room for the Blues - Banu Gibson - Vintage Banu - 2:46 - 125
15. How Come You Do Me Like You Do - Kid Ory - This Kid's The Greatest! - 3:23 - 120
16. Do For Myself - Meschiya Lake And The Little Big Horns - Lucky Devil - 3:24 - 180
17. I'm Alone Because I Love You - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Live @ D.B.A. - 3:29 - 150
18. Black Coffee - The Careless Lovers - Black Coffee - Single - 2:39 - 195
19. Short Dressed Gal - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - New Orleans Preservation, Vol. 1 - 2:38 - 160
20. If You're A Viper - Kermit Ruffins - The Big Butter & Egg Man - 3:08 - 170
21. Lady Be Good - Svend Asmussen - Musical Miracle Vol. 1: 1935-40 - 2:56 - 180 (Violin + vibes)
22. Fiddle Dee Dee - Lionel Hampton - Lionel Hampton Story 1: Hot Mallets - 2:39 - 195 (More violin + vibes...can I tell you like this combo?)
23. There's Rhythm In Harlem - Mills Blue Rhythm Band - 1933-1936 - 3:11 - 205
24. Georgia Cake Walk - Eddie Condon - We Called It Music - 3:06 - 165
25. Lawd, Lawd - Cecil Scott & His Bright Boys - Harlem Big Bands - 3:13 - 215
26. Minor Drag - Tuba Skinny - Garbage Man - 3:23 - 240 (240 BPM didn't seem to phase people!)
27. Heebie Jeebies - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - The Hurricane Sessions - 1:55 - 180
28. Shake That Thing - The Smoking Time Jazz Club - Quarter Note Vol. 1 - 4:25 - 125
29. Somebody Changed The Lock - Dr. John - Dr. John's Gumbo - 2:45 - 95
30. Muddy Water - Davina & The Vagabonds - Live @ the Times - 2:29 - 123
31. Banana Split for My Baby - Louis Prima - The Wildest! - 2:31 - 137
32. Comes Love - Duke Heitger - Duke Heitger's "Krazy Kapers" - 4:34 - 150
33. Tuxedo Junction - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Ain't No School Like the Old School - 3:14 - 155 (Shim-sham)
34. Milenberg Joys - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 3:45 - 190
35. Smoke House Rhythm - Benny Goodman - VICTOR 26107 - 2:53 - 205
36. Shine On Harvest Moon - Pete Fountain - Dixieland's Kings - 2:50 - 160
37. Rosetta - The Baby Soda Jazz Band - Cures Everything But The Blues - 4:34 - 165
38. All of Me - Benoit Viellefon & His Orchestra - Swing à La Mode - 3:21 - 190
39. King Porter Stomp - Kansas City All-Stars - KC After Dark - 4:38 - 170
40. Bennie's Bugle - 4Beat6 - The band that plays the music of Benny Goodman - 3:01 - 195
41. Yeah Man - Four Vagabonds - Vol. 2 (1942-1943) - 2:15 - 135
42. Who Walks In When I Walk Out? - Louis Armstrong - The Wonderful Duets - 2:21 - 135
43. Georgia Grind - Louis Armstrong - The Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings - 2:34 - 140 (I was thinking that this would be the more modern version, the duet with Velma Middleton on Satchmo: A Musical Autobiography. Ooops.)
44. Get It Southern Style - Duke Ellington - The Duke's Men: The Small Groups, Vol. 1 - 2:43 - 120
45. On The Sunny Side Of The Street - James Booker - New Orleans Piano Wizard: Live! - 3:42 - 125
46. All I Know - The Countdown Quartet - Sadlack's Stomp - 2:56 - 125
47. On Revival Day - Lavern Baker - LaVern Sings Bessie Smith - 3:16 - 143
48. Twenty-Four Robbers - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 3:10 - 140
49. Back In Your Own Backyard - Billie Holiday - A Musical Romance - 2:42 - 155 (First of a Billie Holiday two-fer.)
50. Life Begins When You're In Love - Billie Holiday - Lady Day: The Master Takes And Singles - 3:02 - 180
51. Nappin' John - Roy Eldridge & His Gramercy Five - Little Jazz Giant - 3:04 - 190
52. King Porter Stomp - Wynton Marsalis - Mr. Jelly Lord - Standard Time Vol. 6 - 3:09 - 180 (Mardi Gras=excuse to play KPS twice.)
53. Fat and Greasy - Fats Waller - Ain't Misbehavin - 3:09 - 160
54. Georgia On My Mind - Louis Armstrong - When You're Smiling - 3:25 - 105
55. Prince Nez - Squirrel Nut Zippers - Hot - 2:53 - 180 (tempo doubles to 300+ BPM at the end, just to make sure people leave.)

Fizz setlist 2/13/2012

Fun night at Fizz last night--a full, energetic crowd, good buddies in the DJ booth, and a Little Sumpin' from Lagunitas Brewery, mix 'em together and it puts me in a good mood. As you'll see below, I was also in a mood to say "Why the Hell not?" and hit play on tunes that might normally be more borderline for me. My friends Bob & Anna were tag-teaming for the second half of the evening, but unfortunately I couldn't stick around for very long.

Here's the BPM sparkline and histogram, and here's what I played:

1. Apex Blues - Jim Cullum Jazz Band - Chasin' the Blues - 4:22 - 95 
2. No Regrets - Stephanie Nakasian - Billie Remembered: The Classic Songs Of Billie Holiday - 2:52 - 130 
3. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea - Marty Grosz - Rhythm Is Our Business - 5:04 - 155 
4. Rosetta - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Nice Work If You Can Get It - 3:08 - 170 
5. Nappin' John - Roy Eldridge & His Gramercy Five - Little Jazz Giant - 3:04 - 190 
6. Swing Brother Swing - Miss Sophie Lee - Tallulah Moon - 3:55 - 165 
7. Stay Cool - Count Basie - Blues By Basie-One O'Clock Jump - 3:12 - 155 (Now commencing the "brassy big band" portion of the evening)
8. Rumble - Sy Oliver - Yes Indeed - 3:55 - 130 
9. Jersey Bounce - Bernard Berkhout - Doctor Bernard and His Swing Orchestra - 3:27 - 135 
10. The Wild Mab Of The Fish Pond - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - 1941-Transcription Performance - 2:20 - 155 
11. Flat Foot Floogee - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra - The Fabulous Benny Goodman - 3:22 - 160 
12. Wham! (Re-Bop-Boom-Bam) - Jimmie Lunceford - Lunceford Special - 2:51 - 175 
13. I Can’t Dance (I Got Ants In My Pants) - Chick Webb - Stomping At The Savoy - 3:00 - 205  (There was a time in Fizz's history where I could NOT have played this--the floor would have completely cleared. Boy have things changed.)
14. Honeysuckle Rose - Louis Armstrong - Satch Plays Fats - 2:56 - 170 
15. All Of Me - Frank Sinatra - Swing And Dance With Frank Sinatra - 2:39 - 130 
16. Who Walks In When I Walk Out? - Louis Armstrong - The Wonderful Duets - 2:21 - 135 
17. Papa De-Da-Da - The Wolverines Jazz Band Of Bern - Wolverines Of Bern At 35 - 3:32 - 115  (Working through some Dixie now.)
18. Tight Like This - Tuba Skinny - Tubaskinny - 4:28 - 125 
19. Bucket Got a Hole In It - Kid Ory - In the Forties - 2:30 - 144 
20. I'm Alone Because I Love You - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Live @ D.B.A. - 3:29 - 150 
21. Jambalaya Strut - Dr. Michael White - Dancing In The Sky - 3:46 - 165  (This one was meant as a shout-out to DJ Thor.)
22. Stealin' Apples - Glenn Miller - Best of the Lost Recordings & The Secret Broadcasts - 3:16 - 210 
23. Jump Session - Slim Gaillard - 1938-1939 - 2:35 - 160 
24. Skin 'Em Back - Skeets Tolbert - Skeets Tolbert 1931-1940 - 2:43 - 150 
25. Shout, Sister, Shout! - Sister Rosetta Tharpe - The Gospel of the Blues - 2:41 - 145  (I knew I wanted to try out #27, so I worked up to it with some other gospel-sounding tunes.)
26. Sermonette - Gordon Webster - Happy When I'm With You - 3:40 - 115
27. He Calls That Religion - The Sojourners - Things About Comin' My Way - 4:00 - 120
28. Tight Like This - Milano Jazz Gang - To Satchmo with Respect - 3:01 - 110  (Yes, I played this tune twice--see #18. But they are two very different versions. )
29. Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me - Sidney Bechet - The Fabulous Sidney Bechet - 5:43 - 145 
30. Short Dressed Gal - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - New Orleans Preservation, Vol. 1 - 2:38 - 160 
31. High Shelf Booze - Eilen Jewell - Letters from Sinners & - 3:38 - 125 
32. Baby Can Dance - Carsie Blanton - Buoy - 2:56 - 180  (This last one was a going-away jam.)

First Friday at BCS 2/3/2012

I played mp3s for a very fun, crowded dance at Big City last night. There were probably 40 enthusiastic folks there for the lesson at 8, then a bunch more showed up right around 9. Both floors were open, and a good thing too--otherwise there wouldn't have been any room. I had the first half of the evening, followed by my friend (and now co-blogger!) Bob. It was the sort of night where we could have played the Gettysburg address over and over, and the floor would have stayed full--everyone seemed like they were just itching to dance.

Several folks asked me about specific songs. If you asked about a song, see

• #21 below, by the Swedish jazz-makers the Carling Family. Their website has full mp3s of some of their music.
• #26, by San Francisco-based Gaucho, featuring vocals by Tamar Korn, formerly of the Cangelosi Cards. You can get Gaucho's albums on EMusic.

Back to my set: check out the BPM sparkline--I think it's kind of interesting because it changes amplitude. For the first part of my set, I stayed in a pretty narrow  tempo range, then later I expanded outward by quite a bit. Here's the BPM histogram for completeness, and here's the run-down of what I played:

1. Hello, Dolly! - Louis Armstrong - Ken Burns Jazz - 2:24 - 155 
2. Sent For You Yesterday And Here You Come Today - Benny Goodman - B.G. In Hi-Fi - 3:05 - 155 
3. Baby Drives Me Wild - The Mighty Blue Kings - Meet Me In Uptown - 2:18 - 170 
4. 5 Foot 2 - Davina & The Vagabonds - Songs From Thomas Ave. - 3:42 - 175 
5. Look-A There - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 2:17 - 180 
6. Mumbles' Blues - Stompy Jones - The Swing Session - 2:39 - 160 
7. Froggy Bottom - Andy Kirk & His Clouds of Joy - Kansas City: Swing, Blues, Jive & Boogie - 3:05 - 150 
8. Betcha Nickel - Ella Fitzgerald - My Heart Belongs to Daddy - 2:51 - 160 
9. Savoy - Lucky Millinder - An Anthology Of Big Band Swing 1930-1955 - 3:04 - 164 
10. Hey-Ba-Ba-Re-Bop - Lionel Hampton - The Jubilee Sessions, 1943 to 1946 - 4:27 - 170 
11. One O'Clock Jump - Count Basie - Swinging The Blues: 1930-1939 - 3:03 - 171 
12. Bizet Has His Day - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Ain't No School Like the Old School - 3:43 - 155 
13. Fortunate Love - Glenn Crytzer And His Sycopators - Harlem Mad - 2:54 - 130 
14. Dear Old Southland - Sidney Bechet - Classic Sides 1931-1937 - 3:03 - 140 
15. Bucket Got a Hole In It - Kid Ory - In the Forties - 2:30 - 144 
16. Georgia Grind - Lillian Boutté - Music Is My Life - 3:32 - 145 
17. Black Coffee - The Careless Lovers - Black Coffee - Single - 2:39 - 195 
18. Last Night On The Backporch - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Ol' New Orleans Home - 4:10 - 150 
19. Savoy Blues - Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen - Trad Jazz Masters - 3:53 - 135 
20. I Ain't Gonna Play No Second Fiddle - Lavern Baker - LaVern Sings Bessie Smith - 4:05 - 90 
21. Keepin' Out A Mishif Now - Carling Family - 20th Jubilee - 3:32 - 120 
22. Tain't What You Do - Sy Oliver - Sy Oliver et son orchestre: 1949-1952 - 3:07 - 155 
23. Let's Get Together - Duke Ellington - Recollections Of The Big Band Era - 2:37 - 175 
24. My Blue Heaven - The Rosenberg Trio - Roots - 2:54 - 210 
25. I Like Pie, I Like Cake - The Four Clefs - BLUEBIRD 8884 - 2:48 - 155 
26. Sing On (Odessa Sing On) - Gaucho - Pearl - 5:07 - 135 
27. If You'se a Viper - John Sinclair - No Money Down : John Sinclair's Greatest Hits , Volume One - 3:55 - 150 
28. Baby Can Dance - Carsie Blanton - Buoy - 2:56 - 180

Fizz setlist 1/16/2012

Fizz last night got off to a slow start. The first few folks in the door asked if the heat could be turned on (my answer: no, because body warmth would be more than enough once things got going). The early arrivals ended up dancing in sweaters for a bit, because it was around 9:40 by the time the place felt like it was in full swing and adequately warm. Thankfully, once things got going, they didn't stop--lots of very energetic dancers kept the floor crowded and the room warm. In response, I played a set that was a bit faster than normal, though I also had the chance to dip into blues tunes for a bit. I also played "My Baby Can Dance" by Carsie Blanton (singer-songwriter-dancer), since it's been going viral on Facebook, and it produced squeals and shrieks of delight. Literally.

Here's the usual BPM sparkline and histogram. And here's the tunes:

1. Nice Work if You Can Get It - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Nice Work If You Can Get It - 3:19 - 170 
2. Swingin' On Nothin' - Midnight Serenaders - Hot Lovin' - 3:50 - 200 
3. Slow and Easy - Jim Cullum Jazz Band - Chasin' the Blues - 4:03 - 190 
4. Piano Boogie - Kansas City All-Stars - KC After Dark - 2:32 - 170 
5. Rosetta - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Nice Work If You Can Get It - 3:08 - 170 
6. Dipsy Doodle - Larry Clinton & His Orchestra - G.I. Jukebox, Original Hits from the Swing Era, 1938-1946 - 3:03 - 175 
7. Nona - Erskine Hawkins, His Orchestra - Vintage Dance Orchestras No. 277 - EP: Tuxedo Junction - 2:44 - 145 
8. Bearcat Shuffle - Andy Kirk & His Clouds of Joy - 1930-1941 - 3:02 - 150 
9. Honeysuckle Rose - Louis Armstrong - Satch Plays Fats (Remaster) - 2:56 - 170 
10. Spreadin' Rhythm Around - Fats Waller - Fats Waller: 1935-1936 - 2:44 - 180 
11. In The Groove (At The Grove) - Ella Fitzgerald - Live At The Savoy - 1939-40 - 2:35 - 195 
12. Love Me or Leave Me - Banu Gibson - Let Yourself Go - 3:07 - 165 
13. Georgia Grind - Lillian Boutté - Music Is My Life - 3:32 - 145 
14. He Ain’t Got Rhythm - Bernard Berkhout - Doctor Bernard and His Swing Orchestra - 4:44 - 165 
15. Four Or Five Times - Sy Oliver - Sy Oliver et son orchestre: 1949-1952 - 3:08 - 140 
16. Shake That Thing - The Smoking Time Jazz Club - Quarter Note Vol. 1 - 4:25 - 125 
17. Someday You'll Want Me To Want You - Catherine Russell - Cat - 3:13 - 145 
18. My Blue Heaven - The Cangelosi Cards - Clinton Street Recordings, I - 4:11 - 145 
19. Some of These Days - Billie & DeDe Pierce - Gulf Coast Blues - 2:38 - 150 
20. Heebie Jeebies - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - The Hurricane Sessions - 1:55 - 180 
21. Hop, Skip And Jump - Engelbert Wröbel's Swing Society - Sophisticated Swing - 3:47 - 175 
22. When You're Smiling - Mona's Hot Four - Live at Mona's - 3:33 - 195 
23. Mr. Rhythm - Glenn Crytzer And His Sycopators - Harlem Mad - 4:08 - 130 
24. Dear Old Southland - Sidney Bechet - Classic Sides 1931-1937 (CD A) - 3:03 - 140 
25. The Harlem Stride - Ella Fitzgerald - Live At The Savoy - 1939-40 - 3:29 - 200
26. I Like Pie, I Like Cake - The Four Clefs - BLUEBIRD 8884 - 2:48 - 155 
27. Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 5:16 - 150 
28. Put A Lid On It - Davina & The Vagabonds - Live @ The Times - 3:13 - 170 
29. When I Grow Too Old To Dream - Cats & The Fiddle - We Cats Will Swing For You - 2:47 - 200 
30. Careless Love - Tuba Skinny - Tubaskinny - 4:25 - 135 
31. Money Blues - Lavern Baker - LaVern Sings Bessie Smith - 2:53 - 103 
32. My Daddy Rocks Me - Benny Goodman - Benny Goodman et son orchestre: 1945 Vol.2 - 2:48 - 100 
33. Billie's Blues - Billie Holiday - Blue Billie - 2:40 - 120 
34. Baby Can Dance - Carsie Blanton - Buoy - 2:56 - 180 
35. Shine On Harvest Moon - Pete Fountain - Dixieland's Kings - 2:50 - 160 
36. Blue Lou - Chick Webb - Jazz After Hours - 3:12 - 180 
37. Jump Through The Window - Roy Eldridge - Little Jazz Giant - 2:44 - 145 
38. I'm Alone Because I Love You - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Live @ D.B.A. - 3:29 - 150

First Friday at Big City Swing 1/6/2012

Last night's dance at Big City Swing was a lot of fun, even if the crowd wasn't as large as it has been the past few months (probably because there was a live band playing elsewhere in the city). A mix of first-timers, students, a barbershop quartet from a local high school, visitors from Europe, & well-known scenesters kept things pretty lively. Here's the bpm sparkline and histogram, and here's my set list:

1. Sent For You Yesterday - George Gee - If Dreams Come True - 3:32 - 165
2. Savoy - Lucky Millinder - An Anthology Of Big Band Swing 1930-1955 - 3:04 - 164
3. Frenesi - Artie Shaw - His First Three Bands: 1936-1940 - 3:06 - 150 (Not sure why I thought it would be a good idea to play this song early in the night, since it has lots of weird little interludes in it. One person came up to me after it was over and asked "That was a swing song?" Of course, most people danced right through the weird bits, so it could be that nobody else noticed.)
4. The Back Room Romp - Duke Ellington - The Duke's Men: The Small Groups, Vol. 1 - 2:49 - 150
5. Swinga-Dilla Street - Echoes of Swing - Harlem Reflections - 4:24 - 155
6. Put A Lid On It - Davina & The Vagabonds - Live @ The Times - 3:13 - 170
7. Bring It On Down - The Baby Soda Jazz Band - Cures Everything But The Blues - 2:34 - 175
8. Gang Busters - Cats & The Fiddle - We Cats Will Swing For You - 3:06 - 185
9. Choo Choo Ch' Boogie - Louis Jordan & His Tympani Five - Jukebox Hits Volume 1 - 2:45 - 165
10. Honey Pie - Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers - Everybody's Talkin' 'Bout Miss Thing! - 4:10 - 150
11. Old Mother Hubbard - Ella Fitzgerald - Swingin' Ella - 2:44 - 145
12. Loose Wig - Lionel Hampton - Lionel Hampton Story 2: Flying Home - 3:04 - 140
13. Good Queen Bess - Johnny Hodges & His Orchestra - Passion Flower 1940-46 - 2:59 - 160
14. Tutti Frutti - Slim Gaillard - 1938-46 - 2:38 - 170
15. Tain't What You Do - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 3:06 - 160 (By request from the barbershop quartet.)
16. One Is Never Too Old To Swing - Cats & The Fiddle - We Cats Will Swing For You - 2:55 - 210
17. Shine On Harvest Moon - Pete Fountain - Dixieland's Kings - 2:50 - 160
18. My Blue Heaven - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Songs of New Orleans - 5:21 - 150
19. Georgia Grind - Louis Armstrong - Satchmo: A Musical Autobiography Disc 1 - 3:19 - 115
20. Mr. Rhythm - Glenn Crytzer And His Sycopators - Harlem Mad - 4:08 - 130
21. Last Night On The Backporch - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Ol' New Orleans Home - 4:10 - 150
22. Let Me Off Uptown - Delta Rhythm Boys - The Best Of 1940-50 - 2:54 - 160
23. Wham! (Re-Bop-Boom-Bam) - Jimmie Lunceford - Lunceford Special - 2:51 - 175
24. Cement Mixer (Put-Ti-Put-Ti) - Jimmie Lunceford - Jukebox Hits 1935-1947 - 2:45 - 155 (The Lunceford double-header was intentional. Wanna make something of it?)
25. Ballin' The Jack - Earl Hines - Live Broadcasts From The Hangover Club - 4:00 - 145
26. Frankie & Johnny - Firehouse Five Plus Two - Firehouse Five Plus Two Story - 2:51 - 130
27. Joshua Fit the Battle - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 3:57 - 180
28. Twenty-Four Robbers - Fats Waller - The Unique Mr. Waller - 2:45 - 190
29. The Five Pennies - The Famous Castle Jazz Band - The Five Pennies - 2:52 - 205 (I'd forgotten how much fun this song is.)

First Friday at Big City Swing 12/2/2011

Another fun night of dancing and DJing for me--two in one week!--last night, this time at Big City Swing. I had the early set, followed by my friend Bob "DJ Thor." A great, lively crowd of dancers made the job easy for both of us--of course it didn't hurt that quite a few people took advantage of the BYO policy. Here's what I played (plus the usual BPM sparkline and histogram):

1. I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling - Louis Armstrong - Satch Plays Fats - 3:13 - 160
2. Moppin' And Boppin' - Fats Waller - 100 Swing & Big Band Classics - 4:27 - 170 (I cut out the first thirty seconds, which is an extended drum solo.)
3. Sent For You Yesterday - Count Basie - The Complete Decca Recordings - 2:58 - 165
4. Apollo Jump - Lucky Millinder - Classic Big Band Jazz - 3:26 - 145
5. Did I Remember - Stephanie Nakasian - Billie Remembered: The Classic Songs Of Billie Holiday - 3:03 - 140
6. Tuxedo Junction - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Ain't No School Like the Old School - 3:14 - 155
7. All Of Me - Twin Cities Hot Club - Twin Cities Hot Club - 4:10 - 165
8. Let's Get Together - Duke Ellington - Recollections Of The Big Band Era - 2:37 - 175
9. Let's Misbehave - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - You Do Something To Me - 2:52 - 188
10. It's You Who Taught It To Me - Fats Waller - The Unique Mr. Waller - 2:42 - 160
11. Put A Lid On It - Davina & The Vagabonds - Live @ The Times - 3:13 - 170
12. Milenberg Joys - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 3:45 - 190 (Man this song is fun!)
13. Georgia Grind - Lillian Boutté - Music Is My Life - 3:32 - 145
14. Alligator Meat - Joe Swift With The Johnny Otis Band - Swing Time Jive - 2:57 - 120 (By request)
15. Ooh-Shoo-Be-Doo-Bee - Stacey Kent - The Boy Next Door - 3:06 - 140
16. Harlem Air Shaft - Duke Ellington - Piano In the Background - 4:03 - 170
17. Rosetta - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Ol' New Orleans Home - 3:36 - 205 (People were singing along to this tune!)
18. You Can Have My Husband - Tuba Skinny - Six Feet Down - 3:48 - 140
19. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Billie Holiday - Lady Day: The Master Takes And Singles - 2:58 - 140
20. You’ve Been A Good Ole Wagon - Ann Savoy & Her Sleepless Knights - Black Coffee - 2:45 - 115
21. Jersey Bounce - Bernard Berkhout - Doctor Bernard and His Swing Orchestra - 3:27 - 135
22. Yes Indeed - Slam Stewart - Slamboree - 3:35 - 150
23. Dark Eyes - Fats Waller - Happy Birthday Fats Vol. 1 - 3:22 - 160
24. The Dipsy Doodle - Chick Webb - Stomping At The Savoy - 3:15 - 184 (By request, for tranky doo)
25. Fiddle Dee Dee - Lionel Hampton - Lionel Hampton Story 1: Hot Mallets - 2:39 - 195
26. All of Me - Benoit Viellefon & His Orchestra - Swing à La Mode - 3:21 - 195 (Weird novelty song, in the genre of Muppet jazz--I played it to keep DJ Thor on his toes as he took over.)

Fizz setlist 11/28/2011

Here you go, plus the BPM histogram* and sparkline**:

1. Parc On Summit - Glenn Crytzer And His Sycopators - Harlem Mad - 3:11 - 180
2. Zonky - Crytzer's Blue Rhythm Band - Chasin' the Blues - 3:49 - 215
3. Route 66 - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 4:24 - 150
4. Piano Boogie - Kansas City All-Stars - KC After Dark - 2:32 - 170
5. House Hop - Bernard Berkhout - Doctor Bernard and His Swing Orchestra - 3:45 - 205
6. When You're Smiling - Benny Goodman - Small Group Recordings - 2:37 - 156
7. What's Your Name? - Echoes of Swing - You've Got To Be Modernistic - 3:18 - 155
8. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Billie Holiday - Lady Day: The Master Takes And Singles - 2:58 - 140
9. For Dancers Only - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 2:41 - 150
10. My Blue Heaven - The Cangelosi Cards - Clinton Street Recordings, I - 4:11 - 145
11. Baby, What's The Matter With You? - Roy Eldridge Quintet - Little Jazz Giant - 3:20 - 140
12. I Like Pie, I Like Cake - The Four Clefs - BLUEBIRD 8884 - 2:48 - 155
13. When You Wore a Tulip - The Baby Soda Jazz Band - Jazz Roots Elixir - 3:30 - 160
14. I Can't Believe You're in Love With Me - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Give Me Your Telephone Number - 3:52 - 167
15. Viper Mad - Sidney Bechet - Sweet And Lowdown - 3:06 - 172
16. Fortunate Love - Glenn Crytzer And His Sycopators - Harlem Mad - 2:54 - 130
17. Blue Drag - Earl Hines - Swingin' Down - 2:59 - 140
18. Yacht Club Swing - Fats Waller - Yacht Club Swing 1938 - 3:51 - 162
19. Madame Dynamite - Eddie Condon - Let's Swing It - 2:55 - 185
20. Solid As A Rock - Count Basie - Count Basie Et Son Orchestre 1950-1951 - 3:03 - 135
21. She Keeps It Up All The Time - Duke Heitger - Duke Heitger's "Krazy Kapers" - 3:11 - 110
22. Exactly Like You - Cecile Mclorin Salvant and the Jean-Francois Bonnel Paris Quintet - Cecile - 5:10 - 125
23. Jump Through The Window - Roy Eldridge - Little Jazz Giant - 2:44 - 145
24. Blues In Disguise - Mezz Mezzrow & his Orch. - Makin' Friends, 1928-37 - 3:16 - 150
25. Dipsy Doodle - Larry Clinton & His Orchestra - G.I. Jukebox - 3:03 - 175
26. When You're Smiling - Mona's Hot Four - Live at Mona's - 3:33 - 195
27. Jersey Bounce - Bernard Berkhout - Doctor Bernard and His Swing Orchestra- 3:27 - 135
28. Bassology - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 2:49 - 155
29. Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 5:16 - 150
30. Black Coffee - Harlem Hot Shots - Complete Brunswick & Vocalion Recordings Of Louis Prima And Wingy Manone (1924-1937) - 3:00 - 200
31. Let's Get Drunk And Truck - The Harlem Hamfats - Let's Get Drunk And Truck - 3:06 - 175
32. Moan You Moaners - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Live @ D.B.A. - 4:46 - 130
33. Froggy Bottom - Kansas City All-Stars - KC After Dark - 4:04 - 100
34. Put A Lid On It - Davina & The Vagabonds - Live @ The Times - 3:13 - 170 (This last song was for the Swing I graduation dance.)

* The histogram is clumpy around 130-170 because it was grad night, so there were many beginners plus a bunch of folks who seemed comfortable lindy hopping around that tempo range.

** Wow it looks like I became increasingly volatile with tempos as the night progressed.

CodeBLUE 10/14/2011

Last night I spun the early set at CodeBLUE, which was moving into nice new digs at OuterSpace in Wicker Park. The change of address didn't appear to throw anybody off, since a healthy crowd arrived early on. Unfortunately we hadn't quite gotten the sound straightened out--the organizers had rented a good portable sound system, but the vendor hadn't provided all of the necessary cables, so I had to DJ off of one speaker for most of the evening. (Two frantic trips to the vendor later, and finally both were working, in time for the last 10 songs of my set.)

Thanks to organizers Tia, Anna, & Heather for inviting me to DJ--I had a lot of fun stretching outside my usual lindy hop box. Here's what I played (along with the usual sparkline and histogram):

1. Rock Me All Night Long - The Fabulous Treniers - The Hoss Allen Sessions - 2:41 - 155
2. Tight Like This - Tuba Skinny - Tubaskinny - 4:28 - 125
3. Shake That Thing - Wynonie Harris - Risque Blues - It Ain't the Meat - 2:17 - 135
4. Juke - Little Walter - The Best Of Little Walter - 2:45 - 135
5. Bad Bad Whiskey - Buddy Guy & Junior Wells - Buddy Guy & Junior Wells Play The Blues - 4:14 - 115
6. Yes Sir, That's My Baby - Earl Hines - A Monday Date - 3:00 - 140
7. Last Night On The Backporch - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Ol' New Orleans Home - 4:10 - 150
8. Love Me or Leave Me - Banu Gibson - Let Yourself Go - 3:07 - 165
9. If You'se a Viper - John Sinclair - No Money Down - 3:55 - 150
10. I Don't Care Who Knows - Catherine Russell - Sentimental Streak - 3:18 - 125
11. Tears Of Joy - Janiva Magness - My Bad Luck Soul - 3:08 - 110
12. Don't Go No Farther - Muddy Waters - The Chess Box - 2:56 - 105
13. Blooz ... First Thaingh 'Dis Moanin' - Wycliffe Gordon - Originals Only - 5:23 - 85
14. Summertime - Gordon Webster - Happy When I'm With You - 4:04 - 120
15. Bassology - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 2:49 - 155
16. Communications - Slim Gaillard - Slim Gaillard: 1947-1951 - 2:29 - 175
17. The Wild Mab Of The Fish Pond - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - 1941-Transcription Performance - 2:20 - 155
18. Chant Of The Groove - Fats Waller - Fats Waller 1941 - 3:05 - 185
19. Artillerie Lourde - Twin Cities Hot Club - Twin Cities Hot Club - 5:28 - 140
20. That Ain't Right - Fats Waller - Last Testament - His Final Recordings 9-23-43 - 2:59 - 80
21. You Just Usin' Me for a Convenience - Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee - A Long Way from Home - 3:45 - 85
22. Ray's Cookie Dance - Gerry Hundt - Acoustic - 3:09 - 135
23. Lowdown Baby - Joe Morris - Best Of The Early Years - 2:56 - 70
24. Hesitation Blues - Dave Van Ronk - The Two Sides Of Dave Van Ronk - 3:32 - 115
25. When I Get Low - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 5:27 - 105
26. Honeysuckle Rose - Louis Armstrong - Satch Plays Fats - 2:56 - 170
27. Dark Eyes - Fats Waller - Happy Birthday Fats Vol. 1 - 3:22 - 160
28. Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen - Adrian Rollini - 1937-1938 - 3:12 - 215
29. Lumby - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - Essential, Vol. 2 - 2:31 - 195
30. Blue Drag - Earl Hines - Swingin' Down - 2:59 - 140
31. Song With No Words - Asylum Street Spankers - Strawberry - 5:43 - 102
32. Little Red Rooster - Sam Cooke - The Rhythm And The Blues - 2:52 - 95
33. 3 O'Clock In The Morning Blues - Ike & Tina Turner - Mississippi Blues - 2:40 - 60
34. Sure Hope You Mean It - Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It - 3:40 - 100
35. Heart Of Steel - Galactic - Ya-Ka-May - 3:27 - 90

Fizz 10/10/2011

I had the early set last night at Fizz, back in the saddle after nearly 2 months. It was a fun evening, not terribly packed, but the dance floor seemed comfortably full for most of the evening. (The bar area was quite crowded because the Bears were playing.) My friend John had the late set, and around 10:45 we started trading songs back and forth. More on that below.

Once again, I'm going to publish my setlist on Spotify, even though only about half the songs are available. Let me know if it works for you. The usual bpm sparkline and freq. distribution exclude the first five songs since I played them to an empty room. Here's the complete run-down:

1. Page Mr. Trumpet - Pete Johnson - NSC111 NATIONAL- - 2:52 - 165 (As usual, there was hardly anyone there when I started. Folks trickled in.)
2. Swing, Brother, Swing - Willie "The Lion" Smith - Willie "The Lion" Smith And His Cubs - 2:51 - 230
3. Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes - The Harlem Hamfats - Harlem Hamfats Vol. 2 1936-1937 - 2:42 - 160
4. I Got Rhythm - Django Reinhardt - The Swing Sessions Volume 1 - 2:16 - 280
5. Sweet Sue - Svend Asmussen - Musical Miracle Vol. 1: 1935-40 - 2:55 - 185
6. "Murder" He Says - Four Vagabonds - Four Vagabonds Vol. 3 (1943) - 2:31 - 150 (Folks are dancing by this point.)
7. Gettin' In The Groove - Al Cooper's Savoy Sultans - Al Cooper's Savoy Sultan: 1938-1941 - 2:58 - 140
8. Swing Low - Adrian Rollini - 1934-1938 - 3:05 - 175
9. Summit Ridge Drive - Buddy DeFranco - Plays Artie Shaw - 4:35 - 145
10. He Ain't Got Rhythm - Jimmie Lunceford - Life Is Fine - 2:45 - 174
11. The Right Idea - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - Swing Street Strut - 3:13 - 185
12. Rosetta - The Baby Soda Jazz Band - Cures Everything But The Blues - 4:34 - 165
13. Savoy Blues - The Wolverines Jazz Band Of Bern - Wolverines Of Bern At 35 - 3:56 - 140
14. Comes Love - Duke Heitger - Duke Heitger's "Krazy Kapers" - 4:34 - 150
15. All Of Me - Twin Cities Hot Club - Twin Cities Hot Club - 4:10 - 165
16. Look-A There - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 2:17 - 180
17. Cement Mixer (Put-Ti-Put-Ti) - Jimmie Lunceford - Jukebox Hits 1935-1947 - 2:45 - 155
18. Afternoon Of A Moax - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - Swing Street Strut - 3:24 - 130
19. Shout 'Em, Aunt Tillie - Duke Ellington - That Lindy Hop - 3:03 - 150 (This one didn't really take. Not right for the crowd.)
20. Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho - Sidney Bechet - Sidney Bechet: 1949 - 3:20 - 175 (So play a sure-fire winner to recover and climb the energy.)
21. Scram! - Echoes of Swing - Harlem Joys - 3:20 - 195
22. As Long As I Live - Catherine Russell - Inside This Heart of Mine - 3:33 - 120
23. Don't Get Around Much Anymore - Barbara Morrison - Live at the 9:20 Special - 4:16 - 140 (Since she was just in town, singing at WCLX)
24. It Takes Two To Tango - Lester Young - Lester Young : 1951-1952 - 3:14 - 100 (Because I'm no longer allowed to play this one at home.)
25. Sing On (Odessa Sing On) - Gaucho - Pearl - 5:07 - 135
26. Ballin' The Jack - Kid Ory - This Kid's The Greatest! - 3:15 - 145
27. It's You're Last Chance To Dance - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - The Hurricane Sessions - 4:30 - 180
28. Yam Brown - Bob Hunt's Duke Ellington Orchestra - What A Life! - 2:43 - 225 (This one really didn't take. Too 20's charleston, too different I guess.)
29. I Like Pie, I Like Cake - The Four Clefs - BLUEBIRD 8884 - 2:48 - 155 (Again recover with a familiar floor-filler.)
30. Let's Get Drunk And Truck - The Harlem Hamfats - Let's Get Drunk And Truck - 3:06 - 175 (Because nobody was there to dance to the first Hamfats song I played.)
31. I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby - Louis Armstrong - Satch Plays Fats - 4:28 - 162 (This one was John's pick.)
32. Jump Through The Window - Roy Eldridge - Little Jazz Giant - 2:44 - 145 (I counter with another trumpet feature.)
33. Wham! (Re-Bop-Boom-Bam) - Jimmie Lunceford - Lunceford Special - 2:51 - 175 (John's pick: "One good Skye & Frida routine deserves another.")
34. Swingtime in the Rockies - Bernard Berkhout's Swing Orchestra - nieuw album_41 - 3:15 - 220 (I wanted to peak here.)
35. Lucky Number - Artie Shaw - Greatest Big Band Classics - 2:42 - 190 (John's pick.)
36. Ain't Misbehavin' - Sidney Bechet - Perdido Street Blues - 2:52 - 145 (Birthday jam for Bob "DJ Thor" B, who is a big Bechet fan.)
37. Exactly Like You - Cecile Mclorin Salvant and the Jean-Francois Bonnel Paris Quintet - Cecile - 5:10 - 125 (I got a complaint and a request for something "smoother" so I played this.)
38. Mr. Rhythm - Glenn Crytzer And His Sycopators - Harlem Mad - 4:08 - 130 (John's pick.)
39. Broken Hearted Blues - Tuba Skinny - Garbage Man - 3:45 - 120 (from Meschiya Lake to Erika Lewis.)

First Friday playlist on Spotify

I've been playing with Spotify for a couple of weeks now, but pretty casually, and I'm sure that I'm not taking advantage of most of the features. I think I've succeeded in publishing my playlist from last Friday's dance at Big City Swing. If you have Spotify, check it out:

2011-10-07 First Friday at BCS

From what I can tell, only about 2/3 of the songs that I played will be available for you to hear, but still that's better than nothing.

Please leave a comment if it works for you--or if it doesn't, tell me what happened. Depending on how well it works, I may start publishing more playlists.

First Friday at Big City Swing 10/7/2011

Last night at Big City Swing was buckets of fun. Actually, they probably should have had some buckets on hand--it got so sweaty in there, condensation started forming on the ventilation near the ceiling, then dripping down on me and my laptop. I didn't really mind, I was having such a good time. Highlights of the night included out-of-town friends showing up (all of whom have become straight up Rock Stars when it comes to lindy hop), dancing with several awesome followers who have just moved to town, and a phenomenal tap performance by Bril Barrett of MaddRhythms.

Bril danced to an Oscar Peterson track and left everyone speechless. His dancing is amazingly confident and controlled, yet loose and relaxed. And his rhythms, in addition to being totally mind-blowing, had a very strong continuity to them. Sometimes when I watch tap-dancers--even very very talented ones--showing off their fancy steps, I find it hard to follow their variations because they seem to deviate from whatever pulse they had going. Not with Bril--every beat he made was clear, in the pocket, and you could hear how all his fancy rhythms were connected to each other. (Bril offers several levels of tap classes at Big City Swing. When he finished dancing, his comment was "You too can learn to do that in only four easy lessons.....of twenty years a piece.")

At the start of the evening, Jenna and I taught the taster lesson, and decided to use music that was a bit faster than usual. (For intro. lessons, we usually use music 150-160 bpm--last night we ranged up to 180.) That allowed me to play fast stuff for the first couple songs in my set, which put me in a really good position for the rest of the night. As you can see in the sparkline, I was able to ride the tempo up and down nicely, though looking at it now, I think I could have pushed the boundaries out more in both directions. More on this in the running commentary.

Here's the setlist (sparkline and freq. distribution):

1. Put A Lid On It - Davina & The Vagabonds - Live @ The Times - 3:13 - 170 (This was the transition from lesson to dance. My Swing 1 students from last month really dug this tune.)
2. Bring It On Down - The Baby Soda Jazz Band - Cures Everything But The Blues - 2:34 - 175
3. When I Grow Too Old To Dream - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Live @ D.B.A. - 2:55 - 190
4. My Blue Heaven - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Songs of New Orleans - 5:21 - 150
5. Meet Me in Uptown - The Mighty Blue Kings - Meet Me In Uptown - 2:59 - 145
6. Sure, Had A Wonderful Time - Louis Jordan - Louis Jordan And His Tympani Five, Volume 1 - 3:00 - 135
7. Route 66 - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 4:24 - 150 (First of two songs off this album that I played. Then Bob played at least one more during his set.)
8. Come On-A My House - Rosemary Clooney - The Essential Rosemary Clooney - 1:56 - 180
9. The Wild Mab Of The Fish Pond - Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra - 1941-Transcription Performance - 2:20 - 155
10. Georgia Grind - Lillian Boutté - Music Is My Life - 3:32 - 145
11. Big Fat Mama - Lucky Millinder - Apollo Jump - 3:08 - 135
12. A Viper's Moan - Willie Bryant And His Orchestra - 1935-1936 - 3:25 - 150 (Stoner swing interlude.)
13. Peckin' - Duke Ellington - The Duke's Men: The Small Groups, Vol. 1 - 3:09 - 160
14. Evenin' - Count Basie - Count Basie at Newport - 3:32 - 165
15. Everybody Rock - Ella Fitzgerald - Live At The Savoy - 1939-40 - 3:18 - 185
16. Milenberg Joys - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 3:45 - 190
17. Down south camp meeting - Svend Asmussen - Still Fiddling - 3:41 - 145
18. No Regrets - Stephanie Nakasian - Billie Remembered: The Classic Songs Of Billie Holiday - 2:52 - 130
19. Southern sunset - Swing Parade South - Hommage a Sidney Bechet - 3:32 - 105 (Slowest song that I played all evening. Didn't seem to phase anyone. I probably could have played more stuff in this range.)
20. Six Appeal - Jonathan Stout & His Campus Five - Crazy Rhythm - 3:29 - 135
21. Skin 'Em Back - Skeets Tolbert - Skeets Tolbert 1931-1940 - 2:43 - 150
22. Wham (Re-Bop-Boom-Bam) - Glenn Miller - Perfect Swing - 3:36 - 165
23. 8, 9 And 10 - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 2:43 - 175
24. I Can't Dance I Got Ants In My Pants - The Smoking Time Jazz Club - Quarter Note Vol. 1 - 4:13 - 210 (Fastest song of the set. Seemed to get people excited, leading in to a jam circle on the next song....)
25. Black Coffee - The Careless Lovers - Black Coffee - Single - 2:39 - 195
26. If You're A Viper - Kermit Ruffins - The Big Butter & Egg Man - 3:08 - 170
27. Everybody Loves My Baby - Sippie Wallace - Sippie - 3:11 - 145
28. Ochi Chornya - Wingy Manone - Wingy Manone: 1940-1944 - 2:54 - 165
29. Dear Old Southland - Sidney Bechet - Classic Sides 1931-1937 (CD A) - 3:03 - 140
30. Grabtown Grapple - Artie Shaw - 1944-45 - 3:00 - 190
31. Tain't What You Do - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 3:06 - 160 (Shim-sham, timed to lead in to the tap performance.)

First Friday at Big City Swing 9/2/2011

Between the heat and the holiday weekend and other events going on, it ended up being a lighter night than usual for the First Friday dance. I didn't mind that, as it meant there was more space to dance and it didn't get as sweaty & stinky as it would have if it were packed. The crowd seemed to be an even mix of 6-count and lindy hoppers, and really seemed happiest in the 150-170 bpm range--I had a bit of a hard time dipping under or pushing it above that range, though I tried. I also tried to avoid playing much New Orleans style stuff, since my friend Chris was DJing after me. He's got an enviable collection of music from New Orleans bands, and I figured he would top whatever I tried to play, so why bother pushing my luck. Instead, I stuck to a lot of classic big band and small combo music, which was hardly a chore. Here's what I played (plus BPM sparkline and freq. distribution):

1. Nice Work if You Can Get It - The Boilermaker Jazz Band - Nice Work If You Can Get It - 3:19 - 170 (Last song of the lesson)
2. Now Or Never - Katharine Whalen - Jazz Squad - 2:13 - 165
3. Dunkin' A Doughnut - Andy Kirk & His Clouds of Joy - An Anthology Of Big Band Swing 1930-1955 - 2:51 - 170
4. Rose Room - Artie Shaw - Artie Shaw, King Of The Clarinet - 2:43 - 155
5. I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling - Louis Armstrong - Satch Plays Fats - 3:13 - 160
6. South - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Live at the Legion - 3:17 - 180
7. Hey, Ba-Ba-Re-Bop - Lionel Hampton - Lionel Hampton Story 3: Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop - 3:21 - 140
8. Georgia Grind - Lillian Boutté - Music Is My Life - 3:32 - 145
9. I'm Alone Because I Love You - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Live @ D.B.A. - 3:29 - 150
10. Yacht Club Swing - Fats Waller - Yacht Club Swing 1938 - 3:51 - 162
11. Rhythm Itch - Jonathan Stout & His Campus Five - Moppin' and Boppin' - 3:11 - 170
12. Bennie's Bugle - 4Beat6 - The band that plays the music of Benny Goodman - 3:01 - 195 (This song kills me.)
13. Miss Brown To You - Stephanie Nakasian - Billie Remembered: The Classic Songs Of Billie Holiday - 3:15 - 145
14. Route 66 - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 4:24 - 150
15. Splanky - George Gee - Swingin' Live! - 3:18 - 135 (Oh splanky.)
16. Little Jazz - Roy Eldridge - Little Jazz Giant - 3:06 - 140
17. Bassology - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 2:49 - 155 (This really isn't the greatest dance tune, but I love Slam's bowed bass work so much that I had to play it.)
18. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 2:54 - 165
19. Honeysuckle Rose - Adrian Rollini - 1934-1938 - 2:38 - 160
20. Dipsy Doodle - Larry Clinton & His Orchestra - G.I. Jukebox - 3:03 - 175
21. Back Bay Shuffle - Artie Shaw - His First Three Bands: 1936-1940 - 3:15 - 190
22. Too Darn Hot - Ella Fitzgerald - Mack The Knife: The Complete Ella In Berlin (Live) - 3:16 - 160 (This song has a longish intro where Ella sings "It's tooooo darnnnn hot. It's tooo-ooo-ooo darnnnn hot." The floor completely cleared during this, and for a second I was scared that people heard her singing and thought "You know, she's right. I should really go get a drink of water and then maybe go home and take a shower. )
23. Easy Does It - Paul Tillotson the Love Trio - Lindy Hop Blues - 2:57 - 130
24. Melancholy Blues - Milano Jazz Gang - To Satchmo with Respect - 2:51 - 115 (Nice new version of a very old tune.)
25. Perdido Street Blues - Southside Aces - A Big Fine Thing - 3:54 - 135
26. It's You're Last Chance To Dance - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - The Hurricane Sessions - 4:30 - 180
27. Tain't What You Do - Sy Oliver - Sy Oliver et son orchestre: 1949-1952 - 3:07 - 155 (Shim-sham.)
28. I Can’t Dance (I Got Ants In My Pants) - Chick Webb - Stomping At The Savoy (Disc 1) - 3:00 - 205 (Slightly awkward Balboa demo.)
29. Tuxedo Junction - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Ain't No School Like the Old School - 3:14 - 155
30. Summit Ridge Drive - Buddy DeFranco - Plays Artie Shaw - 4:35 - 145
31. Black Coffee - The Careless Lovers - Black Coffee - Single - 2:39 - 195

Fizz setlist 8/15/2011

Last night was my first time DJing at Fizz, and only my second time attending, since de baby. So, lots of unfamiliar faces mixed in with those of some friends I hadn't seen in a while. It was a fun night, not too crowded but certainly energetic, and I felt good about how my set came out. I thought it was a good balance between familiar & fresh. Here's what I played (plus the usual BPM sparkline and freq. distribution):

1. Jam Session - Benny Goodman - The Birth Of Swing - 2:56 - 215 (The first few were to an empty room.)
2. Business in F - Gene Kardos & his Orchestra - VICTOR 22899 - 2:59 - 230
3. Ain't She Sweet - Pearl Bailey - 16 Most requested Songs - 2:59 - 170 (One couple on the floor, practicing their moves.)
4. 8, 9 And 10 - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 2:43 - 175
5. Jazz O' Jazz - Adrian Rollini - 1934-1938 - 3:04 - 170
6. Dig That Crazy Chick - Sam Butera & The Witnesses - Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 5: Wild Cool & Swingin - 2:27 - 165 (Still one couple, and I thought they might like this one.)
7. Hit That Jive, Jack - Four Vagabonds - Four Vagabonds Vol. 3 (1943) - 2:26 - 190
8. I've Found A Brand New Baby - Nat King Cole - The Magic of Nat King Cole - 2:39 - 140
9. That's Right! - Eddie Cole & The Three Peppers - That's Right! - 2:24 - 140 (More people come in and put their shoes on.)
10. Sad Sap Sucker Am I - Fats Waller - The Unique Mr. Waller - 3:06 - 140
11. Four or Five Times - Joe Williams - For Dancers Only! (A Lindy Hop Compilation) - 4:48 - 135
12. I'm Alone Because I Love You - The Palmetto Bug Stompers - Live @ D.B.A. - 3:29 - 150
13. Cabaret - Louis Armstrong - Louis Armstrong - 3:59 - 155
14. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home - Jimmie Lunceford - Jimmie Lunceford - 2:54 - 165
15. Swingin' at the Sugar Bowl - Bob Crosby and His Orchestra - South Rampart Street Parade - 3:05 - 185
16. For Dancers Only - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Swingmatism - 2:34 - 160 (Moving into hi-fi big band territory.)
17. Alright, Okay, You Win - John Dokes - John Dokes Sings, George Gee Swings - 2:56 - 140
18. Splanky - George Gee - Swingin' Live! - 3:18 - 130
19. Duke's Place - Ella Fitzgerald - Something To Live For (Disc 2) - 4:13 - 140 (And out, into a New Orleans sound.)
20. Perdido Street Blues - Louis Armstrong - The Complete Decca Studio Master Takes 1940-1949 - 3:08 - 145
21. Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen - Gordon Webster - Live In Philadelphia - 5:16 - 150
22. Short Dressed Gal - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - New Orleans Preservation, Vol. 1 - 2:38 - 160
23. Bring It On Down - The Baby Soda Jazz Band - Cures Everything But The Blues - 2:34 - 175
24. Black Coffee - The Careless Lovers - Black Coffee - Single - 2:39 - 195
25. Ballin' The Jack - Kid Ory - This Kid's The Greatest! - 3:15 - 145
26. Georgia Grind - Lillian Boutté - Music Is My Life - 3:32 - 145 (From New Orleans to blues/boogie.)
27. Home To Mississippi - Otis Spann - Otis Spann: Best Of The Vanguard Years - 3:29 - 130
28. Good Rockin' Tonight - Jack McDuff & Jimmy Witherspoon - The Blues Is Now - 2:17 - 140
29. As Long As I'm Moving - Ruth Brown - The Essentials: Ruth Brown - 2:43 - 165
30. Killin' Jive - Cats & The Fiddle - We Cats Will Swing For You - 2:50 - 180 (And then back to more jazz.)
31. Bassology - Slim Gaillard - The Very Best Of - 2:49 - 155 (I love this track.)
32. Who Walks In When I Walk Out? - Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald - The Wonderful Duets - 2:21 - 135
33. Shiny Stockings - Count Basie - April In Paris - 5:17 - 120 (The composer of this tune, Frank Foster, just passed away last month.)
34. Little Jazz - Roy Eldridge - Little Jazz Giant - 3:06 - 140
35. Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea - Django Reinhardt - The Swing Sessions Volume 1 - 2:58 - 185
36. Jump Session - Slim Gaillard - 1938-1939 - 2:35 - 160
37. Hey, Ba-Ba-Re-Bop - Lionel Hampton - Lionel Hampton Story 3: Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop - 3:21 - 140 (Birthday jam.)
38. Gimme A Pigfoot - Lavern Baker - Precious Memories / LaVern Sings Bessie Smith - 3:09 - 120 (Going away jam. Adeoye we'll miss you!)