last night's playlist, take 2
Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 10:30 am
this thread may seem familiar. i thought two separate ones would be clearer, but mods, feel free to merge.
St James Infirmary; Turk Murphy; 112; New Orleans Stomp
Perdido Street Blues; Louis Armstrong; 144; The Complete Decca Studio Master Takes 1940-1949
Sing Me a Swing Song (and Let Me Dance); Ella Fitzgerald; 162; Ella Fitzgerald --The Early Years -- Part 1
Too Darn Hot; Ella Fitzgerald; 162; The Cole Porter Song Book
(mixer) I Get a Kick out of You; Dinah Washington; 134; The Complete Dinah Washington on Mercury Vol.4 1954-1956
Drop Me Off in New Orleans; Kermit Ruffins; 169; 1533 St. Philip Street
I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate; Eddie Condon; 178; The Town Hall Concerts, Volume 10
St. Louis Blues; Frank "Big Boy" Goudie; 137; Django Reinhardt: The Classic Early Recordings
I Like Pie, I Like Cake; The Four Clefs; 166; The Jive Is Jumpin': RCA and Victor Vocal Groups 1939-52
Joshua Fit de Battle o' Jericho; Sidney Bechet and his Blue Note Jazzmen; 180; Complete 1939-1951 Blue Note Master Takes
(announcement)
(request) Cole Slaw; Jesse Stone; 144; Original Swingers
Safronia B; Calvin Boze; 169; Jumpin' Like Mad
Blue Suit Boogie; Indigo Swing; 174; All Aboard!
Roll 'em Pete; Count Basie; 178; Complete Clef/Verve Count Basie Fifties Studio Recordings
Cow Cow Boogie; Freddie Slack; 108; Mosaic Select 18: Freddie Slack
(birthday jam) This Little Light of Mine; Gene Harris; 144; The Best of the Concord Years
(shim sham) 't Ain't What You Do; Jimmie Lunceford; 160; Lunceford Special 1939-40
On Revival Day; LaVern Baker; 142; Precious Memories / LaVern Sings Bessie Smith
Dear Old Southland; Noble Sissle and his Orchestra; 144; Portrait
Fine Brown Frame; Nellie Lutcher; 121; Nellie Lutcher and Her Rhythm
Massachusetts; Maxine Sullivan; 145; A Tribute to Andy Razaf
Look-a There; Slim Gaillard & Slam Stewart; 179; Complete Columbia Master Takes
Hit That Jive Jack; Nat King Cole; 199; Dope & Glory: Reefer Songs der 30er & 40er Jahre
Don't Falter at the Alter; Cab Calloway; 142; Are You Hep to the Jive?
Ol' Man Mose; Ella Fitzgerald; 168; Jukebox Ella (The Complete Verve Singles, Volume 1)
Ham and Eggs; Titan Hot Seven; 146; At Home with the Titan Hot Seven
(mixer) Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me; Sidney Bechet and his Hot Six; 136; Complete 1939-1951 Blue Note Master Takes
Flying Home, No. 2; Lionel Hampton; 163; Lionel Hampton Story 2: Flying Home
Sweet and Slow; Harlem Hot Shots; 175; The Complete Brunswick & Vocalion Recordings of Louis Prima and Wingy Manone (1924-1937)
Take My Love with You; Eli "Paperboy" Reed & The True Loves; (Am I Just) Fooling Myself? / Take My Love With You - Single
Twistin' the Night Away; Sam Cooke; The Best of Sam Cooke
I Like It Like That (part 1); Chris Kenner; Land of 1000 Dances
Oh Mary, Don't You Weep; The Soul Stirrers; Sam Cooke's SAR Records Story: 1959 - 1965
South of the Border; 4 Beat 6; 141; The Band That Plays the Music of Benny Goodman, Volume 1
Rose Room; Sidney Bechet and his New Orleans Feetwarmers; 163; RCA-Victor Master Takes
I'm Coming, Virginia; Sidney Bechet and his New Orleans Feetwarmers; 191; RCA-Victor Master Takes
Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?; Buddy Johnson & His Orchestra; 144; Walk 'Em
Jolting Joe DiMaggio; The National Pastime Orchestra; 185; A Century of Baseball in Song
Shout and Feel It; Count Basie; 240; Jazz Archives 73: The Golden Years Vol. 1 1937
Sent for You Yesterday; Count Basie; 166; The Complete Decca Recordings
(request) Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy; June Christy; 126; HopSpot Cologne Presents: Let's Do da Hop, Vol. 1
My Home Is in a Southern Town; Don Ewell; 147; Man Here Plays Fine Piano!
Coal Cart Blues; Louis Armstrong; 132; The Complete Decca Studio Master Takes 1940-1949
I Love Being Here with You Barbara Morrison; 155; Live at the 9:20 Special
(request) Nature Boy; Johnny Hartman; 141; For Trane
(request) Solid As a Rock; Ella Fitzgerald; 151; 1950
(o.k., people, time to leave...) Sweet Soul Music; Arthur Conley; The Golden Age of Black Music (1960-1970)
(get out!) Billie Jean; Michael Jackson; History
(beat it!) Beat It; Michael Jackson; History
(for real) Never Gonna Give You Up; Rick Astley; Whenever You Need Somebody
three things i tried to do:
1) the class before the dance used some very slow music, so i picked a first song that was slow, but energetic. except for that first song, i tried to keep my first set a little faster than last time. i think it worked fine.
2) i tried to play little blocks of three or so songs that fit together in style. i think that worked well, too.
3) it was sidney bechet's birthday, so i played a huge amount of his stuff. also because he's The Man. but the birthday was a nice excuse.
several people came to ask about specific songs, and two (or three?) just to say they liked the music in general. yay! :o)
and...the things that did not go stellarly:
condon's "sister kate". dunno. will try again.
basie's "roll 'em pete" -- were people tired from the previous two? they weren't terribly fast, but everyone was dancing, and it was hot.
"cow cow boogie" -- lost 'em on the previous one, and this was too slow to get them right back. oops.
"this little light of mine" felt long for the birthday jam. there were three people being jammed, all leads. should have picked something shorter.
nellie lutcher, "fine brown frame" -- too low-energy. i didn't preview, because "i know this song...". actually, i didn't preview much at all. would have benefitted here.
i lost a lot of people with "hit that jive jack" (though one came up to say he really liked it). this was not unexpected. but then i had trouble building the energy back up the next three songs and kinda jumped around trying to find something that would get people excited.
"mary don't you weep" is a little slow. would probably play something else there if i had a do-over.
from "rose room" on, the crowd had thinned down to a dozen people or so, and it became hard to judge what worked and what didn't. there were a few couples dancing on every song, but also lots of chatting and watching. people requested some songs (then promptly didn't dance them--but of course), etc. it seemed a happy wind-down. i wish i'd counted how many people there were throughout the night, but i didn't. perhaps 50 or so at the beginning? i have a hard time estimating.
St James Infirmary; Turk Murphy; 112; New Orleans Stomp
Perdido Street Blues; Louis Armstrong; 144; The Complete Decca Studio Master Takes 1940-1949
Sing Me a Swing Song (and Let Me Dance); Ella Fitzgerald; 162; Ella Fitzgerald --The Early Years -- Part 1
Too Darn Hot; Ella Fitzgerald; 162; The Cole Porter Song Book
(mixer) I Get a Kick out of You; Dinah Washington; 134; The Complete Dinah Washington on Mercury Vol.4 1954-1956
Drop Me Off in New Orleans; Kermit Ruffins; 169; 1533 St. Philip Street
I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate; Eddie Condon; 178; The Town Hall Concerts, Volume 10
St. Louis Blues; Frank "Big Boy" Goudie; 137; Django Reinhardt: The Classic Early Recordings
I Like Pie, I Like Cake; The Four Clefs; 166; The Jive Is Jumpin': RCA and Victor Vocal Groups 1939-52
Joshua Fit de Battle o' Jericho; Sidney Bechet and his Blue Note Jazzmen; 180; Complete 1939-1951 Blue Note Master Takes
(announcement)
(request) Cole Slaw; Jesse Stone; 144; Original Swingers
Safronia B; Calvin Boze; 169; Jumpin' Like Mad
Blue Suit Boogie; Indigo Swing; 174; All Aboard!
Roll 'em Pete; Count Basie; 178; Complete Clef/Verve Count Basie Fifties Studio Recordings
Cow Cow Boogie; Freddie Slack; 108; Mosaic Select 18: Freddie Slack
(birthday jam) This Little Light of Mine; Gene Harris; 144; The Best of the Concord Years
(shim sham) 't Ain't What You Do; Jimmie Lunceford; 160; Lunceford Special 1939-40
On Revival Day; LaVern Baker; 142; Precious Memories / LaVern Sings Bessie Smith
Dear Old Southland; Noble Sissle and his Orchestra; 144; Portrait
Fine Brown Frame; Nellie Lutcher; 121; Nellie Lutcher and Her Rhythm
Massachusetts; Maxine Sullivan; 145; A Tribute to Andy Razaf
Look-a There; Slim Gaillard & Slam Stewart; 179; Complete Columbia Master Takes
Hit That Jive Jack; Nat King Cole; 199; Dope & Glory: Reefer Songs der 30er & 40er Jahre
Don't Falter at the Alter; Cab Calloway; 142; Are You Hep to the Jive?
Ol' Man Mose; Ella Fitzgerald; 168; Jukebox Ella (The Complete Verve Singles, Volume 1)
Ham and Eggs; Titan Hot Seven; 146; At Home with the Titan Hot Seven
(mixer) Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me; Sidney Bechet and his Hot Six; 136; Complete 1939-1951 Blue Note Master Takes
Flying Home, No. 2; Lionel Hampton; 163; Lionel Hampton Story 2: Flying Home
Sweet and Slow; Harlem Hot Shots; 175; The Complete Brunswick & Vocalion Recordings of Louis Prima and Wingy Manone (1924-1937)
Take My Love with You; Eli "Paperboy" Reed & The True Loves; (Am I Just) Fooling Myself? / Take My Love With You - Single
Twistin' the Night Away; Sam Cooke; The Best of Sam Cooke
I Like It Like That (part 1); Chris Kenner; Land of 1000 Dances
Oh Mary, Don't You Weep; The Soul Stirrers; Sam Cooke's SAR Records Story: 1959 - 1965
South of the Border; 4 Beat 6; 141; The Band That Plays the Music of Benny Goodman, Volume 1
Rose Room; Sidney Bechet and his New Orleans Feetwarmers; 163; RCA-Victor Master Takes
I'm Coming, Virginia; Sidney Bechet and his New Orleans Feetwarmers; 191; RCA-Victor Master Takes
Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?; Buddy Johnson & His Orchestra; 144; Walk 'Em
Jolting Joe DiMaggio; The National Pastime Orchestra; 185; A Century of Baseball in Song
Shout and Feel It; Count Basie; 240; Jazz Archives 73: The Golden Years Vol. 1 1937
Sent for You Yesterday; Count Basie; 166; The Complete Decca Recordings
(request) Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy; June Christy; 126; HopSpot Cologne Presents: Let's Do da Hop, Vol. 1
My Home Is in a Southern Town; Don Ewell; 147; Man Here Plays Fine Piano!
Coal Cart Blues; Louis Armstrong; 132; The Complete Decca Studio Master Takes 1940-1949
I Love Being Here with You Barbara Morrison; 155; Live at the 9:20 Special
(request) Nature Boy; Johnny Hartman; 141; For Trane
(request) Solid As a Rock; Ella Fitzgerald; 151; 1950
(o.k., people, time to leave...) Sweet Soul Music; Arthur Conley; The Golden Age of Black Music (1960-1970)
(get out!) Billie Jean; Michael Jackson; History
(beat it!) Beat It; Michael Jackson; History
(for real) Never Gonna Give You Up; Rick Astley; Whenever You Need Somebody
three things i tried to do:
1) the class before the dance used some very slow music, so i picked a first song that was slow, but energetic. except for that first song, i tried to keep my first set a little faster than last time. i think it worked fine.
2) i tried to play little blocks of three or so songs that fit together in style. i think that worked well, too.
3) it was sidney bechet's birthday, so i played a huge amount of his stuff. also because he's The Man. but the birthday was a nice excuse.
several people came to ask about specific songs, and two (or three?) just to say they liked the music in general. yay! :o)
and...the things that did not go stellarly:
condon's "sister kate". dunno. will try again.
basie's "roll 'em pete" -- were people tired from the previous two? they weren't terribly fast, but everyone was dancing, and it was hot.
"cow cow boogie" -- lost 'em on the previous one, and this was too slow to get them right back. oops.
"this little light of mine" felt long for the birthday jam. there were three people being jammed, all leads. should have picked something shorter.
nellie lutcher, "fine brown frame" -- too low-energy. i didn't preview, because "i know this song...". actually, i didn't preview much at all. would have benefitted here.
i lost a lot of people with "hit that jive jack" (though one came up to say he really liked it). this was not unexpected. but then i had trouble building the energy back up the next three songs and kinda jumped around trying to find something that would get people excited.
"mary don't you weep" is a little slow. would probably play something else there if i had a do-over.
from "rose room" on, the crowd had thinned down to a dozen people or so, and it became hard to judge what worked and what didn't. there were a few couples dancing on every song, but also lots of chatting and watching. people requested some songs (then promptly didn't dance them--but of course), etc. it seemed a happy wind-down. i wish i'd counted how many people there were throughout the night, but i didn't. perhaps 50 or so at the beginning? i have a hard time estimating.