How many times do you play the same artist?

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Nando
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How many times do you play the same artist?

#1 Post by Nando » Fri Nov 19, 2004 12:41 am

What are people's rules for playing the same artist... or even two songs from the same album in the course of a set or an evening.

Once in awhile when I'm high on a new album or artist with a ton of kick ass songs, I'll throw a song on early in the evening and one in the end since a majority of people either leave early or show up late and may not realize it.

But I have heard several (if not many) songs in an evening from the same artist.

So do people think it's bad form, or is it very acceptable and commonplace.

Keep in mind I'm excluding theme nights, or theme events like an artist's birthday or anniversary or some other historical event.

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kitkat
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#2 Post by kitkat » Fri Nov 19, 2004 7:18 am

I think it depends how many trained ears you have in your audience and how much you care about those people.

If you don't have a lot of jazz fans, then as long as you don't play the same singers, you're all right playing about as much as you want. You could probably alternate the artist with a track or two not by that artist the whole night and get away with it.

You might get mocked by people who know their jazz, but you could get away with it with most people at the dance and they'd be none the wiser.

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#3 Post by mousethief » Fri Nov 19, 2004 7:41 am

It really depends. I have no set rules. Nate Dogg tries not to play the same artist twice in a night. Limiting myself to one Basie song would drive me insane. But my DJ shifts are generally 3 hours long, so I have more room to maneuver.

I played 2 Jimmy Rushing pieces and 3 Basie pieces at the same event last weekend. No big deal. I'll play the same artist back to back if it's a good call.

Kalman
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#4 Post by Nate Dogg » Fri Nov 19, 2004 8:52 am

Yeah, I try to limit myself. However, it is not a rule that I live and die by, it is more or less a guideline. It is most pronounced with vocalists, not the bands.

I figure I have so much music that I want to play, share, that I don't need to play 3 or 4 Ella songs in a 2 hour set.

The Basie case is a good example of how backing bands can be repeated quite often during a two hour, we can play his stuff with different vocalists and most people will not realize we are playing multiple Basie songs. Basie also had varitey in the bands he recorded with. Ditto for song composers or songs that are associated with a particular artist (even though they may not have written it).

DJing from a laptop has helped me balance my sets a lot more. I am able to see my set list, see things I may have overlooked. A lot of times, I will think to myself (I have not played a Louis Armstrong song yet, what kind of set would it be if I did not play a Satchmo song, what Louis song will blend in well with the stuff that I am playing now).

I don't know, my philosophy is to play from a large book and mix it up. Not play the same songs, artists, over and over.

I have been to dances where the DJs play 3 or Ella songs (usually all songs from her songbook/Verve/Pablo/groovy era), 2 or 3 Indigo swing songs in a 2 hour set, it just seems like they are not challenging themselves. As a dancer, I don't mind that, I love dancing to good dance songs. As a DJ, I would be bored.

Nathan

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main_stem
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#5 Post by main_stem » Fri Nov 19, 2004 10:06 am

I don't think it's bad form to play multiple songs from the same Artist and/or album. Sometime I'll even play a block of an artist (2-3 songs); or chase a song with another version that is drasticaly different.

I concern myself more with not playing the exact same music night after night--that's not to say I don't get atached to certain songs and play them as much as I can, becasue I do. The trick is to make sure youdon't do it too much. I also try to take note of what a DJ has spun the week before me and try not to repeat what they did.
"We called it music."
— Eddie Condon

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#6 Post by LindyChef » Fri Nov 19, 2004 10:38 am

What Nate said ...

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Yakov
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#7 Post by Yakov » Fri Nov 19, 2004 10:46 am

i am obsessed with the music on Lionel Hampton's proper box, and I will often play several songs from it, because they're too awesome to not play. there's a lot of variety within that set anyway.

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CafeSavoy
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#8 Post by CafeSavoy » Fri Nov 19, 2004 12:11 pm

It would depend on your aim. You can play different artists each song and still have all the songs sound the same. Or you could focus on one artist and have a huge range.

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#9 Post by Roy » Fri Nov 19, 2004 7:21 pm

seven

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djstarr
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#10 Post by djstarr » Sun Nov 21, 2004 8:46 pm

I've been experimenting with the double and triple shot format -- as long as the songs themselves are different I think it makes for a nice flow.

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Bob the Builder
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#11 Post by Bob the Builder » Sun Nov 21, 2004 10:02 pm

I don't know what the problem is!
As long as the dancers are digging the music, I don't care if I play 2 or 3 same artist in a row.
It happens with live music and radio the whole time.
Yes, you want some kind of progression, but you can get that with in the same artiest, if done well.

Eg
I’ve played “Shout Sister Shout” Lucky Millender followed by “Apollo Jump”
I’ve played Joe Williams with Basie followed by the Kansas City Five.
The dancers were digging it.

Brian
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GemZombie
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#12 Post by GemZombie » Mon Nov 22, 2004 12:18 am

I like to play around sometimes and DJ a whole set of the same artist. A set can be a few songs to 15 - 20 songs. Most of the dancers locally don't have a clue i'm doing it, but usually one or two do. I also do sets like that all the time on my radio show.

In the past I've really enjoyed things like the All Ellington music nights that Reuben has done at Memories. We need more of those kind of events!

You listening Reuben? Plan some stuff like that at SFS!

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Mr Awesomer
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#13 Post by Mr Awesomer » Mon Nov 22, 2004 2:06 pm

It's actually been in the works... just haven't gotten around to implementation. We're thinking a battle of bands simular to what we did at KC's Club a couple years back.
Reuben Brown
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GemZombie
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#14 Post by GemZombie » Mon Nov 22, 2004 3:29 pm

GuruReuben wrote:It's actually been in the works... just haven't gotten around to implementation. We're thinking a battle of bands simular to what we did at KC's Club a couple years back.
Keep me informed, I'd like to come. I'd even consider being involved if you have room :)

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#15 Post by ckn » Sun Nov 28, 2004 1:45 pm

i usually DJ 2 to 3 hour sessions with anywhere in between 30 and 55 songs. i could not do that without repeating some artists. and if you spread them out, and play songs that have a different feel altogether form the same artist or even album that's OK. even if someone notices.

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