Arm chair HJDF DJ battle

[Mr Awesomer]

You can't spell Harlem Jazz Dance without Harlem Jazz.

[julius]

Basie played more in Harlem than he did in Kansas City. He had a summer-long gig at the Famous Door*, but when he was BASED in KC, his band was a territory band that played one-nighters all over the midwest.

Note too that Lester Young, thought of as a KC tenorman, actually lived in Minneapolis, LA, and New York for most of his life and resided in KC only a year or two as far as historical records can determine. It's just a jazz tradition that associates Lester with KC, not actual fact.

Just a side note.

*edit: the Famous Door is actually on 52nd street, not in Harlem. but you get the point.

[Andy Reid]

I'm going to grab a CD, pick a dope song and press play. I'll probably do that about 5 times.

[GemZombie]

I'm not trying to pick on you or anything but your playlist shows why the whole "85% African American artist" requirement is so retarded. Yeah, thems all brothers... but you only have one strong connection to Harlem Jazz (Chick Webb)... and shouldn't that be the focus of this event... Harlem Jazz? Andy Kirk and Count Basie would be awesome for a Kansas City event. Saunders King a West Coast Blues festival perhaps. And sure Kirk, Basie and Hines had gigs and other connections to Harlem, but what do they really have to do with "Harlem Jazz."

As I said somewhere else (I forget where) Janice should have just said play 100% music by musicians (or composers) with a strong Harlem Jazz scene influence instead of playing a race card that could have gone without saying.

Don't pick on me!!!

I totally understand where you're coming from, and I agree. I was just using the rules stated... Not the whole Harlem thing since that's not (yet) my forte... as you can tell i'm a bit more up on the Kansas City Swing kind of stuff.

I think the contest is jacked too on that level... I wouldn't want to be part of the battle because I don't think I'd do it justice. I liked the armchair portion of this though

[GemZombie]

(or composers)

...of course this leaves the door open for a whole slew of interesting loop holes.

Ya, I thought about coming up with a cheezy list of songs done by whomever, just as long as the song was composed by an OG.

[KevinSchaper]

did you know that Guy Lombardo set the Savoy's attendance record?

So, come on, who's gone bust some Royal Canadian shit?

Toss Fats Waller & Cab Calloway on the list for a strong connection to Harlem, they had solid musicians, even if a lot of their stuff leaned towards novelty.

[Mr Awesomer]

Cab Calloway

I know some people who'll be waiting for "The Man From Harlem."

[SirScratchAlot]

Basie played more in Harlem than he did in Kansas City. He had a summer-long gig at the Famous Door*, but when he was BASED in KC, his band was a territory band that played one-nighters all over the midwest.

That is grossly incorrect....more in Harlem then KC? not even close....

a summer long gig in mid town Manhattan...and yes, like most decent bands he played the Savoy as well as the Apollo.

Were was his band billed from?

[mark0tz]

hehe Miss Information. That sounds like the beginnings of a really good cartoon.

[SirScratchAlot]

did you know that Guy Lombardo set the Savoy's attendance record?

So, come on, who's gone bust some Royal Canadian shit?
.

Glen Miller also had an attendence record at the Savoy , that doesn;t mean play him...hehehe

[SirScratchAlot]

When I hear "Count Basie" the first thing I think of isn't "Harlem"... instead I think "Kansas City."

I'm with you on this one. It's not as though I'd go to and event promting the contributions of Kansas City and play a bunch of Chick Webb.

Admittadly I did use a Basie song as my "bonus track", if you will. Presonally I justified this by; 1) It features Billie Holiday. A musician I closely associate with Harlem. 2) It was recorded at the Savoy Ballroom.

What criteria does one use? Origins of the musician, style of music, final resting place? Harlem was the mecca of the black world and many of its famous citizens were "immigrants".

I think the only Critiera would be where the band or musician was Billed from or Claimed. Basie never claimed or was Billed as from Harlem.

Nothing wrong with being an Immigrant, it's when the immigrant claims his stay as being Billed from there as Duke Ellington did, or Cab Calloway.
Hell even Mezz Mezzarow who as you know was from the Chicago way had more in Common with most that simply played their. I wouldn;t claim that he nessesarily influenced the musicians in any playing style, but he was a dear friend to most on the street level and he put together some awesome recordings of Harlmites not to mention he probably supplied most everybodyes weed. So he could be considered more "into" the culture and living in Harlem then most bands that simply came through town.

But seriously, what Critiera? simple enough, the one the person in question used...There really isn't any other Critiera..

[SirScratchAlot]

shouldn't that be the focus of this event... Harlem Jazz?

Just a reminder...this is the Harlem Jazz Dance Festival, an event recognizing Harlem's gift of Lindy Hop

Your 100% correct, however the event has in fact slightly changed from what Janice originally intended , as far as the Harlem Music in concerned.

but that isn't the sole focus of this event.

Correct, but it's kinda unfortunate, Only in that it would have been a perfect opportunity to glorify Harlems Music and players regardless of the year. for instance I haven;t heard anyone mention Jimmie Smith yet...

Definitely don't feel like you necessarily need to be limited to Harlem-tied musicians or to a specific time period.

Like the request states, it's not limited at all, But I would hope the DJ's that want to stand out have a sense of pride "for" Harlem and take the opportunity to select their favorite tunes in which they consider influencial in putting Harlem on the Map....

If ya got it, Flaunt it...

[CafeSavoy]

[
I think the only Critiera would be where the band or musician was Billed from or Claimed. Basie never claimed or was Billed as from Harlem.

He claimed he was from Red Bank, New Jersey. And his roots was New York stride piano which definitely makes him an East Coaster. And that's why i asked about criteria. That original post about final destination made no sense. Dean Collins moved to LA and stayed there. Basie was only in KC for a few years, granted they were formative years, but still only a few years. So that comparison was not valid.

[falty411]

He might of originally learned how to play in Harlem from artists like Fats Waller but when Basie ended up in KC playing there for almost 10 years with Walter Page's band and Bennie Moten's band (basically the same musicians) and then starting his own band with former members of Moten's group. His bands style of playing was very distinctly that of Kansas City Jazz.

Those 9 years in KC were undoubtedly the most formative in his career and is also where he basically got his start and built his career that would propel him forward for the next 50 some odd years.

I have heard a lot about:

Count Basie & the Kansas City 3
Count Basie & the Kansas City 7
Count Basie & the Kansas City 8

I have never heard anything about:

Count Basie & the Harlem anything

The biggest thing is that Basie was very much into the sound of his whole band, not just himself. All of his bands, despite having influence from Harlem and other places like Chicago and New Orleans, had that Kansas City sound.

[CafeSavoy]

no one is denying Basie's KC bona fides, just pointing out that you have to consider a person's entire life. Basie didn't go west until he was in his 20's. And if his mentors were guys like Fats Waller, that squarely puts his roots in the new york stride school. Duke Ellington roots are in the same school too, although his idol was the The Lion.