SwingDJs

So, what would you play if you had only 15 minutes? (5-6 songs depending on the length) Here are teh rules go nut.


a. 85% of the music played must be played or composed by African-American
artists.
b. No cartoon music. Period.
c. No West Coast music. Period.
d. No Neo-Swing. Period.

"...come prepared to do the best job you can representing Lindy Hop music that you think shows off Harlem and its gifts to the world."

One last thing. If it's on someone play list already posted, You can't play it.

1. Take the A Train; Duke Ellington
2. Strictly Jive; Chick Webb
3. South Main; Buddy Johnson
4. Christopher Columbus; Fletcher Henderson
5. Swingin' on C; Jimmie Lunceford

If time permits
Swing Brother Swing; Count Basie fea Billie Holiday

1. Diga Diga Diga - Duke Ellington
2. No Guitar Blues - Donald Ray Johnson
3. They Call Me Big Mama - Big Mama Thornton
4. My Baby Likes to Bebop - Ella Fitzgerald
5. Caldonia - Woody Herman

I think that might actually be a little bit over 15 minutes, by a few seconds.

FUN!

Here's mine -- I don't have times with me, so I think this might be over with Cow Cow Boogie; if I have to cut one it would be Evenin'

1. Stardust - Louis Armstrong
2. Cow Cow Boogie - Ella with the InkSpots
3. Black Beauty - Duke Ellington
4. Evenin' - Count Basie @Newport w/Jimmy Rushing
5. Harlem Air Shaft - Wynton Marsalis w/LCJO

Earl Hines - Boogie Woogie on St. Louis Blues
Saunders King - Swingin
Andy Kirk - Walkin' And Swingin
Chick Webb - Blue Minor
Count Basie - One O'Clock Jump

I'm quite sure all of those were composed by African Americans, and surely they are all performed, at least in part, by african Americans.

GemZombie wrote:Earl Hines - Boogie Woogie on St. Louis Blues
Saunders King - Swingin
Andy Kirk - Walkin' And Swingin
Chick Webb - Blue Minor
Count Basie - One O'Clock Jump

I'm quite sure all of those were composed by African Americans, and surely they are all performed, at least in part, by african Americans.

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.

GuruReuben wrote:(or composers)

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

Umm, if you have to have 85% songs by African-Americans and you can only play 6 songs, ALL SIX must be songs by African-Americans.

Basie never played in Harlelm? Wow.

GuruReuben wrote:And sure Kirk, Basie and Hines had gigs and other connections to Harlem, but what do they really have to do with "Harlem Jazz."

Here's my defense of the Basie picks - I had a chance to ask Frankie Manning a couple of years ago who his favorite band to dance to was - Ken Burns' Jazz had just aired, and the episode with Frankie and Norma made it seem that they just loved Chick Webb (compared to Benny Goodman).

So when I asked Frankie who his favorite band was he said "Oh, well everybody knows that" - and I go "Chick Webb?" - and he looks at me funny and says no - "Count Basie". Then proceeds to tell some really great stories about Whitey's Lindy Hoppers touring with Basie.

Also, when Norma Miller spoke in Seattle all she talked about was Basie.

So if we are assuming that the dancers were inspired by the musicians and vice versus then I'd say Basie was probably more influential to Harlem Jazz than it would appear on the surface.

Of course, I'm still a newbie and may have jumped to some conclusions - I'd be interested in hearing other viewpoints.

How much time in NYC would count? What if the guys moved there or made an impact on the scene? The NY guys would "send for" musicians from all over the country and they would GO. Fletcher Henderson sent for Louis Armstrong, who played with him for awhile. Wouldn't it also be important to include all the traveling bands who made an impact on Harlem and possibly impacted the scene? Widens the scope quite a bit.

mark0tz wrote:Basie never played in Harlelm? Wow.

Did you read my post? Apparently you didn't.

GuruReuben wrote:

mark0tz wrote:Basie never played in Harlelm? Wow.

Did you read my post? Apparently you didn't.

i did, but i still don't get your point. sure, he's also associated with kansas city and the kansas city style, but that doesn't remove his harlem/nyc connection.

CafeSavoy wrote:

GuruReuben wrote:

mark0tz wrote:Basie never played in Harlelm? Wow.

Did you read my post? Apparently you didn't.

i did, but i still don't get your point. sure, he's also associated with kansas city and the kansas city style, but that doesn't remove his harlem/nyc connection.

Basie is to Harlem jazz as to Dean is to Harlem dance. Sure they were there,but we all know they arnt harlem. They mighta had an impact, but its little in comparison to what they did in their fianl destination( in Dean's case, LA)

That makes no sense. Dean Collins brought his dance style which was heavily influened by Al Minns and other Harlem dancers to LA. Count Basie changed the way all big bands were arranged including bands from Harlem.

As one Jazz historian elequently put it when Count Basie showed up on the scene big band music changed. Everyone stated that this is the way Big Bands should be arranged.

In other words Dean Collins was affected by Harlem. Count Basie affected Harlem. Harlem would be the same without Dean Collins. Harlem would be very different without Count Basie.