SwingDJs

I was having a chat with a fellow deejay at a dance recently, and I made a comment that whenever I'm unsure what to play next I know I can always turn to the Duke and I'll find something that people will like.

He said, that's funny, I like to look to Basie in those situations.

I know it's been discussed in other threads about "how to pick your next song", but this is more of a first instinct call about what artist to look for, and not necessarily something to do for every song.

No matter if I may be looking for hot or sweet, groovy or janky, trad or modern, or whathaveyou, I know that I can count on Ellington to have something I can easily say yes to.

That's why he's my go-to guy. I'm sure he may be the same to other deejays as well.

Who's got your back?

None other than artie shaw.

Andy Kirk

Kind of depends on the gig/crowd.

It's usually Basie, though - something chunky and uptempo? Earlier Basie. Something hi-fi? Later Basie. Something groovy? Later Basie.
I do find myself playing more Ellington than anyone else - whether it's him or someone playing his stuff (I find him as flexible as Basie). But Hamp is the man if I want to kick start a slumpy crowd.

...so I guess I have a posse rather than just one guy.

dogpossum wrote:Kind of depends on the gig/crowd.

I agree. I wish I could say that it's Basie or Earl Hines, but more often, it's Lucky Millinder or Cab Calloway.

Ellington is my go-to guy. He has something of quality for every situation.

Slow/medium/fast/old skool/big band/small group/hi-fi/groovy/mellow/ball-busting...

My answer is to find specific songs that work. Not necessarily a specific artist. That being said, Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie have a lot of songs that do the trick.

When I first started DJing, I made a CD-R compilation series of songs that were popular at dances during that time (2001). When I play something new to my collection that does not go over as well as would have hoped, I sometimes follow it with of those songs from the compilation series (or other songs that have proven themselves to be very reliable over time). If a song has worked 100 times at dances when I am in the room, it will probably work again. Besides, no matter how overplayed the track was five years ago, it is probably going to be something fresh to all the newbies in the crowd.

Of course, the fun of DJing is pleasing the crowd while still exploring new things to play. But, it is always good to have a safety net of songs.

Nathan

Shaw for me too.

fredo wrote:whenever I'm unsure what to play next I know I can always turn to the Duke and I'll find something that people will like ... a first instinct call about what artist to look for

Who's got your back?

I have hardly any post-1945 Duke Ellington - post-war Ellington is a large field I've yet to explore. Currently, the majority of the stuff I have by him is late 20s/early 30s, so currently I would only see him as a standby if I was DJing music of this period - in fact, he probably would be a standby then because he wrote and recorded so much great stuff in those years, like -

- Doin' The New Low Down
- Jungle Jamboree
- Jungle Nights In Harlem
- Rockin' In Rhythm
- It Don't Mean A Thing (if It Ain't Got That Swing)

I don't have a single group I think of as back-up (current favourites at the moment though are Gene Krupa, Lionel Hampton and Harry James bands).

Haydn wrote:I have hardly any post-1945 Duke Ellington - post-war Ellington is a large field I've yet to explore.

[quick detour]

Haydn-- check out Ellington at Newport '59 and Soul Call

I'm more of a pre-war kinda guy too, but there are a few gems on these albums that I will call on if I want hi-fi Ellington.

If I feel like I've been too adventurous and need to play something safe, I tend to go to Basie.

If I feel like I've been too predictable and need to play something unexpected but guaranteed-to-be-good, I tend to go to Ellington.

They both have the huge advantage of having been around and prolific for so long, so there's a lot of different stuff from different eras to choose from. I usually play at least three or four songs of them each, often more, during a typical 2-3 hour gig. I don't feel like I could get away with playing that much by any other single artist (unless there was a theme night or something).

And hey - there's a good reason why these guys were around so long to begin with.

Charlie Barnet or Ella Fitzgerald. Depending on whether I want to go instrumental or vocal.

Louis Armstrong! Impeccable music, and his voice makes everybody light up.

djstarr wrote:Louis Armstrong! Impeccable music, and his voice makes everybody light up.

ha ha. one cool daddio.