Your local Lindy Hop scene - Uses real Swing music or other?

[Eyeball]

What's the point of this topic anyway, Eyeball?

Of course people dance to "real Swing and jazz music". Sure there will be different styles and influences from scene to scene, but that's to be expected.

Are you waiting for someone to defend their scene for not dancing to "real Swing and jazz"?

The point is the dissemination of information perhaps not previously gathered under such a label.

Many people do not dance to a majority of Swing and Jazz music in their various Lindy scenes and venues

No - I am not waiting or even interested in a defense of a non Swing music Lindy scene. Folks are entitled to dance to whatever they wish.

Now if you can stop dogging me from thread to thread we may get down to some interesting responses.

[Eyeball]

How much real Swing does your scene seem to use, percentage wise, vs other music?

73.8% real Swing

Haha. You're sure?

[Mr Awesomer]

How much real Swing does your scene seem to use, percentage wise, vs other music?

73.8% real Swing

Haha. You're sure?

Well no one would be sure until you visited and made your personal assessment of the situation and self certified it of course.

[Eyeball]

73.8% real Swing

Haha. You're sure?

Well no one would be sure until you visited and made your personal assessment of the situation and self certified it of course.

Someone has to be in charge when others abdicate their responsibility.

[straycat]

Does the local Lindy Hop scene in your area use real Swing music from the 30s and 40s and maybe some Jazz from the 20s?

Yes.

Or does your local LH scene use non-Swing and non-Jazz to keep itself going?

No.

ps - How much real Swing does your scene seem to use, percentage wise, vs other music?

Two ways of doing this:
1) I guestimate a rough figure, which could be a little inaccurate for all kinds of reasons.
2) I go through the local playlists and do some arithmetic. You'll have to forgive me for not going down this route.

Easiest to say it's chiefly swing and leave it at that.

[JesseMiner]

Does the local Lindy Hop scene in your area use real Swing music from the 30s and 40s and maybe some Jazz from the 20s?

Or does your local LH scene use non-Swing and non-Jazz to keep itself going?

I'd like to know how much real Swing is being used nation-wide.

ps - How much real Swing does your scene seem to use, percentage wise, vs other music?

The term "Real Swing" is an extremely loaded term and potentially offensive to many on this board, myself included. Stick to a less biased term such as "big band swing music from the 30s and 40s", and you will probably get a better response.

To answer your question with an observation, I would say there is a larger percentage of classic swing music being played today nation/worldwide than I have ever experienced in my 10+ years of dancing/DJing. But all of the other swinging styles of music (pre-swing jazz, post swing-era swinging jazz, jumping r'n'b, modern swinging jazz and blues, etc...) continue to be played (and enjoyed!) as well. The ratio of these styles might vary from town to town, but the concept of variety does not. We live in 2008 and have the luxury to enjoy all of the inspirational dance music that has been created over the past 100 years.

Hope that helps.

Jesse

[fredo]

I think only REAL Americans listen to REAL Swing music. (joking)

haha, I would agree with Jesse, the topic questions asked here and in the NT Basie thread are vague and hard to respond to. I think Straycat's response about how to measure how much of which type of swinging jazz demonstrates why this question is difficult to answer. You might as well put up an online poll and let people crash it.

So again, I question the point of the inquisition. Any responses you get will be incomplete, biased, and in no way representative of what is really going on in cities around the globe. You asked for a percentage, and when given one you questioned it. Granted the answer was likely in jest, but that only makes the point over again.

I responded with a general answer to the question of what types of swinging jazz I hear in Seattle, and I'm sure others could respond similarly for their scene. I suppose this might be interesting at some level, but considering everyone is using a different definition of terms (and the questioner doesn't seem to have any contribution to that definition) I'd say you could see a sincere response and a sarcastic response and likely get the same amount of info from both.

[CountBasi]

The term "Real Swing" is an extremely loaded term and potentially offensive to many on this board

Jesse

Yeah, I am amazed this didn't get posted much earlier in this thread.

[Eyeball]

The term "Real Swing" is an extremely loaded term and potentially offensive to many on this board

Jesse

Yeah, I am amazed this didn't get posted much earlier in this thread.

Yes, since it is an astonishing statement.

[CountBasi]

I wouldn't call 'Real Swing' a statement. Sounds more like an extremely liberally minded Spanish football team.

[Eyeball]

I wouldn't call 'Real Swing' a statement. Sounds more like an extremely liberally minded Spanish football team.

I wrote I found Jesse's statement to be astonishing.

[fredo]

Does the local Lindy Hop scene in your area use real Swing music from the 30s and 40s and maybe some Jazz from the 20s?

What's astonishing is that you think "real swing" is limited to the 30s and 40s.

[Eyeball]

Does the local Lindy Hop scene in your area use real Swing music from the 30s and 40s and maybe some Jazz from the 20s?

What's astonishing is that you think "real swing" is limited to the 30s and 40s.

I didn't say or write that......especially not with a lower case "s".

Fredo - it is pointless going back and forth with you. You should be reading on this subject instead of posting about it.

[Haydn]

... I would say there is a larger percentage of classic swing music being played today nation/worldwide than I have ever experienced in my 10+ years of dancing/DJing ...

I've noticed that too, a much higher percentage of classic swing from the 30s and 40s seems to be played now compared with a few years ago. And a lot of beginners love it too - a beginner recently described a particular DJ's music as 'hot' (even though it was on the fast side, so more challenging to dance to).

[fredo]

Does the local Lindy Hop scene in your area use real Swing music from the 30s and 40s and maybe some Jazz from the 20s?

What's astonishing is that you think "real swing" is limited to the 30s and 40s.

I didn't say or write that......especially not with a lower case "s".

Fair enough, you didn't explicitly write that, but from your question and tone it seemed to imply that. Maybe I'm just imagining things.

The reason I think it's relevant is because I'm hearing more contemporary swing and trad bands getting DJed than I was hearing maybe 4 years ago. Sure there have been a few solid contemporary swing bands that have gotten DJed for years, but I feel like I'm hearing more people finding really swinging hi-fi contemporary recordings. Hell, we just had a DJ battle, and the winner won playing only music recorded after 1980!

Perhaps its a result of more bands getting their songs recorded, and the rise of internet music downloading.

I also think that the flood of weekend workshops that has taken over the national calendar has helped to push swing from the 30s and 40s into the majority. If most of the teachers that are flying around are using this music in all their classes, the students in all those classes are going to get hooked in.