Birthday Jam Songs

[Shorty Dave]

In light of a thread I started on Yehoodi (http://www.yehoodi.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=61691), I was just curious what are some of your favorite birthday jam songs. This of course being for people you don't know and have no reason to play something specific for them (ie: really really fast, or really slow and groovy, etc)

Some favorites of mine are:
Bits and Pieces - Clarence Gatemouth Brown (thanks Jesse and/or Rayned!)
Blues in Hoss Flat / Blues in Frankie's Flat - Count Basie
C Jam Blues - LCJO

For groovier dancers here in NYC, I've heard DJ Wexie play Fathead Newman's "Hard Times" and Wycliffe Gordon's "It Don't Mean a Thing", and both went over really well.

Thoughts?

[Roy]

I try and play something the Birthday person would enjoy. If it's a Chicago regular it's easy, if not, I ask the person making the request what they like and what tempo they like.

[lindyholic]

I too try to play something I know they would enjoy. Same goes for any type of jam for a person, it's something I know they would enjoy, not just a good all around b-day jam song.

Harrison

[JesseMiner]

I was just curious what are some of your favorite birthday jam songs. This of course being for people you don't know and have no reason to play something specific for them

Quite often when DJing, I am faced with a birthday jam featuring many dancers of different skill levels and musical tastes. Some of them I know well, others I have never met before. When looking for a song that will be fun for everyone involved, I pay attention to the:

- Feeling: Upbeat, energetic, swinging
Some songs just have these qualities that engage the dancers and get them clapping and having a good time while other songs sound flat and don't inspire the enthusiasm needed for an exciting jam. Birthday jams are all about celebration, and a good song helps put people in that mood.

- Structure: Interesting, playful
I'm referring to qualities beyong the actual song structure (AABA, blues, etc...). I look for songs that have a catchy melody that the dancers can play with. Some interesting dynamics and breaks are great as well. These qualities help give the inspiration necessary to fully practice the art of stealing partners. I avoid songs with monotonous sections or too many breaks.

- Tempo: Right in the pocket
Guage the dancers and find something that they will be comfortable with and that will hopefully let them shine. This really depends on the crowd, and you can go many directions with it. In general, I pick songs with a solid and clear swinging rhythm somewhere in the 140-160 bpm range.

- Length: Long enough
If the song is too short, not everyone gets the chance to go in, and it gets tedious when the song goes on too long. I've found that when you have a big crowd and several dancers in the jam, a good rule-of-thumb is a 5-minute song. Some prefer to string together a few shorter songs, but I usually just stick with a single one.

A few things to think about to improve birthday jams:

- Quality: Pick a really good song.

- Familiarity: Quite possibly make it a really good and really familiar song. This isn't the time to impress the crowd by flexing your musical muscles. Comfort food is really appreciated here, playing songs that dancers know like the back of their hands.

- Mix it up: Don't always play the same song. There is nothing more frustrating than hearing the same great song every week used for a jam when people really just want to social dance to that song.

- Make it interesting: Present the jam in such a way that gets everyone engaged and into it. Birthday jams do happen every week, but remember they are for different people each week and thus are special to those people each time. Make sure they don't get dull and routine. Try and not get too jaded and cynical just because we've been around a while - for many people this might be their first time in a jam.

Based on these criteria, I find myself frequently playing the following for general birthday jams:

- Bits and Pieces - Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (Gatemouth Swings)
- Blue Devil Stomp - Joe Salzano (Savoy Nites)
- Corner Pocket - Count Basie/Duke Ellington (First Time!)
- Kansas City Riffs - Buster Smith (Legendary Buster Smith)
- Mack The Knife - Ella Fitzgerald/Duke Ellington (Cote D'azur)

Disclaimer: These preferences of course come out of my extensive experience with the tastes/preferences of the crowds I have regularly DJed for over the past several years, both here in San Francisco and across the country. Your own mileage my vary.

Jesse

[Roy]

Unless something specific is requeted in Chicago the following works well:
Basella-Ella Fitzgerald
C Jam Blues-Paul Gonvales version
East of the Moon-Diana Krall(for those who like slow groove)

For someone who loves Blues I usually use Fine and Mellow-Ella's version.

Of course if it was someone who only knows ECS or someone who likes big band I would not play those songs.

It really depends on the person, I try to play something they love.

[Ron]

I prefer songs that are high-energy, middle BPM, familiar, 4-6 minutes long. Jesse said it all. I've actually made a compilation or two of birthday jam songs so I don't have to work hard at hunting for an appropriate song. I forget what they all are now.

[TacomaTony]

"Bits and Pieces" is one of the best birthday jam songs out there! I had it 4 years ago in Portland and had one of the best Jams of my life, I have it on video. I love that song!
TT

[Naomi]

Sometimes, I get the feeling I should have joined this forum years ago. In the meantime, I'm finding new cds to buy.

Last weekend in SF, we had the Downhome Blues Festival: http://www.downhomebluesfestival.com/. For a jam song at the Doghouse, Jesse played one of my favorite jam tunes - and I never have known the name. The dj booth is accessible there, and Jesse is incredibly friendly - so I finally asked for the name of that song - at least 2 people answered "Bits & Pieces!"

In the archives, I found a list of my favorite jam songs. So I went shopping, and have 3 cds on order (Woo Hoo!).

Here's my question. The posts above were written 2 years ago. Since then, have any new "classic" jam songs cropped up? Oh, and who is Joe Salzano? Amazon had no clue, and cdbaby said, "Wow! You stumped us! Try another search, or contact us to suggest a CD we don't carry."

[Swifty]

Joe Salzano led an amazing band from Ithaca, NY around the time I started dancing. They were truly awesome live but unfortunately Joe's out of the Jazz scene these days. I think you can still get their CD here:

http://www.telemarkmusic.biz/catalog/945.html

-R

[JeffyCupcake]

Who sings the Bits & Pieces song?

[Nando]

That's Clarence Gatemouth Brown, off of the "Gate Swings" CD.

[Naomi]

Joe Salzano led an amazing band from Ithaca, NY around the time I started dancing. They were truly awesome live but unfortunately Joe's out of the Jazz scene these days. I think you can still get their CD here:

Thanks for the reference! I'll check it out.

One of my current favorite jam songs is the Gene Harris version of "This Little Light of Mine" from The Best of the Concord Years. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... 18-9288669

This weekend at Lindy in the Park, I played Ella's "Mack The Knife," followed by Count Basie's "Shout & Feel It" for Tony, one of our fast dancers. That was a lot of fun. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=music
It's great to hear a crowd sigh with recognition, when they here a tune they know & like, but weren't expecting.

[djstarr]

for an oldie but goodie - I've used "Honey Pie" from Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, Everybody's Talking' 'Bout Miss Thing. Works well especially for bday jams for women; has a lot of good "dipping" breaks.

My other two bday jam song favorites right now are "Sent for you Yesterday", Count Basie/Mills Bros., Board of Directors/Annual Report and "I Love being Here with You", Ella Fitzgerald - Live at Juan Les Pins.

[Platypus]

If you want to go traditional, Kermit Ruffins has a New Orleans jazz style "Happy Birthday," on the album, "The World on a String."