SwingDJs

A friend of mine

wants to know songs that are very good for the jitterbug stroll that aren't 'the jitterbug stroll' song (which I hate with a passion and do not own), or woodchopper's ball, because I already own it.

to which I replied

Any 12 bar blues in an appropriate tempo will do, basically... just make sure the arranger hasn't put any weird breaks or extra bars in between choruses. No immediate suggestions, but I'll put the question out on swingdjs.com.

Any ideas? I've seen JS done to other songs than those two, but can't remember which ones.

"Second Balcony Jump" (Al Cooper and the Savoy Sultans or Panama Francis) would probably work, I'm not sure if it has the right number of phrases but it's 12 bar and kind of fits the movements.

Jimmy Witherspoon - Jump Children [1949]
works nicely

I always thought that the jitterbug stroll was choreographed originally to Woodchopper's Ball by Woody Herman.

Another thing that most folks don't seem to know about the JBS: it works way better if you dance it in a circle rather than lines all facing the same direction. Everyone starts facing in for be-yodie-yodie, turns to their left on the break.
Knee-slap with the shorty george goes clockwise around the circle, turn to the left on the break. That leaves you facing out (away from the center of the circle) for suzie-q's. Turn to the left again on the break, and you end up with your rear end going clockwise for the boogie-back/tick-tocks. Turn to the left again, repeat.

(It would also work turning to the right, in which case you rotate counterclockwise.)

opie wrote:I always thought that the jitterbug stroll was choreographed originally to Woodchopper's Ball by Woody Herman.

Sure it was. Doesn't mean it can't with other songs as well.