SwingDJs

I don't have much knowledge of this non-genre of music so can someone recommend their ten or so favorite "groove" cds that I should look for?

so far on the other thread people have mentioned Gene Harris and Ramsey Lewis... what cds by them? and who else...?

thanks!
-yakov.

Here are some of my favorites:

Oscar Peterson - Night Train
Gene Harris - Best of Concord
Mose Allison - Greatest Hits
Ray Charles - Genius + Soul = Jazz
Count Basie - Breakfast and Barbeque
Count Basie and Oscar Peterson - Satch and Josh
Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie
Duke Ellington - Blues in Orbit

yedancer wrote:Oscar Peterson - Night Train
Gene Harris - Best of Concord
Mose Allison - Greatest Hits
Ray Charles - Genius + Soul = Jazz
Count Basie - Breakfast and Barbeque
Count Basie and Oscar Peterson - Satch and Josh
Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie
Duke Ellington - Blues in Orbit

These are all great CDs, but I would only categorize the Gene Harris CD (and perhaps the Ray Charles) as true, hard-core "groove lindy" music. I take "groove" to refer to a deep, low-tone, bass-driven rhythm with a soft attack and long sustain. A B3 Hammond organ also helps emphasize the rich bass groove. It is not just hi-fi swing music like Blue In Orbit or mainstream jazz like Night Train.

The main problem with recommending groove CDs is that most of the best "groove" songs I have found are the ONLY lindyable songs on the CD they are on. As such, it takes a lot of shopping to compile a full CD of danceable songs. There also is not the 25-30 song compilation discs out there like there are for, say, Jimmy Lunceford or other Swing Era musicians that make collecting lots of music on a budget possible. Internet file sharing of these artists also is not quite as prevalent.

Here are ten solid selections, over half of which include a Hammond B3 organist:

Gene Harris & the Philip Morris Superband
Gene Harris: Best of Concord Years
Al Grey and Jack McDuff: Me N Jack
Jimmy Smith: Dot Com Blues
Jimmy McGriff: Tribute to Count Basie
Charles Earland: Orgonomically Correct
Irene Reid with Charles Earland: The Uptown Lowdown
Charles Brown: All My Life
Ray Brown: (almost ANYTHING AT ALL)
Jack McDuff: Tough Duff

The other problem is that you asked such an open-ended question that it leaves many at a loss how to answer: just as if you asked "what 10 Swing CDs should I buy?"

I find this thread pretty ironic. It seems that the non-groove DJs are in the minority, yet when someone asks for help in the "groove" category, almost no one responds. You'd think that with so many people promoting groove music and dancing, there would be an avalanche of posts. Guess not.

yedancer wrote:I find this thread pretty ironic. It seems that the non-groove DJs are in the minority, yet when someone asks for help in the "groove" category, almost no one responds. You'd think that with so many people promoting groove music and dancing, there would be an avalanche of posts. Guess not.

There is a reason that I don't post much about what music I like and dislike. I simply don't want to have to deal with the usual swordfight.

I do post music quality commentary on occasion, but not much in relation to other topics. I stayed out of this one to avoid getting attacked.

Nate Dogg wrote:

yedancer wrote:I find this thread pretty ironic. It seems that the non-groove DJs are in the minority, yet when someone asks for help in the "groove" category, almost no one responds. You'd think that with so many people promoting groove music and dancing, there would be an avalanche of posts. Guess not.

There is a reason that I don't post much about what music I like and dislike. I simply don't want to have to deal with the usual swordfight.

I do posts music quality commentary on occasion, but not much in relation to other topics. I stayed out of this one to avoid getting attacked.

Good point, plus the fact that not everyone sits on this list all the time waiting to reply instantly to whatever the latest hot thread is. Even *I* take week-long sabatticals.

But, as the song goes, "don't let the bastards get you down." This is a chance to share and contribute positively, not a time to duck just because terrorists lurk.

yedancer wrote:I find this thread pretty ironic. It seems that the non-groove DJs are in the minority, yet when someone asks for help in the "groove" category, almost no one responds. You'd think that with so many people promoting groove music and dancing, there would be an avalanche of posts. Guess not.

since we never agreed on the definition of groove,
no one knows what's being asked. so perhaps the
non-groove folks are better able to field the question
since they have a clearer definition of groove.

look, they don't have to be the absolute desert-island beyond-a-shadow best. i just need some ideas to get me started.

since i asked the question, here's a working definition for the purposes of this thread: groove swing is what YOU think groove swing is.

just make a list and send it off. ten, five, eight, sixteen... groove, new testament, rhythm & blues... whatever.

if you don't post, the terrorists have already won!

-yakov.

laverne butler, blues in the night
maxine sullivan, sings andy razaf
diana krall, any album before and including "when i look in your eyes"
karrin allyson, in blue
ella and louis
ella sings the songbooks of <insert a jazz composer here>

most of that stuff is insanely accessible (read: mainstream and not terribly challenging, but still fun)

i don't buy into the genre labels. essentially i think of pre-war jazz and post-war jazz, where 'war' means 40s, which was a turbulent transitional period for all of jazz. from the 40s sprang bop, afro-cuban latin jazz, the new testament basie sound, and the vocalist era. before the 40s there was sweet and hot, i.e. dixieland and swing-era music. so i'm recommending post-war jazz that i know (which isn't a hell of a lot).

CafeSavoy wrote:since we never agreed on the definition of groove,
no one knows what's being asked. so perhaps the
non-groove folks are better able to field the question
since they have a clearer definition of groove.

Well, not that the original question was a bout WHAT groove music is, but this would be a good opportunity to show what YOU think it is. (YOU being the collective YOU.)

I mean, if you can't pick a handful of good albums, and have the gumption to tell people about them, why are you a DJ?

I've been digging Curtis Stigers - Gene Harris is one of his big influences -
Check out Secret Heart and Baby Plays Around.

yedancer wrote:
I mean, if you can't pick a handful of good albums, and have the gumption to tell people about them, why are you a DJ?

actually it's hard to pick just a handful of good albums, that's why
more general questions are harder to answer.

so i'll answer loosely and partially. here's some postwar female vocalists:

Lorez Alexandria, The Great
Ernestine Anderson, Concord Jazz Heritage Series
Laverne Butler, Blues in the City
Eva Cassidy, Live at Blues Alley
Rosemary Clooney, Do You Miss New York?
Blossom Dearie, Jazz Masters 51
Billie Holiday, Lady Day Swings
Billie Holiday, A Musical Romance
Shirley Horn,I Thought About You
Helen Humes, Sneakin' Around
Alberta Hunter, Amtrak Blues
Etta James, Her Best
Etta Jones, My Buddy
Etta Jones, Don't Go To Strangers
Etta Jones, Doing What She Does Best
Lyambiko, Out Of This Mood
Jeanie Lambe, Live in Hamburg
Gloria Lynne, Miss Gloria Lynne
Peggy Lee, Best of the Capitol Years
Jane Monheit, Never Never Land
Carmen McRae, Priceless Jazz Collection
Charmin Michelle, Destination Moon
Barbara Morrison, Live at the 920 Special
Barbara Morrison, I'm Gettin' 'Long All Right
Barbara Morrison, I Know How To Do It
Carol Sloan, The Real Things
Carol Sloan, Sweet & Slow
Anita O'day, Sings the Winners
Di Anne Price, Wild Women
Esther Phillips, Confessin the Blues
Irene Reid, Million Dollar Secret
Betty Roche, Take the 'A' Train
Betty Roche, Singin' and Swingin'
Vanessa Rubin, Girl Talk
Nina Simone, My Baby Just Cares For Me (Crimson)
Carrie Smith, When You're Down and Out
Mary Stallings, Live At the Village Vanguard
Dakota Staton, The Late Late Show
Dakota Staton, Dakota Staton
Maxine Sullivan, And Her Jazz All-Stars
Maxine Sullivan, We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye
Teri Thornton, I'll Be Easy to Find
Sarah Vaughan, Swinging at the Tivoli
Sarah Vaughan, Swingin' Easy
Sarah Vaughan, In Hi-Fi
Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie and Sarah Vaughan
Cassandra Wilson, Blues Skies
George Shearing & Nancy Wilson, The Swinging's Mutual

yedancer wrote:I find this thread pretty ironic. It seems that the non-groove DJs are in the minority, yet when someone asks for help in the "groove" category, almost no one responds. You'd think that with so many people promoting groove music and dancing, there would be an avalanche of posts. Guess not.

It's because, like Rayned alluded to, the people being called "Groove DJs" often don't consider themselves or the music they DJ "Groove."

CafeSavoy wrote: Lorez Alexandria, The Great

Hey Rayned, can you tell me a little bit more about Lorez Alexandria? I had not heard of her until last night when Kevin S. mentioned her - supposedly she has a very distinctive sound?