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Everything about the swinging music we love to DJ

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78rpm
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#1 Post by 78rpm » Wed Feb 09, 2011 8:16 am

hello
i have recently found this forum. i've been a dj of primarily soul and funk music for about 5 years in twin cities.
i've been collecting 78s the past 4 years, and suddenly find myself obsessed with jazz on 78. it started with bop and has now hopelessly moved into jazz from the 20s and 30s forward.
i know very very little about the swing dance scene, but i know we share a passion for the music!

after spending some time browsing the forums here, i decided to join. i am excited by the love of jazz music i see here from all of you.

though i am yet a year or so away from having a collection big enough, i have been giving serious thought to the possibility of djing swing/lindy dance nights with 78s.

for many years i have spun a night in Minneapolis called hipshaker. we did every wednesday night for several years, and above us was another venue which had on wednesdays a loval jazz band. it seemed a popular night for local swing dancers, and gradually many would come downstairs to dance with us during breaks. it was a true pleasure to see the dancing talent they had.

again, i know little to nothing about the scene and art of the variety swing dancing seems to be, but i do love the jazz!

i look forward to sharing what i learn about it with you.

i hope to figure out how to post pics of the records i am picking up...they are to me objects beautiful as the music the have cut in them

brian engel
hipshaker :D

78rpm
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#2 Post by 78rpm » Wed Feb 09, 2011 8:20 am

i have been really enjoying:

Duke Ellington's recordings,

king Oliver

Mckinney's Cotton Pickers

Mills Blue Rhythm Band (Boys), etc.

Fletcher Henderson

it's been very interesting to me seeking the records these folks made under pseudonyms.

Ellington's "Rockin in Rhythm" on Perfect records as The Louisiana Rhythmakers, as well as two very wonderful takes of "St. James' Infirmary" as The Ten Black Berries.

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Mr Awesomer
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#3 Post by Mr Awesomer » Wed Feb 09, 2011 4:55 pm

78rpm wrote: it's been very interesting to me seeking the records these folks made under pseudonyms.

Ellington's "Rockin in Rhythm" on Perfect records as The Louisiana Rhythmakers, as well as two very wonderful takes of "St. James' Infirmary" as The Ten Black Berries.
Those aren't recordings under pseudonyms... those are other bands playing the same tunes. There are many standards that were covered by many bands.

Since you're in the Twin Cities you might want to seek out Peter Strom, a Lindy Hop dancer who also happens to be deep into Soul, and a Twin Cities native: http://www.uptownswing.net/
Reuben Brown
Southern California

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Gong-Oh
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#4 Post by Gong-Oh » Wed Feb 09, 2011 5:34 pm

Mr Awesomer wrote:
78rpm wrote: it's been very interesting to me seeking the records these folks made under pseudonyms.

Ellington's "Rockin in Rhythm" on Perfect records as The Louisiana Rhythmakers, as well as two very wonderful takes of "St. James' Infirmary" as The Ten Black Berries.
Those aren't recordings under pseudonyms... those are other bands playing the same tunes. There are many standards that were covered by many bands.
You are probably right about the Louisiana Rhythmakers. However, the Ten Black Berries were just The Duke Ellington Orchestra under a pseudonym, at least according to http://www.redhotjazz.com/index.htm.

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#5 Post by Mr Awesomer » Wed Feb 09, 2011 5:37 pm

Indeed... sorry, was just skimming and thought he was remarking on the number of recordings of the same songs.
Reuben Brown
Southern California

78rpm
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#6 Post by 78rpm » Wed Feb 09, 2011 5:39 pm

i beg to differ...
many of the popular bands then would have sides released on dime store labels under false names. they'd be cheaper records than the more quality labels, though the exact same recording...perhaps a different take. it was actually quite common to do this.

if only i had mp3 capability!!! i could prove it!

indeed different bands would record "cover" versions of songs by other artists. Birmingham Breakdown is an example. St. james Infirmary is still being recorded today.

it does get tricky to sort this stuff out...

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Mr Awesomer
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#7 Post by Mr Awesomer » Wed Feb 09, 2011 5:57 pm

Yeap, see my reply above. Was reading through posts way to fast since I haven't been on in a while.
Reuben Brown
Southern California

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trev
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#8 Post by trev » Thu Feb 10, 2011 3:06 am

Welcome Brian! Looking forward to sharing some jazz geekery!

I'd recommend checking out the local swing dance scene to get an idea of the types of tunes that work and don't work on the dancefloor. Dancers can be somewhat particular in their tastes.

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#9 Post by Eyeball » Thu Feb 10, 2011 12:35 pm

http://www.redhotjazz.com/

Reposting this URL for a great web site again.
Will big bands ever come back?

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Mr Awesomer
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#10 Post by Mr Awesomer » Thu Feb 10, 2011 12:55 pm

While moving around old threads I found this one on a bunch of pseudonyms:

http://www.swingdjs.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=990
Reuben Brown
Southern California

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