A Night At The Savoy at Herrang - Savoy First 10 Years

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Haydn · #1 Post by **Haydn** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 12:52 pm

Note: I wasn't sure where to put this. It's not really about particular music but it's not about DJ Skills either, so I thought I'd put it here ...
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The Friday party at week 2 of Herrang this year was on the theme 'A Night At The Savoy' (meaning a night at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem). Overall I thought the party didn't have the same exciting vibe as most Friday nights at Herrang, because it didn't inspire people to do something different. So people didn't use the same creative effort with their outfits which often helps produce a great atmosphere. But, for me anyway, there was one really interesting thing that happened on this night. In the upstairs ballroom, Peter Loggins DJ'd and presented a part of the evening as 'the first 10 years at the Savoy'. Peter introduced the theme explaining that he would play records by Savoy house bands from the first 10 years of The Savoy. This man is a jazz historian specialising in this sort of thing, and he chose a variety of music all of which had excellent sound quality.

The first music Peter played was by Fess Williams whose band apparently was the first at the Savoy (?), and I think the second was the 'Savoy Bearcats'. I'm not used to music of 1926-27 but enjoyed the Fess Williams - I remember the music sounded atmospheric and I think it had train noises - it was certainly exciting and was hard to put into any bracket (Swing/Dixieland/Charleston?). During the first few tunes representing the first few years at the Savoy, you could sense people trying to adjust to the music. After a few songs, the floor definitely cleared a fair bit, most people preferring not to dance it seemed.

I didn't stay for all the 'years', but just after I came back in, Peter played a Willie Bryant tune - I think it was 'Chimes at the Meeting' (1935?). Although fast, this started to get the dancers on the floor again. After this was Stomping at the Savoy by Chick Webb and thought this a fast tempo, you could see dancers gradually getting more comfortable with the music they were hearing. As a bonus at the end, Peter put on a live 1940 recording of Tuxedo Junction by Erskine Hawkins, and of course this really filled up the floor.

Why did I bother to write all that? Because I thought this was an experiment that might be a real one-off because you had dancers gathering for a party, most of whom probably didn't know that they would be presented a chronological selection of music from Savoy House bands. It provoked thoughts about The Savoy, the music, the bands, the dancers, how they danced - all those things. I found myself trying to imagine the bands playing this music at The Savoy and wondering what the atmosphere was like, and what sort of dancing went on. And wondering how it would compare with today. Not that they were right and we are wrong or vice-versa, but I do think it's really interesting all the same. (If experimental presentations on the theme of old dance-halls don't interest you then sorry!)

trev · #2 Post by **trev** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 10:43 pm

I love that idea. Too bad people weren't as in to it.

That Fess Williams track was probably "Hot Town". There's a great Fess Williams CD by Jazz Oracle with excellent sound. Lots of fun tuba and baritone from memory. I haven't been game enough to DJ from it yet though.

dogpossum · #3 Post by **dogpossum** » Wed Aug 01, 2012 9:55 pm

Hey, I thought it was interesting, too. I'd be curious to see more responses to it. Sometimes themed sets can be tricky to gauge.

RE that Fess Williams track - I immediately thought of you, Trev, when I saw that. You put me onto it!

philippecrhk · #4 Post by **philippecrhk** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:11 am

I was in the dansbanan when Peter Loggins was doing this chronological set. There was a webb/goodman/basie music competition which was quite popular. Does anybody know who won ? . As you mentioned and talking to dancers during my stay the music history is not a very hot topic . Herrang tries to address this with Lennart's presentation on the music which was vey well done during the cultural activities period.

Haydn · #5 Post by **Haydn** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 6:57 am

philippecrhk wrote:I was in the dansbanan when Peter Loggins was doing this chronological set. There was a webb/goodman/basie music competition which was quite popular. Does anybody know who won ?

I don't remember there being a winner.