SwingDJs

my dj collection is pretty weak in the area of faster music (i.e. above 150bpm). what i do have that i like is mostly count basie (alright, ok you win from the basie in london cd typifies what i am looking for) and bill elliot, some lavay and louis jordan, since i have a strong bias away from hardcore vintage straight big band music (flame now or forever hold your peace). i, and most of the dancers in stl prefer a little groove even with their fast tunes, and i could use some suggestions for other artists and songs to dig into.

ideas?

Barbara Morrision - Live at the 9:20 Special
this CD has several "up tempo" grooves. All the way up to "Bye Bye Blackbird" at a floor clearing 180.

Sarah Vaughn - If I Knew Then 168
Barney Kessel - Moten Swing 159
Jimmy Witherspoon - It's A Low Down Dirty Shame 168
Julia Lee - Julia's Blues 170
Kenny Dorham - From This Moment On 307
Everybody will hate you (with good reason) if you play this last one, but you should do it anyway.

Since you mentioned Joe Williams, there's Party Blues with Ella & Basie offa that 2 disc best of, and even better, off of a Prez Conference album there's a killer version of How High the Moon.

..and there's tons of good post-war Ellington uptempo tunes.

(I'm just gonna assume by groove you mean stuff from the second half of the century, not that you're specifically looking for uptempo soul jazz or something)

Groove Juice Special, Slim & Slam, 172
One Foot In The Groove, Artie Shaw, 172
In The Groove At The Grove, Chick Webb, 180
Keep It In The Groove, Andy Kirk, 182
Blues In The Groove, Jan Savitt, 190
Swingin' In The Groove, Coleman Hawkins, 314

...oh how this joke will never get old.

dude, you forgot:

Gettin' in the Groove, Al Cooper's Savoy Sultans, 143

Not to mention Groovin'; Pops (Louis Armstrong) and Oh Boy I'm in the Groove; Horace Henderson

Off of one of my favorite new CDs I've gotten (and all the other songs are below 136 bpm so it might be a good purchase for you
Just one of those Things - 202 - Louis Armstrong meets Oscar Peterson

I second 9:20 Special

But not for Me - 186 - Curtis Stigers - Baby Plays Around
Secret Heart by Curtis Stigers is also good.

There's a Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington CD that might fit the bill.

I think this is the one:



Located here.

Ella Fitzgerald "Bluella"...overplayed in many communities (at least in TX), but still great.

Like others here, I think of 9:20 Special anytime I want to ratchet things up. But aside from that, here's a few of my favs (attempting to avoid "hardcore vintage straight big band music")...

Gene Connors, Coming Home 172 ("Coming Home" is a "one song wonder" CD)
Nat King Cole, Route 66 188 "After Midnight"
Nat King Cole, Just You, Just Me 220 "After Midnight"
Eddie Thompson Trio, Cool Blues 226 "Ain't She Sweet"
Casey Macgill, Rhythm 195
Diana Krall, 'Deed I Do 192 "Live in Paris"
Jay McShann, Say Forward, I'll March 188 "Still Jumpin' The Blues"
Jay McShann, Moten Swing 198 "Still Jumpin' The Blues"
Alberta Hunter, I Got Rhythm 220 "Live At The Cookery"
Lavay Smith, Roll the Boogie 188 "Everybody's Talkin'..."
Rob Rio, Hoy Hoy 178 "Bankin On The Boogie"
Erroll Garner, Autumn Leaves 185 "That's My Kick & Gemini"

Some of them might be too close to that undesirable "hardcore vintage straight big band music" that you want to stay away from.

I got another one for you Charlie -- off of Oscar Peterson's Night Train:
Honeydripper at 264.....

Gene Harris, how could we miss him?

Platypus wrote:Gene Harris, how could we miss him?

Very easily

Harrison

GuruReuben wrote:Groove Juice Special, Slim & Slam, 172
One Foot In The Groove, Artie Shaw, 172
In The Groove At The Grove, Chick Webb, 180
Keep It In The Groove, Andy Kirk, 182
Blues In The Groove, Jan Savitt, 190
Swingin' In The Groove, Coleman Hawkins, 314

...oh how this joke will never get old.

Reuben will you have my children?