SwingDJs

I've been amassing CDs for some time now and have a pretty good core group of post-war swing (cough cough) material. But I've still got a huge chunk of classic swing- and jazz-era pieces.

I know it's part of the game, but I always seem to be behind.

Do you all have some sort of agenda when you go shopping? Do you say, for example, today is "Jimmie Lunceford day" or "Pre-46 Instrumental Day" and just start hunting down CDs?

How do you fill in genres so it feels strong & robust, even when it's far from complete?

Thanks,

Kalman

When I DJ somewhere, I take info sheets that contain details of all the songs I bring. I've found these sheets to be very useful in building my collection, too. I can scan them and say things like "Hmmm...I need some brassy big-band stuff, with female vocals, in the 140-160 BPM range." That might not be the best way for you to fill out your collection, but it can point out any major gaps. Some sort of spreadsheet program, such as Excel, can help with this.

Also, I go by the requests and by what moves people to dance. Thus, my collection is sort of "tailored" to my scene (I haven't DJed outside my scene, yet). I found that many of the younger dancers, even the lindy hoppers, really liked ska and hip hop, so I bought CDs with those kinds of music. This system has really broadened my tastes, as well, by getting me to hear stuff that I'd normally ignore (I still draw the line at country, though).

Or you could just ask Rayned to send you a rather large email.

When I first started DJing, I had pretty much just downloaded a LOT of MP3s, I mean, I had over 50 mix cds. What I started to do was buy albums with songs that I liked. I have virtually gotten rid of my mix cds, but I still have a small list of songs I am looking for. I still go through them once in a while to see if I've missed anything, and usually end up adding a few songs to my list.

One other thing I've done is just amass a list of artists I want more of. It's currently at 70 and I usually end up adding at least one a week now. So, for me, because of lack of will power, I just go CD shopping with those lists in hand, knowing what I want, and search through the entire jazz section at A&B Sound.

Harrison

First, recently, I've been focusing more on finding "new" things in my already existing collection. I'm amazed at how many CDs I buy and forget: the constant focus on new acquisition often makes me forget what I bought three weeks ago.

When I shop online (like Ebay or half.com), keyword driven searches often focus my shopping on stuff from particular artists. It's not just in finding the frontman, but also sidemen. Sometimes I'll type in "Ray Brown" (perhaps the best example of a sideman that can inject the music with some great danceable groove) and include "item descriptions" in the search, which will pick up some CDs where his name is not in the item title, but is listed as a sideman in the item description.

At a CD store, it is simply about browsing and listening until I have a ridiculous number of CDs in my hand and I just NEED to stop. I sometimes have a list, but I mostly just take a random walk through the jazz or new arrival sections, apying a bit more attention when I come to an artist I know I want. I end up listening to and rejecting a ton of crap, but I also find some unknown gems that way, too.

The gist is that both methods are incredibly useful. I rarely go to a store looking for a particular artist because online shopping gives me a much broader inventory to search through plus the added convenience of not needing to leave my home. But if I merely shopped online for particular artists, I might not find anything new.

HOW DO GET people on this forum to make grammatically correct topics?

I build it any way I can.

* Keep a wish list on Half.com
* Go to used stores/pawn shops and listen to unfamilar CDs at the listening station
* Ask DJs what they played when I hear a song I like, I then will track it down online
* Monitor this Board, similar Boards and internet radio stations. Especially, the guest DJ spots on Yehoodi. Those shows have been a good launching crowd to uncovering new tunes.
* The public library
* I used to get a lot from eMusic, till they got bought and turned lame.
* Music directly from my network of friends. In most cases, I still buy stuff that people give me, I just wait for a good deal.
* Record conventions

and as Lawrence stated, re-listening to old music from my collection.

Overall, I am very big on getting a bang for my buck.

yedancer wrote:HOW DO GET people on this forum to make grammatically correct topics?

I are fixt it.

Klamna

Unfortunately the CD stores in my area are pretty lame, so I do go out to go shopping. When I search online, I'm usually looking for a specific artist or sometimes even a specific CD.

I'm not really knowledgable enough to have things organized by era and the like.

Tina