50s bands for swing dancing

[mousethief]

I'm really trying to find the medium betwen the swing music of the 50s, that was danced to, and what the current generation of swing dancers enjoy.

HAHAHAHA... so is everyone here.

But I have to admit I may hold off on posting the clips of Ellington playing music from Mary Poppins. We may not be up to that level just yet!!!

Word. Don't post anything from "Basie's Beatle Bag" either, please.

Kalman

[CafeSavoy]

9. again the rhythm section needs to be more balanced...a lot of 50s stuff sounds heavy on bass to me. nice energy, sounds 60sish. benny carter?

i don't think it's benny carter, probably one of those west coast guys. and some honker.

[Doug]

Word. Don't post anything from "Basie's Beatle Bag" either, please.

Amen brother. I own that album.

[djstarr]

That is a huge distinction. I have never been a dancer. I have grown up listening to my parents jazz swing collection. So I find the music as the main attraction. I can enjoy Kenton, Basie, Ellington, Gerald Wilson, Chico O'Farrell, and even contemporary big bands of Maria Schneider because of the artistic arrangements.

Jerry - I've been wanting to ask you this question (whether you dance or not) without appearing to be rude. I grew up playing clarinet/tenor sax and played several years in high school/college/community jazz bands.

The way I listen to jazz and my appreciation for it has changed dramatically since I started swing dancing, and even more dramatically once I started DJ'ing (since I had to expand my definitions of danceable to include stuff for folks a lot better than I am).

Are you inspired to learn how to lindy hop yet by our discussion here? I hope so

[Jerry_Jelinek]

Hi Brenda,

>Jerry - I've been wanting to ask you this question (whether you dance
>or not) without appearing to be rude.....

It is never rude to ask a thoughtful question. So ask away.

>The way I listen to jazz and my appreciation for it has changed
>dramatically since I started swing dancing, and even more dramatically
>once I started DJ'ing (since I had to expand my definitions of
>danceable to include stuff for folks a lot better than I am).

I grew up in a very musical environment. My father played piano for
himself. All of my siblings had musical lessons and we all have grown
up with different musical tastes. Very eclectic group of people!!!

With the broad exposure I've had to classical, country, ragtime,
bluegrass, rock, prog. rock, blues, jazz, swing, advante-garde of all
sorts, I have a pretty broad appreciation of music in general. What
attracks me to the world of jazz is the expression of emotion in the
music. It does things to my emotions that no other style of music
can.

Over the last 7 years (while working at the radio station), I've
really grown in my appreciation of swing, pop swing, and lighter jazz.
Being a community run radio station, we are staffed by volunteers.
The vast majority are retired residents who grew up in the era. Being
exposed, through them, to the vast variety of swing, jazz, pop music
of the 20s-60s, my tastes have broadened.

Over the last 2 months, while reading and making comments here and
there on this SwingDJ board, my musical knowledge has continued to
broaden.

This leads me to answer your original thought:

>Are you inspired to learn how to lindy hop yet by our discussion here?
>I hope so

I make no pretense about my ability to dance. I've been asked several
times by the swing dancers/promoters/instructors around town about
joining in on the fun. I really don't have any desire to do so.

My enjoyment is the music. Adding the element of dance becomes the
icing on the cake. I love to hear live jazz and swing. Supporting
the live musicians is really a priority to me. When the dancers feel
motivated enough to "cut a rug" to the music, then fine. I can sit
back and enjoy the dancers swinging and twisting about.

In reading the forum and especially getting a clearer picture on the
music the current generation of dancers enjoy, it actually is a bit
dissapointing. There is so much more music in the swing style that
the dancers just seem to ignore because it doesn't have the
jump/shuffle rhythm of early R&B, or maybe the 'four of the floor'
style of Basie and classic swing. That frustrates the heck out of me.

There is so much more music to learn about in the swing and lighter
jazz style that I really love. If the music has to be 'danceable',
then I'm really begining to understand why I'm not interested in
learning to dance.

This is not a negative against the current swing dance scene. I think
it is wonderful that younger people are getting into the sounds of
Basie/Lunceford/Henderson/Goodman/Hampton/Jordon etc. I feel it is a
natural extension to learn more about the history of the style and
where the style evolved into. Thus the appreciation of the music
becomes an extension of emotional expression on so many different
levels, not just in dance.

I know that is a bit long winded, but that is the true love I have for
the swing and jazz music. Hope I didn't bore too many reading this.

[Doug]

Jerry:

I am interested in your perspective on the following, and this is (sorta) your thread. If it is too off topic, lets take it to a new thread.

When jazz was "danceable", it was America's music. It was hugely popular across all across america. Now, including smooth "jazz", it comprises something like 3% of CD sales. I know that there has been a lot of speculation and a lot written about the demise of jazz as the popular music. I also understand that this downhill path began in the mid-late 40s and continued through the 50s & 60s when things began to level off at very low sales levels.

Do you have any comments??

Doug

[CafeSavoy]

Jerry:

I am interested in your perspective on the following, and this is (sorta) your thread. If it is too off topic, lets take it to a new thread.

When jazz was "danceable", it was America's music. It was hugely popular across all across america. Now, including smooth "jazz", it comprises something like 3% of CD sales. I know that there has been a lot of speculation and a lot written about the demise of jazz as the popular music. I also understand that this downhill path began in the mid-late 40s and continued through the 50s & 60s when things began to level off at very low sales levels.

Do you have any comments??

Doug

although not to put too fine a point, even when it was danceable, glenn miller was the number one band.

[Doug]

<snip>
In reading the forum and especially getting a clearer picture on the
music the current generation of dancers enjoy, it actually is a bit
dissapointing. There is so much more music in the swing style that
the dancers just seem to ignore because it doesn't have the
jump/shuffle rhythm of early R&B, or maybe the 'four of the floor'
style of Basie and classic swing. That frustrates the heck out of me.

There is so much more music to learn about in the swing and lighter
jazz style that I really love. If the music has to be 'danceable',
then I'm really begining to understand why I'm not interested in
learning to dance.

Jerry: I think that you may have missed the point made earlier that many of the dancers, and especailly the DJs on this forum, have _very_ broad musical tastes when it comes to listening. Many of the dancers are 20-somethings and listen, but don't (too) much dance Lindy, to the music of their generation. I happen to be a huge blues fan (was a blues guitar player for over 25 years 'till the arthritis in my hands got to be too much) and think that Randy Newman & Tom Waits are great song writers. But I don't talk about that on this forum.

I also have very broad tastes in jazz. Charlie Parker is my favorite KC swing (!) musician. I probably own nearly as much Bebop as Swing. However, most dancers have a hard time dancing to bop and I find that I can clear the floor with something like Scrapple From The Apple or Star Eyes (both of which I LOVE to dance to).

Much of the discussion on this board is influenced by: What can one most enjoyably dance to? A lot of music that I love to listen to is "undanceable", and I assume that to be true of many of the DJs here. I think that there may be some confusion between what people like to listen to and what they play for the dancers. They can be dramatically different. So I strongly urge you to learn to dance and to understand first hand the drive and visceral feeling of the dance music.

All Bal Weekend is happening in early June right there in Cleveland. The beginner track will take you from walker to dancer in just 9 short(!) hours of instruction with one of the worlds best instructors (Sylvia Sykes). Show up and learn. I'll be there both dancing and spinning. See ya there??

Doug

[Nate Dogg]

I happen to be a huge blues fan (was a blues guitar player for over 25 years 'till the arthritis in my hands got to be too much) and think that Randy Newman & Tom Waits are great song writers. But I don't talk about that on this forum.
Doug

Not really on topic, but since you mentioned Tom Waits. Holly Cole did a Tom Waits tribute album several years ago called Temptation, http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=am ... ge4j672wa4. One of the songs on it has been on regular rotation for a couple of Austin DJs for several years now, the song is "Little Boy Blue" track 9.

Kind of fits the slower, groovier vein, but people usually respond to it ok, hence he has not stopped playing it.

[djstarr]

Much of the discussion on this board is influenced by: What can one most enjoyably dance to? A lot of music that I love to listen to is "undanceable", and I assume that to be true of many of the DJs here. I think that there may be some confusion between what people like to listen to and what they play for the dancers. They can be dramatically different. So I strongly urge you to learn to dance and to understand first hand the drive and visceral feeling of the dance music.

Very well put. I love bop; early on I tried out some Charlie Parker on folks and the only era that really works is some tracks with Jay McShann. I love Motown, I love Steely Dan, Tom Waits and Lyle Lovett.

I'm starting to get into Kevin Mahogany, love his voice, but the one CD I have of his has lots of artsy cuts, only a couple that maintain a steady beat throughout.

I know there are several hard core Ellington fans on the board, but only a small portion of what is recorded is suitable for dancing.

Oscar Peterson is another artist with many great songs to dance to, but a lot more great songs to listen to.

Jerry - indulge yourself and check out the All Bal Weekend; it will definitely give you a new perspective on our discussions.....

[Ron]

Except that Balboa music is only a subset of the swing danceable music that most of djs on this list spin.

[sonofvu]

Word. Don't post anything from "Basie's Beatle Bag" either, please.

Amen brother. I own that album.

Maybe you should put that cd in the "cds I wished I never bought" thread.

[Mr Awesomer]

Except that Balboa music is only a subset of the swing danceable music that most of djs on this list spin.

What is Balboa music?

[Swifty]

Except that Balboa music is only a subset of the swing danceable music that most of djs on this list spin.

What is Balboa music?

It's like Lindy Hop music, only different.

[Mr Awesomer]

ahahaha