Jitterbug Stroll

Message

ckn · #1 Post by **ckn** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 10:59 am

Hi,

I’m looking for a specific song or CD. “Jitterbug Stroll” from the CD “Just Wanna Swing…” from Steven Mitchell. My dance partner and I want to teach Jitterbug Stoll and this song would be perfect. (I guess I don’t have to tell you guys). All sources I checked are not selling this CD anymore. Can anyone tell me where to find it or what song except Woodchoppers Bal would be an alternative?

Chris

Toon Town Dave · #2 Post by **Toon Town Dave** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 11:39 pm

It appears the PBDA (surprise) still has it for sale ...
http://www.dancecatalog.com/cdsmjustwanna.html

For an alternative song, just look for a 12 bar blues(phrasing is 6, 8 counts) in around the tempo you want. I've never used anything else other than Woodchopper's ball and the stupid Steven Mitchell song.

I have an alternative version of Woodchopper's ball with Woody Herman and Tito Puente off this CD.

ckn · #3 Post by **ckn** » Fri Nov 26, 2004 10:03 pm

i tried to order from them. no luck. they don't have it anymore. thanks for your link. i'll try it to that version of Woodchoppers Ball.

Chris

main_stem · #4 Post by **main_stem** » Mon Nov 29, 2004 9:21 am

Just use "Wood Choppers' Ball", it's what Ryan used to create the Jitterbug Stroll.

ckn · #5 Post by **ckn** » Mon Nov 29, 2004 9:28 am

I know. I have a few versions of Woodchopers Ball. I just think none of them fits really well. I ended up cutting one of it myself to make it fit the time and the moves. Sounds OK but if someone can tell me which recording Ryan used to choreograph it that would help too.

The Peanut Vendor · #6 Post by **The Peanut Vendor** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 1:49 am

ckn wrote:I know. I have a few versions of Woodchopers Ball. I just think none of them fits really well. I ended up cutting one of it myself to make it fit the time and the moves. Sounds OK but if someone can tell me which recording Ryan used to choreograph it that would help too.

I found a version the other day that seems to fit very nicely. Only 17s of intro, no funny breaks in timing/structure, and comparable tempo to the Steven Mitchel - Jitterbug Stroll.

Song: Woodchopper's Ball
Artist: Woody Herman & Quincy Jones & His Orchestra
Album: Woody Herman's Finest Hour
Track 2 of 17
~found it from Itunes music store.

Lawrence · #7 Post by **Lawrence** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 8:43 pm

ckn wrote:I know. I have a few versions of Woodchopers Ball. I just think none of them fits really well. I ended up cutting one of it myself to make it fit the time and the moves. Sounds OK but if someone can tell me which recording Ryan used to choreograph it that would help too.

????

I respectfully suggest you listen to any of Woody Herman's versions a few times and re-envision your Jitterbug stroll before you teach it because that is the song to which Ryan choreographed it and he is rather meticulous in his chorepgraphy. Although I am certainly in favor of thinking beyond the box and applying it to virtually any 12-Bar Blues song with "flair" that fits the song, your query sounds worse than questioning whether the Shim Sham fits "Taint What you Do." At least understand why the dance fits that song before you go off on a tangent.

Shim Sham: any song with an AABA harmonic structure.
Jitterbug Stroll: any 12 bar blues song.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, then I suggest that you please learn what these terms mean before you teach either one of these dances. The concepts are at the core of why Woodchoppers Ball "fits" the Jitterbug Stroll (or, more accurately, why the Jitterbug Stroll "fits" Woodchoppers Ball).

julius · #8 Post by **julius** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 1:25 pm

Lawrence, have you ever considered reading this book?

I mean, not that the rest of us are perfect or anything, but you are like the eighty nine year old sensei of insinuation and patronization. It is really dumbfounding.

BTW you can contact Ryan and Jenny directly through their website www.ryanandjenny.com so it's not like this question will be forever unanswerable. I far prefer Woodchopper's Ball (any version, even the Casio MIDI version) to Steven's "song" myself.

mousethief · #9 Post by **mousethief** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 1:32 pm

Cripes.

I thought I was bad. I'm such a good little boy.

A yodi yodi, peeps.

Kalman

Nate Dogg · #10 Post by **Nate Dogg** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 2:29 pm

mousethief wrote:Cripes.

I thought I was bad. I'm such a good little boy.

A yodi yodi, peeps.

Kalman

Did anybody else notice that Kalman passed Lawrence recently for the total number of posts? It must have happened over the past two or three months.

mousethief · #11 Post by **mousethief** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 8:15 am

I noticed. It's not exactly what I want to be remembered for.

Kalman

Yakov · #12 Post by **Yakov** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 9:28 am

boogie back on the tick tock!

CafeSavoy · #13 Post by **CafeSavoy** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 9:50 am

julius wrote:Lawrence, have you ever considered reading this book?

Haha, that's funny. Do you lend out your copy out much at dances?

ckn, I think you need the early version of woodchopper's ball. you can find it on several cds including _Jazz Archives No.86 1938-1945_, Swing Fever, and _52nd Street - Street of Jazz_ among others. Most of the later versions aren't as good.

The Steven version is good when you're learning because it gives you cues and it's not as fast. But once you learn it, you should also practice it to Woodchoppers Ball. If you want to see ryan teaching it, it's on the workshop video for "Can't Top The Lindy Hop"

julius · #14 Post by **julius** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 12:54 pm

CafeSavoy wrote: Haha, that's funny. Do you lend out your copy out much at dances?

In fact I have bought copies for people.

There is a kick BUTT version of Woodchopper's Ball (for listening, don't remember if it's good to dance to or not) on Woody Herman Presents ... A Concord Jam (volume 1?) It's the CD with Stealin' Apples on it. It was recorded in about 1980 but Woody is still the freakin' man on clarinet.

CafeSavoy · #15 Post by **CafeSavoy** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 1:49 pm

julius wrote: There is a kick BUTT version of Woodchopper's Ball (for listening, don't remember if it's good to dance to or not) on Woody Herman Presents ... A Concord Jam (volume 1?) It's the CD with Stealin' Apples on it. It was recorded in about 1980 but Woody is still the freakin' man on clarinet.

It's interesting where Woody pops up. I just noticed that he's on the Jimmy Witherspoon live at Monterey session, along with Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Earl Hines, and Roy Eldridge.