djing the blues...our job

Tips and techniques of the trade

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Greg Avakian
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#61 Post by Greg Avakian » Sat Apr 03, 2004 10:41 pm

When I first saw this thread I thought it was going to be a comentary on how so much "Swing/Lindy" music is actually "Blues" music. (say Basie); hence our obligation to spread blues...


Meanwhile, I find that most people would prefer to dance to blues music than swing music (whether older Basie or something newer like Hank Crawford) -despite the fact that so many people say that they like "swing" music.

So where does that leave the "Blues room"?

It is a "slow" and "slower music" room. This gives the DJ in the main room a little more space to play faster music and thereby distinguish him/her self from the "blues" room. Even if that means that the blues room will be more popular than the "main" room.

As ussual, there is a huge variety of music for either room -which means that there can be a big difference between DJs in either room. Whether any one of us chooses to "educate" or not, the dancers will be exposed to a lot of different music at a lot of different events.

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#62 Post by mousethief » Mon Apr 05, 2004 6:58 am

I don't know. If blues is more popular, why bother to hold the main event? Especially since the main room is usually the one stocked with bands?

I see an upsurge in blues dancing and its popularity, but I would hope that most dancers do not prefer it. Dabble in it, explore it but not prefer it.

That, thankfully, I have not seen.

Kalman
"The cause of reform is hurt, not helped, when an activist makes an idiotic suggestion."

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#63 Post by Yakov » Mon Apr 05, 2004 10:23 am

julius wrote:What depresses me is that in 20 years that audience will be mostly gone. Who will be the audience for trad jazz then?
Just what it is today -- the Pittsburgh swing dance scene!

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Greg Avakian
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#64 Post by Greg Avakian » Mon Apr 05, 2004 1:31 pm

mousethief wrote:I don't know. If blues is more popular, why bother to hold the main event? Especially since the main room is usually the one stocked with bands?
I'm not saying that blues dancing is more popular, just blues (based) music.

Without blues, BTW, swing would not exist.

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#65 Post by main_stem » Mon Apr 05, 2004 1:40 pm

Greg Avakian wrote:Without blues, BTW, swing would not exist.
Actually I'd put it this way: without blues jazz wouldn't exist. Without Louis Armstrong swing wouldn't exist. :D
"We called it music."
— Eddie Condon

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Greg Avakian
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#66 Post by Greg Avakian » Tue Apr 06, 2004 7:48 am

I was thinking about NO when I wrote that. :)

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#67 Post by mousethief » Tue Apr 06, 2004 11:02 am

Greg Avakian wrote:
mousethief wrote:I don't know. If blues is more popular, why bother to hold the main event? Especially since the main room is usually the one stocked with bands?
I'm not saying that blues dancing is more popular, just blues (based) music.

Without blues, BTW, swing would not exist.
Thanks for clarifying. My favorite sound is the KC sound, so I understand where you're coming from.

Kalman
"The cause of reform is hurt, not helped, when an activist makes an idiotic suggestion."

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#68 Post by falty411 » Tue Apr 06, 2004 12:30 pm

main_stem wrote:Actually I'd put it this way: without blues jazz wouldn't exist.
exactly
-mikey faltesek

"Dancing is the union of the body with the rhythm and the sound of the music." Al Minns in 1984

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#69 Post by smunky » Mon Apr 12, 2004 10:48 am

devona's questions are indeed well-timed and deserve consideration....travelling around teaching blues, dj'ing blues, hearing blues dj'ed, and organizing STLBX and Cheap Thrills All Blues Weekend, has given me a lot to think about as far as what blues dj'ing is all about.

(skipping over semantic arguments and discussions of separate rooms)

There are certain pitfalls more evident in the blues format:
1. dj's can find (and too often play) "novelty" songs that fit in a lower BPM range, without considering it on other merits or standards. I'll throw in a little offbeat song every now and then - "seamus" from pink floyd's meddle album is a good example, but it is a solid blues format. As with any kind of dj'ing, variety is good, but a baseline more closely tied to jazz and blues is my standard.

2. dj's ignore the standard guideline of varying tempos. this applies esp. at our events in st. louis, as we know most people don't want slow blues all night long, but that they DID come to our town to experience a blues-themed event. I will DJ mostly all blues-based music of lindy-tempos earlier in the evening, and then start to mix in more slow tempo songs as the hours stretch into the morning. Even at 3 or 4am, the dance floor enjoys songs that will move up in the tempo range. I'll range from 60BPM at the slowest up to 120 or 130 just to keep the energy alive. Some dj's think they can just play all of their music that is under 70BPM and not pay attention to the sleeping bodies in the corners.

3. my personal peeve - traditional blues songs with incessant hard breaks. these are great to listen to, but annoy the heck out of me when i am dancing. this has a lot to do with my own ideas of musicality, but a room full of people "hitting" 24 breaks in a row is not something i enjoy witnessing.

There is so much great music that works well in this format...must keep looking....

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#70 Post by mousethief » Mon Apr 12, 2004 10:56 am

smunky wrote:3. my personal peeve - traditional blues songs with incessant hard breaks. these are great to listen to, but annoy the heck out of me when i am dancing. this has a lot to do with my own ideas of musicality, but a room full of people "hitting" 24 breaks in a row is not something i enjoy witnessing.

There is so much great music that works well in this format...must keep looking....
Same with lindy songs. It peeves me to watch the floor undergo some hivemind seizure just because a break occurs in the song. Hitting a break doesn't necessarily involve stopping nor does it have to be everyone at once.

Kalman
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#71 Post by Ron » Mon Apr 12, 2004 11:44 am

mousethief wrote: Same with lindy songs. It peeves me to watch the floor undergo some hivemind seizure just because a break occurs in the song. Hitting a break doesn't necessarily involve stopping nor does it have to be everyone at once.

Kalman
Seriously. It's good to honor a break (do something to acknowledge you noticed it) but not to freeze up like a statue every time. I like blues dancing songs to have a few breaks ideally, but not too many otherwise it gets boring.

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#72 Post by wheresmygravy » Mon Apr 12, 2004 12:46 pm

smunky wrote:...snip...
3. my personal peeve - traditional blues songs with incessant hard breaks. these are great to listen to, but annoy the heck out of me when i am dancing. this has a lot to do with my own ideas of musicality, but a room full of people "hitting" 24 breaks in a row is not something i enjoy witnessing. ...snip....
[Looks in book, removes Mose Allison "Love the Life I Live" from playlist for Cheap Thrills, closes book....]

But seriously, I agree with you, a 'surprise' break is always my fav. Not the ones that come at the end of every phrase, or worse.

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#73 Post by Dr. Feelgood » Wed Apr 21, 2004 1:07 pm

Devona - I agree with a great deal Charlie (Smunky) had to say. You & I played St.Louis' Cheap Thrills last weekend and at a BLUES BASED event the music was really different. Each DJ (hopefully) has some of his/her personality come through during a set. IMO, one of the responsibilities of being a good DJ is being able to give an audience what they want...even when they didn't know that they wanted it. It's challenging.

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#74 Post by LazyP » Thu Apr 22, 2004 5:09 am

wheresmygravy wrote: But seriously, I agree with you, a 'surprise' break is always my fav. Not the ones that come at the end of every phrase, or worse.
But as always, there are exceptions to this "rule". Playing 'HepCat Daddies - Break' fills the floor every single time. The breaks are too many to count but the song still works great and everybody loves it (as far as I know).
The ultimate european swing site!
www.heptown.com

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Challenge!?!

#75 Post by hypr_chik » Mon Nov 22, 2004 9:32 am

Been trying not to look at this thread (and really this whole board) and spend time reading & responding as I am trying stay focused on something more important to me at this point. Getting my life back on track and getting a job (thusly being able to afford more bluesy things ie/ tickets and covercharges to music gigs - more CDs - travel etc.).

Its one thing to geek out on musical symantics but its still hard for me to beleive that some true blues (or jazz music and dance) fans out there don't know their own local live music scenes, (or stay stuck with the same bands and never explore again), let alone what outside musicians are currently gigging/touring through their neck of the woods. I find this sad. I'd like to issue you a challenge to y'all to go out and explore live music. Sure it can be hit and miss but you could potientially catch a "magical moment" of just sheer blissfull, bluesy, yumminess... Who knows, mebbe you'll discover a new band that rocks your world. Help keep the blues world alive! Support living musicians by going to their shows, buying their CDs, seeing more live shows, spreading the word and mebbe hiring them for dancer gigs.

Sorry I can't comment on much thats previously posted. I did feel compelled to post about the series called "Talkin` Blues". If you like the blues I think you`d like to watch the "Talkin Blues" documentary now showing on Bravo in Canada and BET (I think in the States). Check out the show's site for more details/info. I beleive these people would be great to contact as a knowledgable blues resource.

~Jody

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

New Season of "Talkin' Blues - The Series" on BRAVO! TV

Toronto, Ontario - October 4, 2004 - Thirteen new episodes of "Talkin' Blues" will air on BRAVO! TV (Canada) starting on Tuesday, November 2nd, 2004 at 7:30 pm EST.

"Talkin' Blues – The Series”, documents the passion that drives today’s blues music. Producer/Director Mako Funasaka has spent over four years documenting the passion that underlies the blues through the words and music of those who live and play them.

" As an essential form of music, it doesn’t get more authentic than the blues and we present it in its raw, natural state to maintain its uniqueness and focus on its feral power."

The thirteen new episodes will feature artists such as Charlie Musselwhite, Hubert Sumlin, Odetta, Mel Brown, Mighty Sam McClain, Carlos del Junco, Tommy Castro, Henry Butler, Julian Fauth, Boobie Browne and Corey Harris , to name a few. For more details on individual episodes, please go to http://www.talkinblues.com.

In addition to these shows on BRAVO! TV, the first thirteen episodes of "Talkin' Blues - The Series" will debut in the United States on the BETJazz network starting on October 27th, 2004 at 10:00 am, 6:00 pm and 4:00 am (the following day).

Talkin' Blues Media Inc. / Talkin' Blues Productions has been producing the Talkin' Blues television series since July of 2000. Talkin' Blues Productions has produced a number of promotional videos for blues artists, blues festivals and blues record labels in addition to designing and maintaining web sites for various blues artists. Yet the core of its being is dedicated to bringing the spirit of the blues and the passion of those who play it to an audience who crave authenticity.

Contact Information:
Mako Funasaka
Talkin' Blues Media Inc.
416-488-5996
www.talkinblues.com


My favorite music is played from the heart, soul or groin.

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