post swing era white guys

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#16 Post by **JesseMiner** » Mon Jan 06, 2003 6:20 pm

Greg Avakian wrote:Well, this may be too jazzy, but I love the tune"Greasy sack blues" by Woody Herman.

I love that song too! It swings so hard with a great laid-back feeling to it. Fun breaks as well. The definitive version IMHO is from Woody Herman's compilation "This Is Jazz Vol. 24". It's live, 5:40 and 128 bpm (I'll have to dig up the liner notes later to find the source album). It is probably my favorite Woody Herman that I regularly play for dancers.

Jesse

CafeSavoy · #17 Post by **CafeSavoy** » Mon Jan 27, 2003 11:43 am

i was going to recommend Artie Shaw's The Complete Gramercy Five Sessions until i looked at the recording dates. It's amazing how modern it sounds.

Greg Avakian · #18 Post by **Greg Avakian** » Mon Jan 27, 2003 12:08 pm

Well, Ellington affectianatos may groan, but I like Herman's version of "Things ain't the way they used to be"

Kyle · #19 Post by **Kyle** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 12:20 am

I like Herman's version of "Things ain't the way they used to be"

yeah, but have you heard Basie's version of it. man it's good!

Greg Avakian · #20 Post by **Greg Avakian** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 7:27 am

The Basie version I have (live from Japan in '78 ) feels a little 'cold' to me. I'd never guess it was a live recording. IMO Basie's 70's stuff has a "showband" feeling. Not crazy about Montreux '77 either.
I like the more noodling and meandering vibe of the intro. to Woody Herman's version. It sets up a looser, live-sounding version of the tune.
In the Basie version, all the tension is between the horns and the drums. The drums don't excite me at all. To me, Woody's version has a better balance to the whole band.

But this definitely reflects my taste for a "Groove Swing" sound...

And I'm sorry if I'm coming off as a snob or anything, I'm not trying to dis you or Basie...

CafeSavoy · #21 Post by **CafeSavoy** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 1:02 pm

Kyle wrote:
I like Herman's version of "Things ain't the way they used to be"
yeah, but have you heard Basie's version of it. man it's good!

which recordings? i see there are several listed for each. i might have the Basie version from _In Europe_; i'll look for the cd and give it a listen. don't think i have any of the woody hermans.

Greg Avakian · #22 Post by **Greg Avakian** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 1:40 pm

Basie:
Which _In Europe_?

I have "En Europe avec Europe 1" which doesn't list "Things..."

Woody Herman:
The version I have is from a compilation called "Get Jazz' and I am pretty sure it is taken from the "Live at the Concord jazz festival" album.

Swifty · #23 Post by **Swifty** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 1:48 pm

Greg Avakian wrote:Basie:
Which _In Europe_?

I have "En Europe avec Europe 1" which doesn't list "Things..."

I think he's talking about this album, released in '77:

http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/ ... 6172002824

I haven't heard it but the band looks pretty sweet: Dixon, Green, Grey, Terry...

CafeSavoy · #24 Post by **CafeSavoy** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 1:57 pm

Greg Avakian wrote:Basie:
Which _In Europe_?

this basie:

thanks for the woody herman reference.

Greg Avakian · #25 Post by **Greg Avakian** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 2:01 pm

How do you like the CD? I'm doubious of 70s Basie y'know...

BTW, I have you DJing 12:30-2:00AM on friday and during the band breaks on saturday. Can't wait to see you in Philly!

Kyle · #26 Post by **Kyle** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 2:55 pm

actually I was talking about

Count Basie Live in Japan 1978

CafeSavoy · #27 Post by **CafeSavoy** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 2:56 pm

Greg Avakian wrote:How do you like the CD? I'm doubious of 70s Basie y'know...

BTW, I have you DJing 12:30-2:00AM on friday and during the band breaks on saturday. Can't wait to see you in Philly!

it's laserlight so it's cheap. the "things ain't what they used to be" is nice, thanks kyle, with lots of drive. there's a eight minute "whirly bird" that nice. you should be able to find it used.

yeah, looking forward to philly myself.

djstarr · #28 Post by **djstarr** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 5:08 pm

CafeSavoy wrote:i was going to recommend Artie Shaw's The Complete Gramercy Five Sessions until i looked at the recording dates. It's amazing how modern it sounds.

So I'm just listening to this album in detail today - and the first thing I hear is the harpischord --- very very cool; I don't have a lot of Artie but this is by far the best of his stuff that I've heard.

perhaps it sounds more modern since the harpsichord is reminiscent of the Hammond organ sound? (at least to me)

djstarr · #29 Post by **djstarr** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 5:34 pm

Here's the review on Amazon about Gramercy Five:
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Many of the big-band leaders of the swing era featured a small group from within the band, a throwback to their own origins in "hot" jazz. Artie Shaw's Gramercy Five, though, was an exceptional combo, as distinctive in its way as Benny Goodman's trio, quartet, and sextet. While the purpose of such bands was blowing, something Shaw did brilliantly, the clarinetist also used the opportunity for striking instrumentation.
The first eight tracks come from 1940 and the first version of the group. Trumpeter Billy Butterfield adds assorted mutes to vary his glorious open trumpet sound, while pianist Johnny Guarnieri turns exclusively to harpsichord. As with Shaw's unusual use of a string quartet in 1936, the inclusion of harpsichord is genuine innovation, not just novelty, and it becomes even more striking when Shaw adds electric guitarist Al Hendrickson. The result is classic small-band swing that can't be readily placed in time.

The final seven tracks come from 1945, including two takes of "Mysterioso" --a harmonically advanced Shaw composition, not the Monk tune. Shaw was always a kind of proto-modernist, and here the band includes the explosive swing trumpeter Roy Eldridge and two young boppers, pianist Dodo Marmarosa and guitarist Barney Kessel. --Stuart Broomer
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definitely the electric guitar and "electrified" harpsichord make it sound modern.

Swingwombat · #30 Post by **Swingwombat** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 9:03 pm

Hi newbie in here but thought I'd jump in with both feet.

I have a couple of Les Brown songs I DJ quite often, both with Doris Day, just 'cause I think they are cute songs

Booglie Woogie Piggy and I Ain't Hep to That Step.

The Woody Herman I have DJ'd recently is Who Dat Up Dere

Di