Savoy Ballroom, 78th Anniversary of it opening

[gatorgal]

Thanks for the link to savoyballroom.com. Spent most of yesterday reading it and would have continued had it not been for our dance.

Tina

[mousethief]

I can't believe some people had never been to the site before. I'm going to start a new thread in Skillz for must-have websites only.

I will undoubtedly forget some, so please reply to the thread.

Kalman

[Lawrence]

Why do Australians pay attention to the history of lindy hop and the United States fails to give a rat's ass

Peter Loggins did hold a similar nig[ht], “A Salute To The Savoy”, in Memories, Whittier, California on February 22nd, 2003. The play list for it, is up on Jive Junction.

I know, I was there.

[Note: MANY other tributes have been done by Americans all over the place. Websites, dances, discussions, radio shows, articles, even a rather strong effort to erect a plaque or statue at the former location of the Savoy; I've DJed sets of live Savoy Ballroom recordings and I also remember personally taking a Harlem tour with a dozen or so Lindy Hoppers in '98, and we all danced on the pavement at 140th & Lenox while I sang and scatted "Stomping at the Savoy" (I think Borgida was there, too)...]

So then what you mean by asking "why [does] the United States United States fail[] to give a rat's ass?" is that you are actually looking for the ass of a rat, not an actual musical tribute, to be given in tribute to the Savoy's birthday?

Was that another "It does not make sense!" attempt at humor?

No, Annie, it pointed out that you apparently did know that Americans give a rat's ass, unless you were being literal about wanting a "rat's ass" to be given.

[djstarr]

hey could you guys drop the bickering? Y'all have given me a big headache reading through the thread......thanks!

[Lawrence]

hey could you guys drop the bickering? Y'all have given me a big headache reading through the thread......thanks!

Just to clarify, we're not really biting into each other or violating the "gentle reminder;" I don't think either of us take it seriously. At least I'm not, and I've heard that Julius has made similar admissions offline. Take it in that context.

[SirScratchAlot]

Peter Loggins did hold a similar nigth, “A Salute To The Savoy”, in Memories, Whittier, California on February 22nd, 2003. The play list for it, is up on Jive Junction.

Thanks, Bob, there are a few of us over here that do care.

Im re-writing and updating the bands of the savoy ballroom ariticle, when done it will be on SavoyBallroom.com, this list on there now is correct, although very general information.


why tributes to the savoy bands? because they set the pace and were the best. An excellent argument can be made that the dance in fact is what caused the music to drive in the direction that it did as opposed to the dance just being a reponse. The house bands at the Savoy will go down in history as being those that lead the pack regardless of name or color.

certainly other bands were respected, enjoyed and even became favorites to dancers, but the greatness of these bands was acheived upon playing the Savoy Ballroom, bringing us back to the point of doing tributes to the Savoy.

almost every big name dance band came through and played the Savoy, however little or no mention is ever made of their appearences. Goodman,Basie were two of the more popular bands that got publicity, but to play any bands as a tribute to the Savoy side skirts the whole point in the first place. which is bringing to light the small or no name bands that paved the way for bands like Goodman and Basie.

[Lawrence]

almost every big name dance band came through and played the Savoy, however little or no mention is ever made of their appearences.

I don't think it is a surprise that big-label "Swing" compilations (or what have you...) don't mention the Savoy that much. But I actually think that a surprising amount of attention IS payed in particular to the Savoy, and that other ballrooms or venues or even cities are completely overlooked. Perhaps that is just my bias as a Lindy Hopper hearing about the Savoy everywhere I go, but the Savoy seems to get too much credit, if anything, in part because we all hear Frankie Manning's story and nobody as prominent is still around to tell us tales about other venues/cities where they resided like Kansas City, L.A., Chicago, New Orleans, or (less jazz-oriented, but still part of Swing dance history) even here in Texas (Western Swing music and dance venues).

Hell, come to think of it, I'm part of that problem because the Savoy is the only ballroom I mention, no less discuss, on my own website!

Goodman,Basie were two of the more popular bands that got publicity, but to play any bands as a tribute to the Savoy side skirts the whole point in the first place. which is bringing to light the small or no name bands that paved the way for bands like Goodman and Basie.

It depends in part on the purpose of the tribute (as a celebration and reminder of what it WAS or as a celebration of BOTH what it was AND what it later inspired), but I totally understand what you're saying. It would be kinda odd for a purely-historical tribute to the Savoy to include non-Savoy bands.

[SirScratchAlot]

almost every big name dance band came through and played the Savoy, however little or no mention is ever made of their appearences.

I don't think it is a surprise that big-label "Swing" compilations (or what have you...) don't mention the Savoy that much.

Right, perhaps it took lookin back to realize it's importance, i hear that from the dancers anyways.

But I actually think that a surprising amount of attention IS payed in particular to the Savoy, and that other ballrooms or venues or even cities are completely overlooked. Perhaps that is just my bias as a Lindy Hopper hearing about the Savoy everywhere I go, but the Savoy seems to get too much credit, if anything, in part because we all hear Frankie Manning's story and nobody as prominent is still around to tell us tales about other venues/cities where they resided like Kansas City, L.A., Chicago, New Orleans, or (less jazz-oriented, but still part of Swing dance history) even here in Texas (Western Swing music and dance venues).

Hell, come to think of it, I'm part of that problem because the Savoy is the only ballroom I mention, no less discuss, on my own website! .

Well, as far as Lindy Hop , there is no other city or Ballroom. that was it , the epicenter.

as for Jazz dance your right, San Fransico has alwasy been over looked yet it could be argued easily as the birth place of swing dancing, the modern dance band (Art Hickman 1910) , and the use of the word Jazz in that spelling before New Orleans...yet in Ken Burns Doc.....lol

Goodman,Basie were two of the more popular bands that got publicity, but to play any bands as a tribute to the Savoy side skirts the whole point in the first place. which is bringing to light the small or no name bands that paved the way for bands like Goodman and Basie.

It depends in part on the purpose of the tribute (as a celebration and reminder of what it WAS or as a celebration of BOTH what it was AND what it later inspired), but I totally understand what you're saying. It would be kinda odd for a purely-historical tribute to the Savoy to include non-Savoy bands.

Well because of the 100's of bands that acually played the Savoy any night in which Big Band is Playing I could be safe to guess could be a tribute to the Savoy.

Its an excuse to set fun guidlens for ourselves. The Limitation is exciteing because only the passionate will have the music, Its digging up that one or two numbers from Webb or Lunceford ya might not normally play as well playing bands Like Cecil Scott and his Bright boys.

[SirScratchAlot]

But I actually think that a surprising amount of attention IS payed in particular to the Savoy, and that other ballrooms or venues or even cities are completely overlooked. Perhaps that is just my bias as a Lindy Hopper hearing about the Savoy everywhere I go, but the Savoy seems to get too much credit

still funny and sad at the same time to read...



and because we Lindy Hop, Time for another TRIBUTE TO THE SAVOY....

For without the Savoy, we wouldnt have Lindy Hop...and for that we can never give enough Credit.

dates to be annouced!