What makes music SWING? Duke Ellington said that it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. Louis Armstrong said that if you've gotta ask, you'll never know.
Some music swings, and some doesn't. Good music for swinging to has hits and breaks. A hit is an excuse for a wild kick or the like, it is a note or group of notes that stands out from the rest by being louder, or higher, or sharper than the others. A break is a moment in the music when there is a sudden lull, perhaps even absolute silence.
CD recommendations | Nettbutikker | Andre nyttige linker
CD recommendations
- Count Basie - "Breakfast dance and barbecue" LH
- Count Basie - "Straight ahead" LH
- Count Basie - "The complete atomic basie" LH
- Big bad voodoo daddy - "This Beautiful life" BW
- Natalie Cole - "Take a look" LH
- Ray Charles - "The best of Ray Charles (Atlantic)" LH
- Joey DeFrancesco - "Singin' and swingin'" LH
- Ella Fitzgerald og Count Basie - "Ella and Basie" LH
- Johnny Ferreira & the swing machine - "Wine, women & swing" BW
- Five in love with Betty - "Dressed to swing" BW
- Girly and the blue caps - "You're never too young to jump and jive vol.1" BW
- Hellen Humes - "Swingin' with Humes" LH
- Hellen Humes - "Songs I like to sing" LH
- Gene Harris - "The best of the concord years" LH
- Indigo swing - "Indigo swing" BW
- Buddy Johnson & his orch. - "Walk 'em" LH/BW
- Louis Jordan - "No Moe! Louis Jordan: The greatest hits" BW
- Jump 4 joy - "Jump 4 joy" BW
- Jordans drive - "Jumpin' jive" BW
- Lucky Millinder - "Apollo Jump" LH gammel lyd
- Casey MacGill - "Casey MacGill & The spirits of rhythm" BW
- Sy Oliver - "Sycholoswing" LH
- Oscar Peterson trio and Clark Terry - "Oscar Peterson trio + one Clark Terry" LH
- Oscar Peterson trio - "Night train" LH
- Louis Prima - "The wildest!" BW
- Swing session - "Swing session" BW
- Clark Terry - "Duke with a difference" LH
- Jimmy Witherspoon - "Singin' the blues" LH/Blues
- Joe Williams - "Swingin' night at Birdland (live)" LH
- Dinah Washington - "The swingin' miss D" LH
LH = Lindy Hop
BW = Boogie Woogie.
Compilations
A good taster album with tracks from the Thirties to the Nineties (concentrating on the more modern stuff) is the double album Swing Time (JAZZFMCD22). This is available in ordinary shops, and has the silhouettes of two dancers in blue on the cover.
A good cheapie I found in a remaindered book shop is It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing (QED 124 Quality Entertainment Division). This cost about two quid, and has 20 tracks almost all of which are danceable. Pink cover.
100 Big Band Classics (PBXCD 428 Castle Communications). This is 100 recordings by the original artists on four CDs, and will cost about £10 - that's 10p a track. There are many boxed sets like this, but I think that this one is particularly good. It gives you about four tracks each of many great names in American swing from the height of the swing era.
Swingdance Volumes 1-3 (SDCD 2262-2 Flyright Records). Put together by Malcolm Laycock of the BBC, these compilations concentrate on wartime era swing. Volumes 2 and 3 are better than 1.
Duke Ellington
The Duke produced a vast amount of work during his life, and there is almost no such thing as a bad Duke Ellington record. Some of his stuff was not aimed at dancers, though. By and large, a compilation with lots of dance-length tracks on it (3-4 minutes), one of which is his signature tune Take The A Train, should be fine.
Ella Fitzgerald
There are so many great recordings by this singer that it is difficult to know where to start. Her early stuff has a youthful naivety and harsh edge that some people like, but I think that she was at her peak in the early Fifties, when her voice was more mature, and she sang less frivolous songs. She became known as the "Queen of Scat", and though she didn't invent this style of singing, she certainly was good at it. She died in the Nineties, and was singing until very near the end. She sang many duets with Louis Armstrong, and even developed an amusing impression of his singing style. She seldom sang a song absolutely straight, and instead liked to come in ages early or late.
Some example Ella Fitzgerald albums:
(The definitive) Ella Fitzgerald from the Ken Burns series of jazz albums (549 087-2). This is one of the many collections that has the excellent track "Smooth Sailing" on it. Lady Ella (PLATCD 940 Prism Leisure). The Best of the Song Books (519 804-2 Verve Records) The Enchanting Ella Fitzgerald - Live at Birdland 1950-1952 (BJH 309 Baldwin Street Music). This is a best-of album, with snippets from various live radio broadcasts from a night club. Some tracks are spoiled by the noise of people chatting and eating in the background, but there are great versions of "Preview" and "The Frim Fram Sauce".
Good numbers that Ella sings include: Undecided, Shiny Stockings, Oh Lady Be Good, Lullaby of Birdland, Nice Work If You Can Get It, The Lady Is A Tramp, How High The Moon, It's Only A Paper Moon, Bei Mir Bist Du Schon.
Benny Goodman
The King of Swing. Particular favourites by Wor Benny are Jersey Bounce, Frankie and Johnny, Down South Camp Meeting, A String of Pearls, Stomping at the Savoy, and the classic swing jam number Sing Sing Sing! some versions of which last about eight minutes and almost all are played at ankle-breaking speed.
Louis Jordan
The show Five Guys Named Moe is based on Louis' life, and has his music in it, but I would recommend a compilation of numbers performed by the man himself, as it will probably have more numbers on it, be cheaper, and better. The one I have is Jump Jive! The Very Best of Louis Jordan (MCCD 085 Music Collection International). It is not the best, but it does include the essential classics Choo Choo Ch'Boogie and Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens. His stuff is not the most musically complicated, but he was a great entertainer, and his songs have a wacky comedy quality to them, and he was amazingly good at delivering fast clever lyrics. Caldonia
Diana Krall
Much beloved by Michael Parkinson, this American lady is the current top selling jazz artist. Her stuff tends to be slow and bluesy, but she has a voice like butter and can play the piano jolly nicely too. Go to any record shop, and you'll see loads by her. Fly me to the moon.
Peggy Lee
This vocalist recorded plenty besides swing, but certainly left behind some great swing songs. She will always be remembered for her absolutely definitive version of Fever.
Wynton Marsalis
Mr Marsalis is an excellent jazz trumpeter who leads the Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra. He has composed jazz symphonies, and made big and small jazz band albums that are first rate. He is an enthusiast both for the old and the new. My Jelly Lord (CK 69872 Colombia/Sony) is a tribute to Jelly Roll Morton, and recreates very early jazz with modern recording quality. This is good for dancing Lindy hop with its Charleston roots. Look out for his stuff with the Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra too. Their versions of C Jam Blues and Happy Go Lucky Local are to die for.
The Mask
Music from the film The Mask (OK 66207 Chaos Records) is very difficult to get hold of. You may have to get an import and pay a lot for it, as I did. There are two must-have tracks on it, that every swing DJ needs. These are The Business of Love by Domino, which is a great slow number with a dip moment every fourth eight-count, and Hi De Ho by K7, which is a great fusion of swing and hip-hop, being a hip-hop version of Minnie the Moocher. The latter comes from the album Swing Batta Swing which I rushed out and bought on the strength of the one track I knew. To my great disappointment, none of the other tracks is anything like as good.
Bette Midler
I only have one Bette Midler Album, and I bought it for one track: Stuff Like That There. Unfortunately, the rest of the album only has one or two danceable tracks on it, and the worst tracks are awful. This is so often the way - one hears of one track and has to have it, then rushes out full of gleeful anticipation to buy the album on which it appears, naively imagining that this will be a treasury of great swinging numbers, only to be disappointed. Well, the album is For The Boys (7562-82329 Atlantic Records), and the track is an absolute corker.
Oscar Peterson
This chap has produced a lot of great jazz over the years. It is difficult for me to pick anything out, so for little reason more than that I happen to have this one in front of me as I write, I shall mention Satch and Josh - Count Basie encounters Oscar Peterson (CD 2310-722 Pablo Records) which features some nice piano duets, with a small band, giving Lindy hoppers something gentle to dance to.
Louis Prima
There are many compilations of this guy's music, and one of the best is Louis Prima from the Collectors' Series by Capitol Records (CDP 7 94072 2). This Italian American performed comedy swing numbers, and performed for many years at Las Vegas. You may know him from the fact that he sang I Wanna Be Like You in the film Walt Disney's The Jungle Book. He also wrote Sing Sing Sing although his version is not nearly as good or as famous as Benny Goodman's. Classic tracks of his to get are: Just A Gigolo (I Ain't Got Nobody), Jump Jive an' Wail, Whistle Stop, Banana Split For My Baby, I'm The Sheik of Araby.
Nina Simone
Nina was a classically trained pianist, and known for being moody, arrogant and difficult to work with. She wanted to be taken seriously as a musician, but instead became a jazz diva. There are many tracks for which she is famous. I Put A Spell On You (because you're mine) is a classic, but difficult to dance to. If you get a compilation of hers, make sure that it has My Baby Cares For Me and the utterly excellent Love Me Or Leave Me which I think is the definitive version of this song. Other versions fail to get across the pain of the lyrics. When listening to it, note how her piano solo in the middle tells you of her training. At times it sounds quite baroque, almost like a gavotte. Exactly Like You is another good number she sang.
Frank Sinatra
Ol' Blue Eyes recorded shed-loads of albums, but not much of it is great fodder for swing dancing. His best numbers that I know of are all slow stuff. Witchcraft is my favourite. I've Got You Under My Skin is another goodie, as are Nice And Easy, You Make Me Feel So Young, I Get A Kick Out Of You, Pennies From Heaven and Come Fly With Me. Look out for the Nelson Riddle arrangements. Be aware that he recorded the same songs many times. Some of his stuff is very cheap these days.
Neo Swing Groups
There are many of these, and their albums tend to be sharp, loud, and full of oomph. Here are some to look out for:
- Blue Harlem
- The Crescent City Maulers
- Lavay Smith and the Red Hot Skillet Lickers
- The Phenomenal Pound Puppies
- The Ray Gelato Giants
- The Squirrel Nut Zippers
- The Jive Aces
- Royal Crown Revue
- Blue Plate Special
- The Flying Neutrinos
George Gee and his Make Believe Ballroom Orchestra is a particularly good band. It does great versions of Splanky and Blues for Stephanie.
The Cherry Poppin' Daddies were highly favoured for a while. An ex-ska band, they play with great energy, but their numbers are all a bit samey. Their single Zoot Suit Riot goes down well with new swingers, and was one of the few neo-swing singles to chart in this country. One of their songs opens with one of my all-time favourite song lyrics: "Ding Dong Daddy of the D-Car Line, had a thing for the ladies, for which he did time. He reaped a little more than he could sow, of the pleasures the Mormons of Utah know."
Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums have recorded some very nice friendly swinging numbers, very danceable.
Casey Macgill and the Spirits of Rhythm have recorded two of my all-time favourites: Whad'ya Want? and Rhythm.
Swingerhead have produced some favourites, notably At the Strip and Lady with the Big Cigar which both appear on the album She Could Be A spy (COL98-0001 Colossal Music).
The Brian Setzer Orchestra won a lot of praise and a few awards for the album Dirty Boogie (IND 90183 Interscope Records). The number You're The Boss is pretty good. Here is a music video performing Jump Jive An' Wail.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has attained quite a high profile, appearing in films such as Swingers, and doing the theme to Third Rock From The Sun. Their album Big Bad Voodoo Daddy shows that they were exhausted after thinking up a great name for the band. Though a good seller amongst swing dancers, the numbers vary mostly between the very fast and the rocket-like. Tons of energy, though. They also do a good version of Sing Sing Sing!
Indigo Swing has split up up, sadly, so can no longer be heard live, but it has left behind some good albums. Good vocals, and some nice danceable numbers, although still the post rock-and-roll feel creeps in. There are some taster albums, full of neo-swing, which make good listening, even if not always the greatest dancing, each called Swing This Baby plus a volume number
Single numbers by specific artists
- Now You Has Jazz, sung by Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby, from the film High Society.
- If Swing Goes, I Go Too, written and sung by Fred Astaire.
- Wade in the Water, by Eva Cassidy. Shame about the repeat-and-fade ending.
- The theme from The Pink Panther.
- Massachussets, by Maxine Sullivan (and NOT the one by the Bee Gees).
- All That Jazz, from the musical Chicago. There are several versions available, not all by Mrs Douglas. The one by Lisa Minnelli ain't bad.
- Let There Be Love, by Nat King Cole. This is the definitive version. I still wish he had learned to pronounce the sound "awe".
- Juke Box, by Sugar Ray's Flying Fortress.
- Beyond the Sea, by Bobby Darin.
- You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To, by Julie London.
- Stranger in Paradise, the Mose Allison version.
- Fine Brown Frame, by D. Reeves and L. Rawls.
- Swinging on Nothing, Tommy Dorsey.
Less specific stuff
These numbers have been recorded by loads of people:
- Skyliner
- Perfidia
- Leap Frog
- Nosey Joe
- Apollo Jump
- Flying Home
- I Won't Dance
- American Patrol
- Tuxedo Junction
- Jeep Jockey Jump
- Begin the Beguine
- Little Gate Special
- Why Don't You Do Right?
- Smack Dab in the Middle
- Straighten Up and Fly Right
- Nice Work If You Can Get It
- Things Ain't What They Used To Be
- It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing
- It Ain't What You Do (It's The Way How You Do It)
Non-swing swinging stuff
Guaglioni by Perez Prado and his Orchestra is now known by many as "that one from the Guinness ad." It is silly, has strong breaks, and it swings.
Soul Bosa Nova by Quincy Jones, known to millions as "that one from Austen Powers" isn't really swing, but it really swings baby yeah!
Hvem vet by Lisa Ekdahl has taken the British swing scene by storm.
Gangsters' Paradise by Coolio, and Dy-Na-Mi-Tee by Miss Dynamite are examples of hip-hop numbers I've heard played at swing nights, and which have gone down quite well. These are fairly gentle hip-hop, but harsher stuff could work with the right dancers.
Hanky Panky by Madonna is good for Long Legged Charleston variations. Very kicky.
(sakset fra http://www.societies.ncl.ac.uk/swing/music.php#b)
Nettbutikker
Det å få kjøpt swingmusikken er heller ikke alltid like enkelt, det er kun et fåtall CDer som kommer ut i "vanlige" CD butikker i Norge. Men på nett har en nå store muligheter til å skaffe seg det en vil ha.
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