With their first hit single, The Cremazie All Stars are proud to bring you Blue Drag. Dax Hock, the rhythm man and generally crazy personality of the band says of this pleasure experience, “I think this piece is quite transcendent really. It bring together the new and the old.” The other half and lead man of the band, Davis Thurber says of Blue Drag, “We are really just trying to rock out and give it our all everytime we get on stage or record in The Ax Pad on our iPhone. The piece took us a gruelling 15 minutes to talk out, and about 19 - 147 takes to actually get down. Quite the effort really.”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

This amazing soundgasm is sure to knock your socks off. Enjoy world.

Davis is currently attending the world famous Herrang Dance camp in Sweden. Thanks Dax & Davis!

Filed Under: Song of the Week | Monday, July 13th, 2009

This week’s song is brought to you by Swing DJ Trevor Hutchison from Perth, Australia. Check out his website at http://www.theswingdj.com/

Song: Tattersfield Stomp
Album: Swingin’ at The Chatterbox
Artist: Count Basie & His Orchestra

My song of the week is Tattersfield Stomp by Count Basie & His Orchestra. It’s a fast hard-swinging track that Basie only recorded once in 1937 live at a dance gig at the Chatterbox Cafe, Pittsburgh. The recording quality is quite poor, but there’s enough there to tell that they were really loose, wild and swinging it! A different band, Ambrose & His Orchestra, originally recorded the same tune as Streamline Strut two years earlier. These are the only recordings I have found of this song so if anyone knows of another version I’d love to hear it! Check out the awesome Basie version on the CD “Swingin’ at The Chatterbox”!

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Thanks Trevor!

Filed Under: Song of the Week | Monday, July 6th, 2009

Straight from our hotel room at the Canadian Swing Championships, this week’s song was picked by one of my favorite social dancers, Alice Mei.

The song is Hallelujah Joe Ain’t Preachin’ No More by Harlem Hamfats. You can purchase it off Amazon.com. Merci Alice!

Filed Under: Lindybloggers, Song of the Week | Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

Song: Wham
Album: 1944 Uncollected - Live at Jefferson Barracks
Artist: Jimmie Lunceford and His Harlem Express
Words and music: Eddie Durham/Joseph Taps Miller (1939)

I first heard about this Lunceford album from a subtle post by Andy Reid on SwingDJs.

The album on CD was, and is still, ridiculously cheap, so that was an easy pick up.  I was drawn to this album by a mention of a hot recording of For Dancers Only, and it was worth it — great recording.  But I was also taken with this recording of Wham.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Recorded in 1944 at a military barracks in Missouri, this album is a great archive of a big band playing live for dancers.  Unlike studio transcriptions and radio only broadcasts, dance performances typically have more life and zest to them.  Let’s face it, I’d rather be dancing to a great live band than to canned music, but if I must dance to recorded music, I love to dance to a great band that was playing for dancers. Side note: check out “The Duke at Fargo” for another great dance performance album.
(more…)

Filed Under: Song of the Week | Monday, May 4th, 2009

Today’s song of the week comes to us from Lucy Falkner, founder of Rhythm City in Vancouver, Canada. Lucy has taught Charleston, Vintage Jazz, Lindy Hop, and Blues across Canada and the Pacific Northwest, and at the world-famous Herräng Dance Camp, in Sweden.

I had a difficult time choosing my song of the week. I set aside about 12 songs and listened to them incessantly for a week, vacillating between this one and that one as the one to choose. In the end, I went with my original choice, “Keep the Rhythm Going,” by The Mills Blue Rhythm Band.

Some songs make me want to swing out hard and do lots of big swingy long and loose movements, and some songs make me want to do lots of fussy and complex shapes and rhythms. This one gives me good doses of both. I love songs that build in energy, have strong rhythm, and a lot of texture (what some people think of as layers). Plus, I like chewy trumpet (that’s the best way I have to describe that particular sound). I guess I use food and eating metaphors a lot with regard to music. Never noticed that before. Well, then this song feeds me, but like a good appetizer: it leaves me wanting more. You can purchase this song from Amazon MP3 Download’s here: Keep The Rhythm Going.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Song: “Keep The Rhythm Going”
Musicians: Mills Blue Rhythm Band
Album: Chronological Classics, 1933-1934

Personnel (for the album, not sure about the song)
Baron Lee, Lucky Millinder, leader
Wardell Jones, Eddie Mallory, Sheldon Hemphill, Ed Anderson, tpt
George Washington, arr, tbn
Henry Hicks, J.C. Higginbotham, tbn
Crawford Wethington, sax
Gene Mikell, cl, sax
Joe Garland, cl, sax, arr
Edgar Hayes, p
Benny James, bjo, g
Hayes Alvis, b, brass b
O’Neil Spencer, d
Adelaide Hall, Chuck Richards, voc
Lawrence Lucie, g
Elmer James, b
Alex Hill, arr

Thanks Lucy! You can find her teaching and judging this weekend at Lindybout, the Lindy Hop Championships in Western Canada.

Filed Under: Dance Community, Lindybloggers, Song of the Week | Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

Today our Song of the Week DJ is Kate Hedin, partner to our resident “extreme” writer Bobby White, balboa expert, professional violist and all around lovely lady.

Artist: Benny Goodman
Song: Caprice Xxiv Paganini
Year: 1941
Album: 1941, Vol. 3

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Why I like it:

In a time in our lindy hopping lives when early jazz and “chunk-ca-chunk” music is so popular, I find my self drawn more and more to the old classic sound of big bands. Benny Goodman was definitely the first band that really grabbed me when I started dancing, so I guess his sound holds a special place in my heart.

I remember very specifically when I heard this piece (Caprice Xxiv Paganini) for the first time. While dancing at the Boston Tea Party in ‘05 or ’06, I heard this song blast through the speakers, and I can still see myself running up to the DJ booth after that dance, desperate to see what recording had just played. For me, the theme of that piece is something so familiar and so distinctive that I would recognize it anywhere. The main melody of Benny Goodman’s piece comes from a very famous classical work for solo violin by Niccolo Paganini. (Included below) Many of you may know that my “other life” is one of classical music. I have been playing the viola for over 20 years now, and received both my bachelors and masters degrees in viola performance. (www.katehedin.com) I still get a thrill when my two passions cross paths. This song by Benny Goodman is a brilliant example.

Piece: Caprice No. 24, for solo violin
Composer: Niccolo Paganini
Artist: Itzhak Perlman

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Niccolo Paganini (1782-1840) was both a pillar of violin virtuosity and composer who wrote pieces that showed off the technical mastery of which he was capable. His 24th caprice is probably his most famous work, and its theme has been used by over 35 other composers, including Benny Goodman, as a spring board for their own theme-and-variation compositions.

In the Goodman song, the full band plays the opening chorus: an energetic swung version of Paganini’s theme. Then Benny comes in with his solo, his own chilled variation of this theme. Each soloist thereafter variates the melody in their own way, leading a slow-driving crescendo to the final culmination: a recapitulation of the original theme in the final chorus with full band. For me, the fact that Benny Goodman not only wrote a piece that was a intellectual throw-back to one of the milestones of classical music, but also managed to make it swing so hard with that driving sound he does so well – well, it just baffles and amazes me.

You can find Benny Goodman’s rendition of Caprice Xxiv Paganini on Amazon.com.

Filed Under: Dance Community, Song of the Week | Monday, April 6th, 2009

Song: St. Louis Gal
Album: Maiden Voyage
Artist: Titanic Jazz Band
http://titanicjazzband.com/

A bit about the Titanic Jazz Band.  These guys are a local Dixieland band here in Los Angeles.   These guys are really talented at what they do and have gained quite a loyal following here in the local Dixieland scene.  None of them are what I would call “famous”, not even in the Lindy scene as most Lindy Hoppers that I know of (me included) wouldn’t want to dance to Dixieland the whole night and so these guys don’t get booked for Lindy events. However,  it is fun to dance to a few Dixie tunes every night, when we DJ we usually will pull at least one or two songs from the Titanic CDs to play.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

We first “discovered” them when Ben went shopping at Canterbury’s in Pasadena prowling around for more music.  He saw  Titanic’s “Mostly Jelly” CD in the used bin and took a listen to it.  And he loved it!  He bought it specifically for their version of “Shimmy Like My Sister Kate” (Ben’s favorite version of that song).  Soon after, we purchased their other CD “Maiden Voyage”.  We then found out they were local and attended a few of their performances and even booked them for one of our dances.  These guys are definitely a talented group of musicians!

The song we chose, St Louis Gal,  is our favorite song of theirs.  From a listening and dancing experience, this song builds and ebbs subtly giving the listener (and dancer) quite a fulfilling experience.   Not to mention that St Louis Gal is a very versatile song to dance to.   We find there are so many feels of this song: a bit showy, a bit bluesy, a bit groovy, and a bit Dixie/Ragtime.   Depending on what kind of dancing mood you’re in, you can let the song take you in so many different directions.   And Titanic accomplishes this with just piano and percussion!!  Amazing!  A lot of the time when there are only one or two instruments it seems that the musicians overcompensate and tend to unnecessarily fill up space with notes resulting in a rushed or hectic feeling.  It’s good to see two musicians (Ragtime pianist Robbie Rhodes and percussionist Lloyd Byassee) so secure in their talent and their musical relationship together that they are able to let the music just flow.

We hope you all enjoy our pick.

Thanks Ben and Sheri! Check out their One2Swing’s California Rolls team routine at ALHC last year.

Filed Under: Song of the Week | Monday, March 30th, 2009

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Joe Venuti was born on a ship on the way to the USA from Italy and became, in many circles, THE great jazz violinist. Eddie Lang (who was also known as Blind Willie Dunn) was a boyhood friend of Venuti, and was the first great jazz guitarist.

Inspired by Stefan Durham and Bethany Powell’s routine to Stuff Smith’s My Blue Heaven, I looked for other Swing songs that included a violin and stumbled upon this album. Joe Venuti’s violin is teamed up with Eddie Lang’s guitar playing to create a very original version of Dinah. This song makes me dance as if I was floating on air, yet still maintains the bounce of Swing. You can’t help it but to be really happy after hearing this song.

You can find Dinah by Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang as an mp3 on Amazon.com.

Thanks Alain!

Browse past songs of the week. If you are interested in submitting your own pick, email us at info@lindybloggers.com

Filed Under: Song of the Week | Monday, March 23rd, 2009

This week’s song comes courtesy of Peter Loggins. Look out for our upcoming interview with him on Lindybloggers. You can find the Korean translation of this week’s article below.

The SONG of the week comes from a band I would love to share with everyone: Alphonso Trent and his Orchestra.

I’ll spare you the long history of the Alphonso Trent which you can google for, But to keep it short the band was primarily out of Texas and was the toughest band to battle in the territories.

During the late 1920’s they toured the North east to record for the Gennett label in Indiana and on one of these tours played the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem.

Although they have numerous songs that are great I selected St. James Infirmary, Recorded March 5, 1930.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

(more…)

Filed Under: Dance Community, Song of the Week | Monday, March 16th, 2009

This song is brought to you by Seattle transplant Kelly Porter. Kelly is an avid collector of early jazz and blues on ‘78, and is generally recognized as one of the US’s exceptional lindy hop and jazz DJ’s, playing for the most demanding dance audiences throughout North America including those at Showdown, The Rhythmic Arts Festival and on radio.

이 노래는 Seattle 이주민 Kelly Porter 가 소개한다. Kelly는 Early Jazz와 blues on ‘78 의 열광적인 수집가이다. Kelly는 미국에서도 특히 빼어난 Lindy hop, Jazz DJ로 널리 알려져 있고, 북미에서 Showdown 과 RAF, 그리고 라디오에서 같은 가장 말이 많은 청중들에게 DJing 한다.

Band: The John Kirby Sextet
Song: Zooming at the Zombie
Year: 1940
Album: Complete Columbia & RCA Victor Recordings of The John Kirby Sextet: The Biggest Little Band In The Land (Vol. 2) — this is a collection worth buying

Why I like it: Normally I gravitate to late 20’s and early 30’s music with a really loose and playful feel: The Washboard Rhythm Kings, Stuff Smith, early Ellington and the like . . . but this is an example of a late band with a sound just bordering on bop that is totally slamming. John Kirby was known for arrangements with wit and being able to wrangle virtuosic players into a well-honed team. Everything about this song is tight– the arrangement, the playing, the gags– but without being so tight as to give up the breathing room and joy of that earlier frantic style. To me, this is the ideal meeting of the old and new testament of jazz. In fact I love it so much that as of last week my partner and I are choreographing a completely ridiculous piece to it. It makes me want to swing out hard and with all my heart even if I’m tired and broken as all hell. Enjoy.

이 노래를 좋아하는 이유: 보통 나는 20년대 후반에서 30년대 초반의 루즈하면서도 장난스러운 느낌의 음악에 끌린다: The Washboard Rhythm Kings, Stuff Smith, Ellington 의 초기작들 같은 것들… 하지만 이건 후기 밴드, bop과 인접한 사운드화 함께한 밴드의 예이다. John Kirby는 위트있는 편곡으로 유명했고, 대단한 연주자들을 잘 다듬어진 팀으로 조율하는 능력이 있었다. 이 노래는 전체적으로 tight하지만 - 편곡, 연주, 개그 등에서- 숨돌릴 틈도 없이 tight하지는 않고, 초창기의 신나는 스타일의 노래다. 나는 오래된 재즈와 새로운 재즈의 이상적인 만남이라 느꼈다. 사실 난 이 노래가 너무 좋아서 지난 주 쯤에 이 노래에 내 파트너와 함께 터무니 없는 안무를 만들었다. 이 노래는 지독하게 지쳐있을 때 마저도 격렬하게 스윙아웃 하고 싶게 만드는 노래이다. 즐겨보시라.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

And oh my god I forgot the personnel; I am a horrible human being: Charlie Shavers (trumpet), Buster Bailey (clarinet), Russell Procope (alto sex), Billie Kyle (piano), John Kirby (bass), William “O’Neill” Spencer (drums)

그리고 맙소사 멤버 소개를 빠트리다니!

Thanks Kelly!

Korean translation by ChangHo Cha (aka zzazang). Browse past songs of the week. If you are interested in submitting your own pick, email us at info@lindybloggers.com

Filed Under: Song of the Week | Monday, March 9th, 2009