Louis & Oscar is a must have for your swing collection.
I was doing my DJ thing at the 9:20 Special Lindy Hop dance last week, when a woman walked up to the table and asked a question that I get very often. No, not "can I take you home with me later...?" Her question was, "Which CDs should I buy to get started on a collection of swing?"
Many DJs can talk your ears off for days with an answer to this. Recently, I just happened to be browsing the interwebs and I came across the Philly Lindy Hop Blog and this post with suggestions of some CDs to pick up if you want to start a music collection. It’s basically Louie, Oscar and Ella and you can’t go wrong there.
They also link to a post back in June by Mike Thibault on how to build a jazz collection for under $100. Totally well worth a read, even if you already own a ton of CDs. You may have missed a gem.
So what do you think, folks? Any must-haves for you?
Originally posted Tuesday, October 12, 2010 (2 years ago)
Edited on Tuesday, October 12, 2010 4:01 pm (2 years ago)
Recently, I just happened to be browsing the interwebs and I came across the Philly Lindy Hop Blog and this post with suggestions of some CDs to pick up if you want to start a music collection. It’s basically Louie, Oscar and Ella and you can’t go wrong there.
I'm not sure if recommending straight-ahead jazz recordings from the 1960s would have been my answer on how to start a swing music collection. The artists are great, but they all had long drifted away from real swing by that point (or in Oscar's case, never really there to begin with...he was significantly ahead of his time). Missing the mark by three full decades is a bit more then simply a difference in personal tastes; It's like suggesting Nirvana recordings when asked about starting a classic rock collection. :-/
Personally I recommend when people here a song they really like, ask the DJ about it and look its artist up later on Amazon or iTunes. Or more recently, Shazam it. If it's a live band that you're digging, buy their CDs. If it's a personal friend and they specifically show interest in the music I like (trad jazz and early swing), I'll possibly burn them a mix. But that's rare (mostly because I'm lazy).
Originally posted Tuesday, October 12, 2010 (2 years ago)
Edited on Tuesday, October 12, 2010 7:21 pm (2 years ago)
I agree with Zenin. A newbie should first invest some time in understanding his/her own musical taste in regard to swinging music, rather than blindly embracing any of the tons of "list of essential Swing CDs" posted on the Web (e.g. see the DJ page on the Lindy Groove web site). Each of those lists is biased according to taste of the person who compiled it. An unbiased list, provided it exists, would not make much sense either, because we are talking about building someone's private collection, not the catalog of a music store.
For example, browse some of those lists to learn some artist names and then use Amazon, or even YouTube to listen to sample songs by those artists; or, as suggested above, approach a DJ whose sets you really like, and ask him/her for essential recommendations; or get suggestions from swing musicians you enjoy (I actually made some of my best discoveries in this way). This will also help you figuring out with which of those experts (DJs, musicians, collectors) you have more affinities music wise. In my case, I probably know only two people whose recommendations I could follow almost blindly.
Originally posted Tuesday, October 12, 2010 (2 years ago)
This is very much an argument about subjective tastes I will agree, but saying Louis Armstrong "drifted away from real swing" couldn't be farther from the truth. He often complained that the more modern jazz of the times sounded like "Chinese music" and didn't want any part of it. Ella will always be part of a swing music collection. Oscar was way head of his time, but would it be bad to suggest "Satch and Josh" by Oscar and Count Basie?
I think it may be a matter of instrumentation that might be an issue with some folks who argue which songs should be in their swing collection. Some folks don't dig the piano/bass/drums kind of swing and prefer the big band sound.
It might just come down to your personal definition of swing. I own the three CDs they suggest on the Philly site, listened to them today at work, and cannot possibly fathom how anyone can define them as not "real swing". Despite the decade they were produced in, they swing, and swing hard.
(I'll give you this; the Louis and Oscar CD might be way over a beginner's head. But it's so damn good.)
Also, don't lose the context in which they are posting this information; pulled directly from the site:
These are albums that I think are particularly good for starting out. They’re full of moderately tempo-ed songs to practice with...
So throwing a blazingly fast Chick Webb tune at a beginner won't help them. One of the songs I suggested to the gal that asked me, was Jump Session by Slim & Slam. I told her to find a compilation CD for them.
Gong-Oh wrote: Each of those lists is biased according to taste of the person who compiled it.
Isn't that just plain common sense? No one is trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes.
Also, no one is expecting a reader of these lists to just go out and buy 20 albums worth of music without sampling them first. Take them for what they are - a starting point for exploration and discussion.
As the Philly blog entry helps illustrate (and honestly your defense of it does as well), I could hardly blame a neophyte Swing music collector for mistaking 50s/60s straight-ahead jazz for Swing music. From what I've seen the majority of such "Swing Collecting Quick Start Guides", the vast majority fall into the same trap. Many do include actual Swing music, but even then it's typically a secondary focus from the core emphasis on quintessential straight-ahead jazz. I'm not sure how much I can really blame them either thou, since they all started somewhere and it was probably just other people pushing straight-ahead jazz. Monkey see, monkey do I guess.
The ignorance is truly rampant, even among many of the "top" swing DJs around. "Hey, lets book Barbara Morrison, she's a great Swing act!" >facepalm< Even the Yehoodi-backed "For Dancers Only! compilation is largely an exercise in what swing is not. I think I have to blame the entire late 1990s and early 2000s for this tragedy of ignorance, with momentum that carries on through today.
Thankfully there seems to be a bright light quickly approaching at the end of this tunnel, with a larger movement in the scene to re-adopt actual musical styles of the era that people actually danced to, and to look back even older to the music these dance styles really were created upon. All of which is helping Lindy look like Lindy again, and less like WCS. As well as promote a resurgence of Charleston, Shag and reinforcing Balboa (none of which survive long in a straight-ahead jazz environment).
Originally posted Saturday, October 23, 2010 (1 year ago)
There are lots of great recommendations in the Frankie Manning biography. Or even eaiser, just get his favorites cd at savoystyle.com. Can't go wrong with those.
Listen 24 hours a day! Weekly updated shows
Off the Cob: Swing Music Suggestions for newbies
Louis & Oscar is a must have for your swing collection.
I was doing my DJ thing at the 9:20 Special Lindy Hop dance last week, when a woman walked up to the table and asked a question that I get very often. No, not "can I take you home with me later...?" Her question was, "Which CDs should I buy to get started on a collection of swing?"
Many DJs can talk your ears off for days with an answer to this. Recently, I just happened to be browsing the interwebs and I came across the Philly Lindy Hop Blog and this post with suggestions of some CDs to pick up if you want to start a music collection. It’s basically Louie, Oscar and Ella and you can’t go wrong there.
They also link to a post back in June by Mike Thibault on how to build a jazz collection for under $100. Totally well worth a read, even if you already own a ton of CDs. You may have missed a gem.
So what do you think, folks? Any must-haves for you?
The physics is theoretical, but the fun is real!
Yehoodi Featured Topics
(8 items total, 30 per page)
"Help Me Start a Collection" thread
My recent blog post where I updated my list from the aforementioned thread
I've always told people to buy all three albums by Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five, featuring Hilary Alexander
Website and Blog: ickeroo.com
Recently, I just happened to be browsing the interwebs and I came across the Philly Lindy Hop Blog and this post with suggestions of some CDs to pick up if you want to start a music collection. It’s basically Louie, Oscar and Ella and you can’t go wrong there.
I'm not sure if recommending straight-ahead jazz recordings from the 1960s would have been my answer on how to start a swing music collection. The artists are great, but they all had long drifted away from real swing by that point (or in Oscar's case, never really there to begin with...he was significantly ahead of his time). Missing the mark by three full decades is a bit more then simply a difference in personal tastes; It's like suggesting Nirvana recordings when asked about starting a classic rock collection. :-/
Personally I recommend when people here a song they really like, ask the DJ about it and look its artist up later on Amazon or iTunes. Or more recently, Shazam it. If it's a live band that you're digging, buy their CDs. If it's a personal friend and they specifically show interest in the music I like (trad jazz and early swing), I'll possibly burn them a mix. But that's rare (mostly because I'm lazy).
I agree with Zenin. A newbie should first invest some time in understanding his/her own musical taste in regard to swinging music, rather than blindly embracing any of the tons of "list of essential Swing CDs" posted on the Web (e.g. see the DJ page on the Lindy Groove web site). Each of those lists is biased according to taste of the person who compiled it. An unbiased list, provided it exists, would not make much sense either, because we are talking about building someone's private collection, not the catalog of a music store.
For example, browse some of those lists to learn some artist names and then use Amazon, or even YouTube to listen to sample songs by those artists; or, as suggested above, approach a DJ whose sets you really like, and ask him/her for essential recommendations; or get suggestions from swing musicians you enjoy (I actually made some of my best discoveries in this way). This will also help you figuring out with which of those experts (DJs, musicians, collectors) you have more affinities music wise. In my case, I probably know only two people whose recommendations I could follow almost blindly.
Cheers,
Lorenzo
Happy Feet & Balboa Mondays at Joe's: Every Monday except the first, in Burbank, CA
This is very much an argument about subjective tastes I will agree, but saying Louis Armstrong "drifted away from real swing" couldn't be farther from the truth. He often complained that the more modern jazz of the times sounded like "Chinese music" and didn't want any part of it. Ella will always be part of a swing music collection. Oscar was way head of his time, but would it be bad to suggest "Satch and Josh" by Oscar and Count Basie?
I think it may be a matter of instrumentation that might be an issue with some folks who argue which songs should be in their swing collection. Some folks don't dig the piano/bass/drums kind of swing and prefer the big band sound.
It might just come down to your personal definition of swing. I own the three CDs they suggest on the Philly site, listened to them today at work, and cannot possibly fathom how anyone can define them as not "real swing". Despite the decade they were produced in, they swing, and swing hard.
(I'll give you this; the Louis and Oscar CD might be way over a beginner's head. But it's so damn good.)
Also, don't lose the context in which they are posting this information; pulled directly from the site:
So throwing a blazingly fast Chick Webb tune at a beginner won't help them. One of the songs I suggested to the gal that asked me, was Jump Session by Slim & Slam. I told her to find a compilation CD for them.
The physics is theoretical, but the fun is real!
Isn't that just plain common sense? No one is trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes.
Also, no one is expecting a reader of these lists to just go out and buy 20 albums worth of music without sampling them first. Take them for what they are - a starting point for exploration and discussion.
True enough, but there's a larger concern imo.
As the Philly blog entry helps illustrate (and honestly your defense of it does as well), I could hardly blame a neophyte Swing music collector for mistaking 50s/60s straight-ahead jazz for Swing music. From what I've seen the majority of such "Swing Collecting Quick Start Guides", the vast majority fall into the same trap. Many do include actual Swing music, but even then it's typically a secondary focus from the core emphasis on quintessential straight-ahead jazz. I'm not sure how much I can really blame them either thou, since they all started somewhere and it was probably just other people pushing straight-ahead jazz. Monkey see, monkey do I guess.
The ignorance is truly rampant, even among many of the "top" swing DJs around. "Hey, lets book Barbara Morrison, she's a great Swing act!" >facepalm< Even the Yehoodi-backed "For Dancers Only! compilation is largely an exercise in what swing is not. I think I have to blame the entire late 1990s and early 2000s for this tragedy of ignorance, with momentum that carries on through today.
Thankfully there seems to be a bright light quickly approaching at the end of this tunnel, with a larger movement in the scene to re-adopt actual musical styles of the era that people actually danced to, and to look back even older to the music these dance styles really were created upon. All of which is helping Lindy look like Lindy again, and less like WCS. As well as promote a resurgence of Charleston, Shag and reinforcing Balboa (none of which survive long in a straight-ahead jazz environment).
There are lots of great recommendations in the Frankie Manning biography. Or even eaiser, just get his favorites cd at savoystyle.com. Can't go wrong with those.
Elmo likes to Lindy Hop!
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