Portena Jazz Band: Sugar Foot Stomp

Have you ever heard of tango from Argentina and Buenos Aires? Of course you have. But have you heard about hot jazz music from Argentina?

Here is Porteña Jazz Band performing Sugar Foot Stomp in Spain 1991.




Learn more about Porteña Jazz Band.

What do you think of the video clip with Porteña Jazz Band playing Sugar Foot Stomp? Tell me.

Boswell Sisters: Heebie Jeebies

Here is a great clip from 1932 with the Boswell Sisters singing Heebie Jeebies.



The clip is from the movie The Big Broadcast. The Boswell Sisters were Connee, Martha and Vet.

The origin of the expression Heebie Jeebies is explained here. In the song they mention the "Heebie Jeebie dance", does anyone know if this was an actual dance or purely fictional? If you got some information, please tell me.

What do you think of this video clip with Boswell Sisters singing Heebie Jeebies? Tell me.

Sandviken Big Band featuring Claes Jansson

Tonight there will be a concert with Sandviken Big Band featuring Claes Jansson at Katalin and all that jazz. The concert is arranged by Uppsala Jazz Club.

They will do a tribute to Count Basie so I think you can expect good music all evening. The concert starts at 21 o'clock.

This is the last concert for the spring season. Take a look at my reports and photos from concerts this spring.

Have you heard Sandviken Big Band before? What do you think of them? Tell me.

Royal Crown Revue: Concert photos

Royal Crown Revue played yesterday at Debaser. They played good neo swing with a lot of energy. A very professional and entertaining band with very talented musicians. I had a good dance with M. When the band played the song Harlem Nocturne there were even a little burlesque number with three girls from Stockholm.



I went to the concert with members of the rhythm & blues band Sweet Emma & The Mood Swingers, who by the way will play at Stampen in Stockholm tonight. A lot of the audience were also into vintage fashion and dressed sharply, they were really good looking. Very nice!


The photos are taken by me and may not be used elsewhere without my permission.

Where you at the concert with Royal Crown Revue? What did you think of them? Tell me.

Nina Simone: Love me or leave me

I think Nina Simone is kind of unique in the jazz world because as a piano player she added textures in the swing music from classical music. Here is a good example in this video clip from The Ed Sullivan Show where Nina Simone performs "Love me or leave me" followed by the jazz ballad "I love you, Porgy".


Nina Simone on The Ed Sullivan Show
Uploaded by redhotjazz

The music is written by Walter Donaldson and the lyrics by Gus Kahn.

What do you think of Nina Simone and her version of "Love me or leave me"? Tell me.

Royal Crown Revue concert at Debaser

The neoswing band Royal Crown Revue is out on an European tour and is coming to Debaser (Slussen) in Stockholm tomorrow.

Neo swing is not classic swing but it's a style of swing that is influenced by rockabilly and jump blues. Neo swing became popular around 1997-1998 when there was a swing music revival and a lot of people started swing dancing.

Here is a video with Royal Crown Revue performing their song Zip Gun Bop. In the video you can see Peter Loggins dancing lindy hop.



The evening starts at 19 and before Royal Crown Revue goes on stage the Swedish band Nosey Joe and the Poolkings will play. I hear that RCR is an awesome live band, so if you have the opportunity I think you should go there.

Buy tickets at Ticnet. 145 kr.

Interesting fact: Royal Crown Revue was featured in the film "The Mask" where Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz dance to their song "Hey Pachuco!".



What do you think of Royal Crown Revue? Tell me.

Swing DJ Henrik Eriksson at Dekadans tonight

Yep! That's me. I'm djing at Dekadans tonight. Come by and dance. It's at Västgöta nation and it costs only 20 kr. Time: 20-23. You don't have to be a student.

Last time I dj:ed I had a little competition where you could win a mix cd with swing music if you answered a question correctly. I thought I'd do a competition this time as well. So here it goes:

Question: Who were the composers of the song Sweet Georgia Brown? (You can find the answer somewhere in this blog).

To be able to win the cd you must send the answer to me at swing@theheartofgold.org before 5 o'clock or tell me in the beginning of the evening. In the middle of the evening I'll draw a winner. You must be able to pick up cd at the dance. Good luck.

Update: Here is the answer to the question.

If you like to hear a particular song tonight, leave a comment and I'll see what I can do.

Phontrattarne: Grand Show preview

Phontrattarne is one of Uppsalas best big bands. On Saturday they held a concert at Stora Torget in Uppsala and gave a preview of what they will perform at their Grand Show at Reginateatern between 10th and 17th of May.



The shows are usually great fun for any swing music lover, this band know how to entertain and have a lot of good singers.



They showed new number based on the song "The Charleston". A fun choreography with all the charleston moves and of course a lot of cute dancers.



Phontrattarnes Grand Show is a must see. Make sure to see it in May. The photos are taken by me and may not be used elsewhere without my permission.

Are you planning on see Grand Show at Reginateatern? Tell me.

Sing before breakfast with Vilma & Buddy Ebsen

Here is a video clip with Vilma & Buddy Ebsen doing a tap dance routine in a number called Sing before breakfast. Follow the link to learn more about them. Eleanor Powell is also tapping with them.



The clip is from the movie "Broadway Melody of 1936" from 1935. Did you know that Buddy Ebsen was supposed to play the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz but he got sick from the makeup which contained aluminium powder.

What do you think of this video clip with "Sing before breakfast" with Vilma & Buddy Ebsen and Eleanor Powell? Tell me.

Fats Waller - Your Feet's Too Big

Here is a great video clip with Fats Waller singing and playing "Your Feet's Too Big".



What do you think of the video clip with Fats Waller singing and playing "Your Feet's Too Big"? Tell me.

Hasse Ling and His Syncopators of Swing

Tomorrow Saturday 21st, Hasse Ling and His Syncopators of Swing will play at a dance at Grand in Uppsala arranged by Swingkatten.

Hasse Ling and His Syncopators of Swing is a very good band and cares for the dancers. If you're in town you should go there and dance or listen to them.

The dance will start at 20 and the band will be on stage at approx. 21. Entrance fee: 80 kr.

The photo of Hasse Ling and His Syncopators of Swing is taken by me and may not be used elsewhere without my permission. The photo is taken at Uppsala Balboa Weekend in 2004.

Have you heard Hasse Ling and His Syncopators of Swing play before? What do you think of them? Tell me.

Mission statement

This is my mission statement.
This is what I want to achieve.
This is my future.

I WANT:

TO ENTERTAIN: YOU CANT SIT STILL ANYMORE
Swing music is all about joy, you feel like you must move to the music and dance. I want you to smile. I want to entertain you.

TO LEARN AND TO EDUCATE
I want to introduce you to the world of swing, jazz and blues. I want you to discover all the great music that is out there. In the mean time, I'll learn things too.

TO DOCUMENT JAZZ MUSICIANS AND SWING DANCERS
I want to make a record of whats like to be in the world of jazz music and swing dance, right here, right now. For future generations to discover. I want to be a world class photographer.

TO CONNECT WITH PASSIONATE MUSIC LOVERS
I want to connect with people who also love swing, jazz and blues as much as I do.

TO PROMOTE
I want to contribute to making the joy of music more known. I want to make more people active in the dance scene. I want to support the local musicians. I want to connect the world of music and the world of dance.

MAKING IT HAPPEN
Like everything in life, this mission statement is work in progress. Watch the progress. Participate in the progress. Make a difference.

Louis Armstrong - Paris Blues - Jam Session

Do you want high energy swing music? Well, here you go! Here is a great video clip from the movie Paris Blues with Louis Armstrong.

Paul Newman and Sidney Poitier plays musicians playing in a jazz club when Louis Armstrong and his band comes crashing in (that's how you make a entrance!) and challenge each of them in a jam session.



In beginning of this video clip there is some swing dancing. I just love the energy of the music and I love the joy they express. It truly shows what swing music is all about.

Paris Blues was released in 1961.

What do you think of this video clip from Paris Blues with Louis Armstrong. Tell me.

Swing dj Svante Grundberg at Dekadans

Don't miss swing dj Svante Grundberg at Dekadans tonight. Svante Grundberg lives in Stockholm where he djs a lot. Svante is also an actor who has appeared in Swedish cult movies such as "Göta Kanal" and "Sällskapsresan".

Together with Björn Wallde he had a tv program called "Nattsudd" where they played music clips from the 1930s through the 1950s.

Have you heard Svante Grundberg dj swing before? What do you think? Tell me.

Swing DJ Dogpossum

Dogpossum is a swing dj in Australia who sometimes writes about the djing experience and posts set lists. I haven't read everything Dogpossum has written because the posts are longer than mine (which means there are a lot to read and discover).

Are there any other swing djs that are blogging? Tell me.

Ella Fitzgerald sings Hard Hearted Hannah

Here is a video clip with Ella Fitzgerald singing Hard Hearted Hannah from 1955.




Another great version of this song can be found on a cd called "The Great Swing Party", a concert recording made by Ulf Johansson Werre where Hard Hearted Hanna is sung by Hanna Hedlund.

Every fall Ulf Johansson Werre put together a large concert with big band which has a certain theme based on different jazz composers each time: Count Basie, Benny Goodman, George Gershwin and Duke Ellington.

On this particular occasion the theme was just "swing". The cd has a great version of It Don't Mean A Thing. At the concert there were also a lindy hop and tap performance by The Harlem Hot Shots.

What do you think of this video clip with Ella Fitzgerald singing Hard Hearted Hannah? Tell me.

Buba Jazz Band: Concert photos

Yesterday Buba Jazz Band played at a concert at Katalin and all that jazz. The concert was arranged by Uppsala Jazz Club. It was a really good concert and coming from a background as a swing dj I was surprised how much I liked the bop jazz songs. Excellent jazz musicians!



These are some of the songs they played: "Bud Powell" by Chick Corea, "West Coast Blues" by Wes Montgomery, "Foot Prints" by Wayne Shorter, "Blue Monk" by Thelonious Monk, "Grooving High" by Dizzy Gillespie, "Watermelon man" by Herbie Hancock, "Resolution" by John Coltrane, "It's A Reaggy Waltz" by Dave Brubeck, an uptempo version of "Yesterdays" by Jerome Kern, "Moanin'" by Bobby Timmons as well as "Work Song" and "Oleo".



Buba Jazz Band ended the concert with "When My Sugar Walks Down The Street" by Nat King Cole. The songs they played reminded me of one of my favorite albums: In Blue by Karrin Allyson which has both "West Coast Blues" and "Moanin'".



Buba Jazz Band consists of Anar "Buba" Tagyzade (song), Anders Ekholm (saxophone), Max Åhman (guitar), Christian Paulin (bass) and Janne Kullhammar (drums).




The photos are taken by me and may not be used elsewhere without my permission.

Were you at the concert at Katalin with Buba Jazz Band? What do you think of the concert? Tell me.

Ella Fitzgerald - It Don't Mean A Thing

I like many styles of music but nothing really compares to swing. Swing to me means infectious joy, music that makes you want to dance.

In this video clip from German television from 1974 with Ella Fitzgerald, she also lists a number of music styles and comes to the conclusion that It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing).



The jazz orchestra has full big band sound that I love. In the middle of "It Don't Mean A Thing" they also play a few bars of "Four brothers" as well as "Moten Swing".

The orchestra has a number of great jazz musicians such as Joe Pass (guitar), Tommy Flanagan (piano), Bobby Durham (drums), Roy Eldridge (trumpet), Eddie Lockjaw Davis (tenor saxophone).

What do you think of this video clip with Ella Fitzgerald performing "It Don't Mean A Thing"? Tell me.

Buba Jazz Band: Concert at Katalin tomorrow

Upcoming concert

Tomorrow it's time for Buba Jazz Band to play at a concert at Katalin and all that jazz. The concert is arranged by Uppsala Jazz Club.

Buba Jazz Band consists of Anar "Buba" Tagyzade (song), Anders Ekholm (saxophone), Max Åhman (guitar), Christian Paulin (bass) and Janne Kullhammar (drums).

I haven't heard them before. The program says that they will play songs of Thelonious Monk, Dave Brubeck, Charlie Parker and John Coltrane mixed together with jazz standards. I've read that Anar "Buba" Tagyzade is good at scatting. I guess it will be a lot of bop at this concert.

Have you heard them? What do you think of them? Tell me.

George Nistor Quartet: Photos

George Nistor and his Quartet played at Uppsala Winter Camp in February. This is a picture from my archive. Expect more photos of them later on.

The photo may not be used elsewhere without my permission.

Were you at the dance at the Uppsala Winter Camp where George Nistor Quartet (GNQ) played? What did you think of GNQ? Tell me.

Louis Armstrong sings Mack the Knife (1962)

Louis Armstrong sings Mack the Knife at a concert in Stockholm in 1962.



The music is written by Kurt Weill and the lyrics by Marc Blitzstein and Berthold Brecht.

What do think of this video clip where Louis Armstrong sings Mack the Knife? Tell me.

Louis Jordan - Caldonia

One of the things I'd like to do in this blog is to introduce you to great jazz and blues artists; here is one I haven't featured before: Louis Jordan performing the song Caldonia.



Louis Jordan was one of the best artists in the music style that is called jump blues. Jump blues is based on blues and swing but the horn section is more prominent and often an electric guitar is added. Jump blues was a step in the evolution of rock 'n' roll.

Caldonia is a fun song to play at dances, first of all it got great energy. Secondly, most dancers recognize the big break in the music at "What makes your big head so hard" and do something spectacular. Often they make a big jump. On one occasion when I was swing djing, the floor vibrated some from the dancing and I actually had to lift the cd player up when break came, otherwise the cd player would have skipped a beat due to all the jumping dancers.

What do you think of this video clip with Louis Jordan performing Caldonia? Tell me.

Emelie Decavita: Swing dj premiere at Dekadans

Tonight it's premiere time at Dekadans.

Emelie Decavita is usually one of the hostesses of Dekadans, making sure everything runs smoothly, but tonight she will also be making her swing dj debut.

It's great to have more swing disc jockeys in Uppsala and I look forward to hear what music Emelie will be playing.

If you haven't been to Dekadans before you should go there, it's such a nice place to dance some lindy hop or balboa or even a foxtrot.

The photo of Emelie is taken by me and may not be used elsewhere without permission.

Have you been to Dekadans? What do you think of the club? Tell me.

Melissa Mason with the Roger Wolfe Kahn Orchestra

In this video clip Melissa Mason is dancing to the song "Dinah" performed by the Roger Wolfe Kahn Orchestra. I don't know how she makes her legs do the things they do, but it's impressive.



The film sequence is from the short film The Yacht Party (1932).

What do you think of the video clip with Melissa Mason? Tell me.

How records were made in the 1930s: featuring Duke Ellington

Are you curious how records was made in the 1930s? Here is a kind of documentary footage how the record making process worked in 1937. Really interesting and educating! The orchestra featured in the video clip is Duke Ellington with singer Ivy Anderson.



What do you think of this documentary video clip about record making? Tell me.

Diana Krall - Cry Me A River

Late night music

Diana Krall is an amazing piano player as well as a talented jazz singer. Here is a live performance with Diana Krall with the song Cry Me A River from a concert in Paris.



What do you think of Diana Krall? Tell me.

Sweet Georgia Brown with Ben Bernie (1925)

Sweet Georgia Brown is a great song and one of the most played jazz standards. The following video clip shows Bernie Ben performing Sweet Georgia Brown in 1925. Ben Bernie was one of the composers of the song (along with Ken Casey and Maceo Pinkard), so this is as close to the original you can get.



It's said that this video clip shows the first recorded saxophone solo. I think it's one of the best hot jazz versions I've heard.

What do you think of Ben Bernies version of Sweet Georgia Brown? Tell me.

Hey Mr Jesse Show: April Podcast

It's a new month and that means a new episode of the podcast Hey Mr Jesse where the swing djs Jesse Miner and Manu Smith talks about swinging jazz and blues that matters to dancers (much like intention of this blog).

This time they have a great interview with bandleader Casey MacGill whose cd Jump was a big hit as a part of the swing music revival in the late 1990s. That's a classic album if you ask me, Jump was one of the first albums I reviewed.

We get to know about his musical background and what it was like to work in the Broadway show Swing. If you like Casey MacGill you should check out the cast recording from the Swing show. They also talk about his new band: The Casey MacGill Blue 4 Trio.

See the Hey Mr Jesse April show notes to get all the details about what is in the 72 minute show. Download the Hey Mr Jesse show (mp3, 50 MB).

In the countdown segment, 8 count swing, Jesse and Manu lists 8 kid-friendly fun swing songs.

Hey Mr Jesse just keeps getting better and better. I looking forward to the next episode.

Have you listened to the April episode of Hey Mr Jesse? What do you think? Tell me.

Dekadans: Lindy hop taster lesson yesterday

Yesterday there was a lindy hop taster lesson at Dekadans. Afterwards there was the regular dance evening with swing dj David. Many of the people that took the taster lesson stayed and danced so the room was packed! Yay! Way to go!

The photo is taken by me and may not be used elsewhere without my permission.

Were you at Dekadans yesterday? What did you think of the evening? Tell me.

Duke Ellington: Bli-Blip

Enjoy this video clip with Duke Ellington and his Orchestra performing Bli Blip together with singers Mary Bryant and Paul White.



I smile when I see their goofyness. In the clip you can find some authentic jazz dance moves such as Shorty George, half breaks, Tack Annie, pecking etc.

What do you think of this video clip with Bli Blip? Tell me.

Swedish Swing Society: Photos from the Katalin concert

Swedish Swing Society played yesterday at a concert at Katalin and all that jazz. They called the concert: "A Tribute to the Benny Goodman Quartet".

I just have to say: Wow! Fabulous! This is swing music at its best. These guys are so talented. If they come to your town you got to see them. There's so much to like about them. I like the way Ulf Johansson Werre adds intricate textures on the piano and still keeps it swinging. I enjoy the rhythms that Björn Sjödin lay down with his drums and the joy that he expresses. I like the freshness that Antti Sarpila's clarinet brings and the humour of Lars Erstrand. That's just a few things.



Swedish Swing Society consists of these superb jazz musicians: Lars Erstrand (vibraphone), Ulf Johansson Werre (piano), Björn Sjödin (drums) and Antti Sarpila (clarinet).

Some of the songs they played: Winter Swing, Dizzy Spells, Fooling Myself, Some of These Days, Three Little Words, Runnin' Wild, Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone, (Sweet) Embraceable You, All The Things You Are, Tiger Rag and Sweet Georgia Brown.

All songs were excellent, but if I have to choose my favorite song of the evening it has to be Nagasaki. It is such a high energy song.


The photographs are taken by me and may not be used elsewhere without my permission.

Did you see the concert with Swedish Swing Society? What did you think? Tell me.

Swedish Swing Society: Concert at Katalin tonight

Upcoming concert

Tonight the swing jazz band Swedish Swing Society will play at a concert at Katalin and all that jazz. They call the concert: "A Tribute to the Benny Goodman Quartet".

This will be a good concert since the band consists of Swedens (and Finlands) best jazz musicians: Lars Erstrand (vibraphone), Ulf Johansson Werre (piano, trombone), Björn Sjödin (drums) and Antti Sarpila (clarinet).

Back in the swing era, the Benny Goodman Quartet was made up of Teddy Wilson, Gene Krupa, Lionel Hampton and Benny Goodman.

Swedish Swing Society enters the stage at 19:30 and the tickets cost 180 kr. The photo above of Ulf Johansson Werre is taken by me and may not be used elsewhere without my permission.

Have you heard Swedish Swing Society before? What do you think of them? Tell me.

Jimmy Witherspoon: Ain't nobodies business

Late night music

There haven't been so much blues music so far in this blog, but now it's time for some slow blues: Ain't Nobodies Business If I Do with singer Jimmy Witherspoon together with trumpeter Buck Claytons band. This video clip is very suitable as late night music.



Jimmy Witherspoon is one of my favorite male blues singers. "Ain't Nobodies Business If I Do" was made popular by another great blues singer: Bessie Smith.

If you want one great record with slow blues music, I can highly recommend (as many other swing djs do) Jimmy Witherspoons compilation album: Jazz Me Blues. On that album there are a few mid tempo songs that you dance lindy hop to, but mostly it's fabulous, slow, "late night" blues.

What do you think of the video clip with Jimmy Witherspoon? Tell me.