Lars Erstrand Four at Parksnäckan tonight

Lars Erstrand Four is a really good swinging band that will play at Parksnäckan tonight at 19.30. The tickets cost 90 kr (70 kr if you got a UNT-card).

Take a look at what I wrote about their concert in Parksnäckan last year.

The photo is taken by me and may not be published elsewhere without my permission. Contact me if you want to license it.

What do you think of Lars Erstrand Four? Please comment.

The Balboa Experiment vs Sweden Balboa Weekend

Today the website for The Balboa Experiment was released. It's an intense balboa workshop organized by Nick Williams and David Rehm for balboa dancers at the "master" level.

Cool concept. I'd love to be there but I'm not at that level (yet). I need more other classes and workshops. However, several of the instructors at The Balboa Experiment will also be at Sweden Balboa Weekend here in Uppsala in September (26-28th). Yeees!

The weekend is filling up so if you're interested in participating in the Sweden Balboa Weekend, signup now.

By the way, is there anyone interested in practising balboa right now, I mean, from now until the classes starts again in the autumn? Send me a message.

What do you think of The Balboa Experiment and Sweden Balboa Weekend? Please comment.

The Battle in Stockholm

If you're in Stockholm tonight, there is a great event there called The Battle. It's a lindy hop competition at Kulturhuset and in between the rounds there are plenty of time to dance socially to the bands Stockholm Swing All Stars and George Nistor Swing Orchestra.

Expect a lot of dancers there that has just attended the Herräng Dance Camp (which ended on Friday). The dancing starts at 19 and ends 01. Tickets cost 250 kr.

What do you think of The Battle? Please comment.

Summertime: Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong

It's seems to become a bright warm summer day today, the kind that promises endless opportunities for having fun and begs for not wasting a single minute of it.

A song that fits today is Summertime sung by Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong. I like it because it's melancholic and has an epic feel to it. What do you feel when you hear this song? What kind of associations do you get as you listen?

Play it again: Summertime by Ray Brown Trio with Gene Harris on piano.

What do you think of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong singing Summertime? Please comment.

Phontrattarne: Concert photos from Parksnäckan

Phontrattarne is such a great band. I saw their Grand show at Parksnäckan on Thursday and had a blast.

As indicated by the full name of the band: Svenska Showorkestern Phontrattarne, this orchestra is not only there to play solid swinging big band music but also there to perform a show. And what a show it was. I'm so impressed by the band, because almost everyone in the band is also a singer or got acting skills. I really like the expressiveness of singer Lovisa Andersson.

If I wasn't mistaken, the band has made a new arrangement of School days, with a even fuller sound than before. Got to love that song. They played tight versions of One O'Clock Jump and Down For Double.



They did a skit commenting on the tv reality show "Bonde söker fru" (Farmer seeks wife) with new lyrics to Minnie The Moocher. In another number they sang about what women really like about men: their mustash. They had a guest apprearance by the fantastic, stupendous, fabulus and magnificent flute player Mr Bailar, who also seemed to attract the women.



Talking about women, the dancers in the dance troup were great. They got the moves and they are good looking. I lost track of how many costume changes they did. They are hot!

Phontrattarne is right now on tour somewhere in Europe, I don't know where. In fact, when their bus left Uppsala only the tour managers knew where they were going. It will be a surprise for the band members as well. If you happen to see them somewhere on their tour, please let me know.

The photos are taken by me and may not be published elsewhere without my permission. Contact me if you want to license them.

What do you think of Phontrattarne? Please comment.

Phontrattarne at Parksnäckan tonight

Uppsala's absolutely best student orchestra, Phontrattarne, will play their Grand Show concert at Parksnäckan in Uppsala tonight at 19.30.

Expect really good big band music and lots of humour and skits.

Be there!

Tickets are 90 kr.

What do you think of Phontrattarne? Please comment.

Lost & Found: Sing before breakfast

Here is a little something from the lost and found box: For a while the video clip of Buddy & Vilma Ebsen dancing with Eleanor Powell in the number Sing before breakfast was lost but now I found another and better video clip of the scene.

There are other video clips that has disappered as well, if you have some time why don't you help me to track down the missing video clips?

Erroll Garner: For once in my life

Erroll Garner is a jazz musician that I haven't listened to a lot, but after seeing this incredible performance of the song "For once in my life" by Erroll Garner from 1972 I really must seek out more music by him.

He certainly got a piano playing style like no one else I've heard. It's like a summer rain falling down on a tin roof, where each rain drop makes a distinct sound, and then, suddenly, *BAM!*, lightning strikes.

Do you have any tips what Erroll Garner recordings I should check out? Perferably uptempo stuff like this.

What do you think of this video clip with Erroll Garner playing "For once in my life"? Please comment.

The Houserent Serenaders - I wish I were twins

The Houserent Serenaders is a band from Montreal in Canada that plays hot jazz in a 1920's style. In this video clip The Houserent Serenaders play the song I wish I were twins, a song written by Frank Loesser and Joseph Meyer.

Frank Loesser also wrote songs like "Baby It's Cold Outside", "I Hear Music" and "On a Slow Boat to China".

What do you think of the video clip with the Houserent Serenaders? Please comment.

Celebrate what is right with the world!

Today I'm going to celebrate my birthday with my family. I'll be back with more swingin' stuff tomorrow, but in the mean time why don't you check out this inspirational short film called "Celebrate what is right with the world!" starring Dewitt Jones, a photojournalist for the National Geographic, who shares his philosophy about the world.

I found this video via David Ziser's blog Digital ProTalk.

I hope I get something from my wishlist.

What do you think of the video clip? Please comment.

Dancin' The Boogie - Silvan Zingg, Will & Maéva

I always enjoy a good boogie woogie song and here is one: "Dancin' The Boogie", written and performed by Silvan Zingg from Switzerland. The couple who dances boogie woogie is William Mauvais and Maéva Truntzer.

I love the footwork that the boogie woogie dancers do, it looks so darn cool. Maybe one day I learn how to dance boogie woogie as well. My local dance society, Swingkatten, offer boogie woogie courses, so you never know...

Silvan Zingg organizes a large Boogie Woogie Festival each year.

Learn more about boogie woogie as a music style.

What do you think of of the video clip? Please comment.

Opus One: Tommy Dorsey

I will continue to list the classic swing songs. Here is one undisputed classic: Opus One with Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra. This particular version is from the short film "Universal Name Band Musical 7301: Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra" from 1951.

Opus #1 was written by Sy Oliver and became a hit with Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra in 1944.

I love the trading of phrases that goes on between trumpeter Charlie Shavers and the pianist (who is he, can anyone help me?)

What do you think of Opus No. 1? Got any suggestions of other classic swing songs? Please comment.

Midsummer Nights Swing in New York

If I were living in New York I would attend and dance at all the concerts at Midsummer Nights Swing.

Take a look at this TV clip to see whats going on at Midsummer Nights Swing.

They have a lot of good swing bands there like Alan Gresik Swing Shift Orchestra from Chicago which is featured in the video clip above.

Other swing orchestras and bands at Midsummer Nights Swing:

The Dreamland Orchestra
Harlem Renaissance Orchestra
Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers

Since I'm not in New York I'll dance at Lindy At The Quayside tonight.

What do you think of these bands? Have you heard them? Please comment.

Birthday coming up

My birthday is in middle of next week, it would be fun to receive some birthday cards. If you like the blog, send a card to "Henrik Eriksson, Svartbäcksgatan 80A, 75335 Uppsala, SWEDEN".

If you feel like it, I wouldn't mind getting some good swing music from your local band or a mix cd. I have a some other stuff on my wishlist as well.

Cyd Charisse - Frankie and Johnny

Recently the great dancer Cyd Charisse passed away. Cyd Charisse was one of the stars in the era of movie musicals in the 1940's and 1950's. Read her obituary in NY Times.

Here is a video clip from the film Meet Me In Las Vegas from 1956 where Cyd Charisse dances to the song Frankie and Johnny sung by Sammy Davis Jr.

I love the precision and quality in the dancers movements. What a great choreography. It's credited to Hermes Pan according to the Internet Movie Database (but the poster on Youtube says Eugene Loring).

Last summer I posted a clip where Cyd Charisse dances in the film Party Girl.

What do you think of the dance scene with Cyd Charisse? Please comment.

Shimmy Like My Sister Kate: The Ditty Bops

"(I wish I could) Shimmy Like My Sister Kate" is a song that was written as early as 1915 by the violin player Armand J. Piron. Above is a video clip with a collage of people dancing to "Shimmy Like My Sister Kate". The music is done by the group The Ditty Bops.

This shows that music has an enormous power, it can make you do all sorts of wacky dance moves. I call the phenomenon: "The music made me do it".

What do you think of the Ditty Bops version? What is your favorite version of Shimmy Like My Sister Kate? Please comment.

Claes Jansson and Nina Rydberg + Teamwork Big Band: Photos

Here are a couple of photos from yesterdays concert at Parksnäckan. A solid performance by the vocalists Claes Jansson and Nina Rydberg and the Teamwork Big Band.



What do you think of the concert with Claes Jansson and Nina Rydberg + Teamwork Big Band? Please comment.

The photos are taken by me and may not be published elsewhere without my permission. Contact me if you want to license them.

Teamwork Big Band in Parksnäckan tonight

Tonight the Teamwork Big Band featuring Claes Janson and Nina Rydberg will play at Parksnäckan.

The concert will celebrate the life of Povel Ramel, a Swedish entertainer and comedian who sometimes used jazz songs.

The concert starts at 19:30 and costs 90 kr (70 if you got a UNT-card).

I took the photo above of saxophone player Madeleine Tråvén at a Grand Swing Party night last December when Swingkatten arranged a dance night. Since there will other vocalists tonight I don't think that the singer in December, the very good Susanne Ottebring, will be there. Therefor I'll post a photo of her below.


What do you think of Teamwork Big Band? Please comment.

The photos are taken by me and may not be published elsewhere without my permission. Contact me if you want to license them.

Parksnäckan: Summer jazz in Uppsala

There are plenty of jazz concerts this summer in Parksnäckan, the outdoor stage in the City Garden of Uppsala.

The jazz concerts are arranged by jazz promotor Björn Sjödin. The concerts will start at 19:30 and cost 90 kr (70 if you got a UNT-card).

Here is the list of summer concerts:

July 3: Teamwork Big Band featuring Claes Janson and Nina Rydberg.
The concert will celebrate the life of Povel Ramel, a Swedish entertainer and comedian who sometimes used jazz songs.

July 24: Svenska Showorkestern Phontrattarne
Here is another chance to see their Grand show that they produce each year. Phontrattarne is a really good swinging orchestra combined with lots of humour.

July 31: Lars Erstrand Four
Lars Erstrand Four is a swinging quartet consisting of Lars Erstrand (vibraphone), Bertil Fernqvist (guitar), Arne Wilhelmsson (bass) and Björn Sjödin (drums).

Aug 12: STARDUST by Peter Lind and the Cabaret Band
A musical cabaret with stories and anecdotes about Harlem, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Hoagy Carmichael and the other great stars of the swing era.

Aug 19: Solskensorkestern
A big band that doesn't play jazz but other old time music from the 1930-1940s, a musical style that in Sweden is called schlager.

Aug 21: Good Morning Blues
The oldest blues band in town (41 years!), Good Morning Blues, does their traditional summer performance in Parksnäckan. The band consists of Claes Janson, Bosse Broberg, John Högman, Anders Johansson, Jan Wärngren, Thomas Lindroth and Björn Sjödin.

What do you think of these summer jazz concerts in Uppsala? Which ones would you like to attend? Please comment.

The photos are taken by me and may not be published elsewhere without my permission. Contact me if you want to license them.

Hey Mr Jesse: July edition

The July episode of the podcast Hey Mister Jesse is just released. Hey Mr Jesse is a great monthly podcast where Jesse Miner and Manu Smith talks about swingin' music that matters to dancers.

I haven't listened to it yet but you can see what is in the show by looking at the show notes for Hey Mister Jesse June 2008. I'll post more comments about the podcast later on when I've listened to it. Enjoy!

Download July 2008 episode of Hey Mister Jesse. (~50 MB, mp3)

My monthly tips to the show hosts:

Hi Mr Jesse. Hi Manu!

Wow. The June podcast was stuffed with great swing music. :)

Here are some swinging tunes for July:

It's hard to pick songs that are new to you but I try to find good albums that I haven't seen been mentioned elsewhere and that deserve to be presented to the swing music community.

First out is the yet another female vocal group called "Sister Swing" from Sacramento, CA. They have produced several albums and I can recommend "Riff Raff and Ruffles", "Going Nowhere Fast" and "New Shoes and Old Bags".

You can listen to sound clips on their website http://www.sisterswing.com/ I like their version of Tuxedo Junction.

Second tip: It's time for some jump blues again. I'd like to recommend "Jimmy Sapienza's Five Guys Named Moe" and their album "Jitterbuggin'".

They are a jazzy jump blues band from Pittsburgh, PA. Three of the band members are blind. No sheet music here. As you can guess from their name, they have a lot of Louis Jordan songs on the album: Caldonia, I Want A Roof Over My Head and Choo-Choo Ch' Boogie. On the album there are also songs written by Jimmy Sapienza himself.

If I have to pick a song from the album, I probably choose "Short Brunettes". (Who wouldn't?! ;-))

Bonus tips: I'm a sucker for good vocal stuff. I always smile when I hear Bunny Briggs' scat version of "Rockin' in Rhythm" from the album "Scat Singing - The Art of Vocal Jazz".
Bunny Briggs is also a dancer and was inducted into The Tap Dance Hall of Fame in 2006 by the American Tap Dance Foundation.

The song is recorded in New York, November 30, 1947 by Charlie Barnet and his Orchestra : James Campbell, Joe Graves, Jimmy Nottingham, Doc Severinsen, Clark Terry (tp) Walt Benson, Porky Cohen, Fred Zito (tb) Charlie Barnet (as,sop,ts) Walter Weidler, Wolfgang Weidler (as) Kurt Bloom, Bud Shank (ts) Bob Dawes (bar) Claude Williamson (p) unknown (g) Don Totsi (b) Dick Shanahan (d) Bunny Briggs (vcl) Billy May (arr).

Some more record details: 3198-2D1 Rockin' in rhythm (bb vcl,bm arr) Apollo 1106, Clef MGC165, Verve MGV2007, 2317060, Ajaz 217

Read what I've written before about Hey Mr Jesse.

Remember, if you like you can become a fan of the Swing, jazz and blues blog on Facebook.

What do you think of the July edition of the Hey Mr Jesse podcast? Please comment.