Swing, jazz and blues - Dance to the music

Swing Cats Jamboree - Louis Prima

2011-09-01T17:51:00.002+02:00

Check out this great short film, Swing Cats Jamboree, where Louie Prima and his band performs 3-4 songs. There are also some dance in the video clip, for example a tap version of shim sham.

Do you perhaps know who the dancers and/or muscians are? Tell me.

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

The happiest dj on earth

2011-08-26T00:41:00.004+02:00

I found this fantastic video clip of a dj grooving to the music he is playing. I also get a little bit animated when I dj, maybe not as much as him but still. When you find music that moves you, you can sit still. This is true for all kinds of dance music.

This is a perfect example of what I call: The music made me do it.

What do you think of the video clip with the happiest dj on earth? Please comment.

Black Coffee: Careless Lovers

2011-06-15T13:47:00.004+02:00

Do you ever wonder why swing music makes you want to dance? Could it be that infectious rhythm or could it be some else? Something completely different that makes you jitter and do strange moves. Like coffee? Black Coffee? Oh yes.

Check out this wonderful video with the band The Careless Lovers, a band made up of swing dancing musicians from the coffee loving city of Seattle.

The video is the vinner of The 2011 Swing/Jazz Dance Music Video Contest.

I'm particulary happy to spot two Uppsala dancers in the video: Emelie Decavita and Rebecka Decavita, who are currently staying in Seattle.

Another great version of Black Coffee is by the band Six Swingers.

What do you think of the video Black Coffee with the Careless Lovers? Please comment.

"Gentlemen in Squalor" by Top Shelf Jazz

2011-06-08T09:05:00.001+02:00

The band Top Shelf Jazz has released a video of their song "Gentlemen in Squalor". The video has a great vintage feel and some swing dancers in it. Check it out.

"Gentlemen in Squalor" Top Shelf Jazz Directed by Alex Sufit from Lexitricity on Vimeo.

What do you think of the video with Top Shelf Jazz? Please comment.

Radio show: Peppermint Candy with Broken Hearts

2011-05-12T19:43:00.000+02:00

A new radio show called Peppermint Candy has appeared on JazzFM. It's presented by the dj duo Broken Hearts.

They describe their show as :

Peppermint Candy is a contemporary take on the swing genre, guiding listeners through the story of swing from the classic (think Ella, Billie and Duke), to contemporary outfits such as Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and The Correspondents. Accompanying all this will be the latest news from gigs, festivals and events across the country, interspersed with unusual swing lingo and the day-to-day trends that swing has influenced from games, dance, food and fashion.

In the first show they talk about L.A. Noire, a new computer game about a police detective in Los Angeles in 1947 which has music from that era.

They discuss Fletcher Hendersons impact on swing music.You'll hear Minnie the Moocher by Cab Calloway, Bloodshot Eyes by Wynonie Harris. At the Swing Cats Ball by Louis Jordan.

Broken Hearts give a update of upcoming U.K. events.

Hopefully the show will appear on the web for listening.

What do you think of the radio show Peppermint Candy with Broken Hearts ? Please comment.

Anton Cervin's swing playlists on Spotify

2011-01-07T12:38:00.001+01:00

Spotify is such a wonderful service for listening to music as well as discovering and sharing music. I recently published many swing playlists for Spotify.
There are many more people out there who have great playlists. Anton Cervin wrote to me and told me about his Spotify playlists with classic swing music.

His playlists are listed by bandleader and ordered chronologically. He also has a playlist for beginner-friendly swing music.

Take a look at Anton's Spotify playlists with swing music
What do you think of Anton Cervin's playlists on Spotify? Please comment.

Lasse Törnqvist All Stars

2011-01-02T12:25:00.002+01:00

The autumn season of Uppsala Jazz Club ended on Dec 5th when Lasse Törnqvist All Stars visited Pub 19 in Uppsala. They played a lot of good mainstream jazz.

The group consists of Lasse Törnqvist (cornet), Erik Persson (stand-in for Klas Lindquist), (alt.sax); Dicken Hedrenius (trombone), Erik Söderlind (guitar), Patrik Boman (bass), Jesper Kviberg (drums).

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

What do you think of Lasse Törnqvist All Stars? Please comment.

Spotify playlists for swing, jazz and blues

2010-12-09T12:33:00.002+01:00

I think music knowledge is important when you dance. After all it is the music that inspires us to dance in a certain way.

You dance differently to a classic swing song than you would do to a rhythm 'n' blues song or a hot jazz song. You probably end up dancing lindy hop, boogie woogie and charleston respectively.

To help my local swing dance scene, Swingkatten, I've put up a number of playlists on Spotify. There are two kinds of playlist, some have focus on type of music, others have their focus on what dance you'd like to to.

My intention is to make dancers more aware of the music and hopefully also inspire more people to become swing dj.

The playlists are collaborative which means that anyone can add songs to them. I encourage you to add your favorite songs to the playlists.

Spotify playlists

Focus on types of music:

Swing
Blues, jump blues, rhythm 'n' blues
Hot jazz, new orleans, dixieland
Jazz (all kinds, doesn't have to be danceable)

Music for different kinds of dances

What do you think of the Spotify playlists for swing, jazz and blues? Please comment.

The Savoy King: Chick Webb & the Music That Changed America

2010-10-15T14:54:00.003+02:00

It seems like there is going to be a movie made about Chick Webb, Ella Fitzgerald and the Savoy Ballroom called The Savoy King: Chick Webb and the Music That Changed America. Check out the video clips.

The documentary features interviews with Frankie Manning and Norma Miller.

(via Charlie)
What do you think of the movie? Please comment.

Deedles Blues with Diane Schuur and the P R Heineken Big Band

2010-09-10T11:27:00.002+02:00

Diane Schuur does a great version of Deedles Blues together with the P R Heineken Big Band .

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

Guest dj on Yehoodi Radio: Henrik Eriksson

2010-09-09T10:10:00.037+02:00

I have big news: This month I'm going to to be the guest dj on Yehoodi Radio. Each Thursday all through September I'll be presenting some of my favorite swing songs.

"In my set I'll provide a smorgasbord of swing, jazz and blues, a tasting menu, just featuring one song per artist so that you get maximum exposure to different artists and styles"

Listen to the show!

Here is the complete set list:

Bennie's Bugle / 4beat6
Why Don´t You Do Right / Mark Shane & Terry Blaine / With The I Swing!
Watch Out / Duke Heitger &His Swing Band / Rhythm Is Our Business

Red Hot Flo From Ko-Ko-Mo / Janet Klein And Her Parlor Boys / Put A Flavor To Love
Bei Mir Bist Schon / The Charleston-Globetrotter's / The Charleston-Globetrotter's - Charleston, Charleston
Let's Misbehave / Banu Gibson & New Orleans Hot Jazz / Jazz Baby

Katten / Cornelis Vreeswijk / Cornelis & tre damer på Bacchi Wapen
Hattmans Hatt / Peter Carlsson och Blå Grodorna / En dryg timme
The Man From Harlem / Kustbandet / The Man From Harlem

Jazz O' Jazz /Adrian & His Tap Room Gang / Very Best of Big Band Swingin' Jive
At the Fat Man's / Tommy Dorsey / Yes, Indeed
A Mellow Bit of Rhythm / Andy Kirk / Andy Kirk & The 12 Clouds of Joy

Down South Camp Meetin' / Fletcher Henderson / 1932-1934
Love Me Or Leave Me / Benny Goodman / Live Swing Sessions 1943 - 1949 (Disc 1)
Rockin' in Rhythm (1947) / Bunny Briggs / Scat Singing - The Art of Vocal Jazz (1927-1949)

Oh I'm Evil / Una Mae Carlisle / Chronological Una Mae Carlisle (1938-1941)
Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball? / Buddy Johnson & His Orchestra With Ella Johnson / Say Ella
Just Jivin' Around / Sam Price / 52nd Street Swing- New York In The '30s

Vine Street Rumble / Count Basie / Palais De Chaillot 29 Mars 1960
Captain Bill / Gene Harris / Best of Gene Harris
Beyond the Sea / Claude Bolling / Paris Swing

Jumpin' Jive / Joe Jackson / Jumpin' Jive
Mniam mniam mniam / Shakin' Dudi Orchestra / Swing revival
My Frisör / The Swingvergnügen / Road Rage

Exactly Like You / Carmen McRae / After Glow
My Blue Heaven / Helen Humes / Swingin' with Humes
Mack The Knife / Ella Fitzgerald / Ken Burns Jazz: Ella Fitzgerald

Gotta Good Reason For Being Bad / Bus Moten / Blues Connection Vol. 3 "After Midnite"
I Like Pie, I Like Cake / The Four Clefs / The Jive is Jumpin: RCA & Bluebird Vocal Groups 1939-52
It Comes In Like A Lion / Julia Lee / Blues Connection Vol. 3 "After Midnite"

Twist City / Lambert, Hendricks & Ross /The Hottest New Group In Jazz (Disc 2)
Errand Girl For Rhythm / Pippa Wilson / Errand Girl For Swing
Billie's Bounce / Betty Roché / Singin' and Swingin'

Bugle Call Rag / Glen Gray & The Casa Loma Orchestra / Swinging Sounds of Great Bands
720 In The Books / Jan Savitt / Swing session (Leif "Smoke Rings" Anderson)
Swing Out / Humphrey Lyttelton / The Best Of Humphrey Lyttelton (Disc 1)

Gettin' That Low Down Swing / Modern Mountaineers / Western Swing & Country Jazz
Thinking / Jimmie Revard & his Oklahoma Playboys / Western Swing & Country Jazz
Diga Diga Doo / Hot Club of Cowtown / Continental Stomp

Big John Special / Harry James / Swing session (Leif "Smoke Rings" Anderson)
Let Me Off Uptown / Anita O'Day/Gene Krupa / Let Me Off Uptown: The Best of Anita O'Day
Shorty Gotta Go / Lucky Millinder & His Orchestra / Very Best of Big Band Swingin' Jive

Keep A-Knockin' / Louis Jordan / 1934-1940
The Music Goes 'Round And Around' / Wingy Manone & His Orchestra / Very Best of Big Band Swingin' Jive
Stomp, Stomp / The Cats & the Fiddle / Hep Cats Swing: Complete Recordings, Vol. 2 (1941-1946)

Swinging Straight / Bent Persson / Swinging Straight
SWINGING THE BLUES / John Evans and the big band / Cool Percussions
Buns Blues / Oscar Peterson / Satch & Josh

Everybody Loves My Baby / The Temperence Seven / The Best Of The Temperence Seven
Black Beauty / Bratislava Hot Serenaders / Take It Easy
CHARLESTON / Enoch Light and the Light Brigade / Great Gatsby Era

They raided the joint / Duke Robillard / A Swingin' Session With Duke Robillard
One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer / Jimmy Witherspoon / Baby, Baby, Baby
Take the Wrinkles Out of Your Birthday Suit / Jeannie Cheatham/Jimmy Cheatham / The Concord Jazz Heritage Series

One O'Clock Jump / Count Basie / Count Basie at Newport

That's How Rhythm Was Born / Sister Swing / Riff Raff And Ruffles
Kick It! / Lannie Garrett and her Swingin' Big Band / Kick It!
It Dont Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing / Girls From Mars / Planet Swing

Trucking / Ondrej Havelka / Vzpomínky na hvìzdný prach
Them There Eyes / Hot Jazz Band /15. Jubileum
Short Brunettes / Jimmy Sapienza's Five Guys Named Moe / Jitterbuggin'

If You Don't Why Don't Ya! / Charles Brown / 1947-1948
On the sunny side of the street (1937) / Lionel Hampton / A treasure of Immortal Performances
All Of Me / Sidney Bechet / The Fabulous Sidney Bechet

Onion / Lily Wilde and Her Jumpin' Jubilee Orchestra / Insect Ball
Tuxedo Junction / The Solomon Douglas Swingtet / Ain't No School Like the Old School
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter / Cab Calloway and Scatman Crothers / Kings of the Cotton Club

Deedle´s Blues / Attraktionsorkestern / Roligare Med Stil
Down For Double / Phontrattarne / Pojkar Och Flickor Gör Det

I Can't Dance / Top Shelf Jazz / Fast & Louche

What do you think of my guest dj spot on Yehoodi Radio? Please comment.

Jazz Discography Project

2010-07-12T10:59:00.002+02:00

The Jazz Discography Project lists jazz discographies from mainly the late 1940s to the 1970s. Its main focus is modern jazz (bebop, cool/west coast, hard bop) but if you search through the listings for the jazz labels like Verve and Pablo etc you'll find swing recordings from artists like Count Basie and Ella Fitzgerald.

I think this discography can be useful to find info about swing recordings between 1950 and 1970. Browse through the list of record labels and tell me if you find some gems.

What do you think of The Jazz Discography Project? Please comment.

Dj Björn at Cats Corner

2010-05-19T16:39:00.001+02:00

There are just a couple of weeks left of indoor dancing at Cats' Corner. Yesterday DJ Björn made his dj debut at Cats Corner. Great music all evening and lots of nice people to dance with. I even squeezed in a little bit of foxtrot and blues between all the lindy and balboa.

I've been busy at Cats' Corner this season and have been djing four five times. Now it's nice to have a little break.

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

What do you think of last nights' Cats' Corner? Please comment.

Natalie Migdal - Live at Grand

2010-05-15T08:07:00.001+02:00

What does it look like when Swingkatten has one of its swing dance nights at Grand? Here is a peek from the season finale the 8th of May when the Natalie Migdal Kvintett visited us.

The video is taken by our trusted sound guy, Olle Svensson, who also mixed the sound for the video.

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

Mr Kelly - Sarah Dawn Finer & Putte Wickman

2010-05-13T19:21:00.002+02:00

A friend of mine, Miss L, recently performed the song, Mr Kelly, so I looked for other versions of it online and found this one sung by Sarah Dawn Finer and you can also spot Putte Wickman playing clarinet.

This fits perfectly into my mood as I prepare for a blues dance workshop in Stockholm this weekend. I don't know if I would dance blues to this song but I like the blue feeling it has.

One thing that surprised me was that Mr Kelly was written by a local musician here in Uppsala: Owe Thörnqvist. He is mostly known for other kinds of musical styles, so this was a nice surpice.

What do you think of Mr Kelly sung by Sarah Dawn Finer? Please comment.

Good Queen Bess - Duke Ellington

2010-03-13T11:18:00.001+01:00

Good Queen Bess - Duke Ellington

Listen at Spotify.

What do you think of Good Queen Bess with Duke Ellington? Please comment.

Onion - Lily Wilde and Her Jumpin' Jubilee Orchestra

2010-03-05T09:37:00.001+01:00

Onion - Lily Wilde and Her Jumpin' Jubilee Orchestra

Listen at Spotify

What do you think of Onion with Lily Wilde and Her Jumpin' Jubilee Orchestra ? Please comment.

Big John Special - Fletcher Henderson

2010-03-03T11:44:00.002+01:00

Big John Special - Fletcher Henderson

Listen at Spotify

What do you think of Big John Special with Fletcher Henderson? Please comment.

Martha Tilton - "A Little Jive Is Good For You"

2010-02-28T13:06:00.003+01:00

Martha Tilton sings in this soundie from 1941 called "A Little Jive Is Good For You". The soundie is set in the waiting room outside a doctors office with the hilarious Slate Brothers as patients. The music is by Ben Pollack and His Orchestra.

What do you think of Martha Tilton singing "A Little Jive Is Good For You" ? Please comment.

Soul Shoutin' - Shirley Scott

2010-02-27T13:32:00.002+01:00

Soul Shoutin' - Shirley Scott

Listen at Spotify.

What do you think of Soul Shoutin' with Shirley Scott? Please comment.

Snatch And Grab It - Julia Lee

2010-02-26T11:01:00.005+01:00

Snatch And Grab It - Julia Lee

Listen at Spotify

What do you think of Snatch And Grab It with Julia Lee? Please comment.

Yeah Man - Nat Gonella

2010-02-25T13:32:00.019+01:00

Yeah Man - Nat Gonella

Listen at Spotify.

All daily swing songs.

What do you think of Yeah Man with Nat Gonella? Please comment.

My Blue Heaven - Jimmie Lunceford

2010-02-24T12:21:00.010+01:00

My Blue Heaven - Jimmie Lunceford

Listen at Spotify.

What do you think of My Blue Heaven with Jimmie Lunceford? Please comment.

Kay Kyser: A Zoot Suit

2010-02-23T12:17:00.003+01:00

Hi fellow swing music lovers!

I'll be trying a new type of posts here on the blog. I haven't had the time to write so much lately so I thought I'd do a "today's swing song" with a link to a tip without writing much else.

First out is Kay Kyser And His Orchestra with A Zoot Suit.
Listen at Spotify.

What do you think of Kay Kyser: A Zoot Suit? Please comment.

Cats' Corner: Season Premiere

2010-01-19T14:10:00.002+01:00

Tonight the regular weekly dancing at Cats' Corner starts again. "At last!" I think many people exclaims because the pause over Christmas and New Year is the longest pause during the whole year.

Tonight the swing dj is Simon Ternsjö. I'll be djing next week.

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

What do you think of Cats' Corner? Please comment.

Snowball Dance Camp - Stockholm

2010-01-03T19:36:00.006+01:00

Just before New Years Eve I went to dance at the Snowball Dance Camp in Stocholm. The camp is about one week but I was just there for one night, so I had to choose carefully which night to visit.

I choose this night because of the bands that were playing: Jennie Löbel And the Swing Kings and the Gordon Webster sextet. I've danced to Jennie and her band ever since I started dancing. I first saw Gordon Webster this summer at Herräng Dance Camp. I remember him in a 3AM jam in the pub when the set had stopped but the audience kept on clapping, wanting more. Gordon went back to the piano and improvised a song using the clapping audience as a huge rhythm section.

That's why I wanted to see them.

The ballroom was huge and there were people everywhere, in fact I don't think I ever have seen so many swing dancers at one time. I heard somewhere that the ballroom allows for 600-700 people to be there at one time. Lots and lots of people to dance with. It's fun to be part of such a crowd, but it also makes it difficult if you want to find a certain person you want to dance with.

If you follow the Swedish custom to dance two songs with a person you can dance 10 dances in one hour which meant 80 dances through the night if you danced non stop.

If the middle of the night there were a performance by The Harlem Hot Shots. Great stuff as always. I liked their 1920's number best.

The bands traded sets and they played 3 sets each. How about that!

In the end of the night the fatigue and the fact that my shoes are pretty new and not really worn in yet made my dance less good than it normally is (I hope).

Overall, a very nice night. Afterwards, I reflected on how easy it is to take events like this for granted and how much work it must have taken put it together. I know, because I've arranged half a dozen camps myself and more dance nights than I can remember.

If you meet the organizers be sure to thank them.

The next big event will be here in Uppsala in the and of January: The Uppsala Winter Camp. See you there.

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

What do you think of Snowball? Please comment.

Anita O'Day: Ain't Misbehavin'

2009-12-11T12:53:00.001+01:00

What do you think of Anita O'Day singing Ain't Misbehavin'? Please comment.

Happy Jazz - Gunhild Carling & Danish Jazz All Stars

2009-11-12T13:48:00.007+01:00

Speaking of jazz that makes you happy: Tomorrow night, Friday Nov 13th there will be a concert at Uppsala Konsert & Kongress called Happy jazz with Gunhild Carling Big Band together with the band Danish Jazz All Stars.

"Plays the happy music of Papa Bue, Louis Armstrong, Eddie Condon, Wild Bill Davison "

More information about the concert.

What do you think of Gunhild Carling? Please comment.

Missisippi Seven at Uppsala Jazz Club

2009-11-12T13:18:00.008+01:00

Last Sunday the trad jazz band Missisippi Seven had a concert at Pub 19 in Uppsala. The concert was arranged by Uppsala Jazz Club.

From a listeners point of view: This is music that really makes you happy. Good musicians. Nuff said.

Well, almost. What also makes you smile is that talk inbetween the songs by drummer Bertil Ekman. He seems to have a infinite supply of entertaining useless facts.

From a dancers point of view: Missisippi Seven plays trad jazz in a moderate tempo that you could easily do lindy to. The tempo is a little slow for balboa but they could probably throw in a couple of faster tunes if you asked them.

They played two of my favorite songs: "Diga Diga Doo" (also the name of the their new album where my photos is on the album cover) and "Blues My Sweetie Naugthy Gives To Me".

Here's my own useless but entertaining fact: mostly you hear "Blues My Sweetie Naugthy Gives To Me" played instrumently by for instance Sidney Bechet but there is actually lyrics to the song which list all the kinds of blues that you can get.

One of the kinds of blues is "The blues you get from women, when you see them going swimming, and you doesn't have a bathing suit yourself".

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

What do you think of Missisippi Seven? Please comment.

RAGGMOPP - The Treniers

2009-11-09T10:47:00.003+01:00

It's time for some rhythm & blues. Here is one of the classic rhythm & blues songs: RAGGMOPP performed by The Treniers.

What do you think of The Treniers singing RAGGMOPP? Please comment.

Peggy Lee: I Can't Give You Anything But Love

2009-11-06T12:23:00.004+01:00

I love artists that have a good time when they perform. Here is Peggy Lee singing "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" together with Dean Martin and Jack Jones.

They seem to have a great chemistry together. You can't but smile when you see them.

What do you think of Peggy Lee and Dean Martin? Please comment.

Join us on Facebook

2009-11-02T11:54:00.004+01:00

Over the last week or so many people have found their way to the Swing, jazz and blues Facebook page and have become fans of the blog.

It's great to see a little more about who is reading the blog. On Facebook I usually make short announcements and post some videos for you to check out.

Become a fan of the Swing, jazz and blues blog on Facebook!

What do you think of the Facebook page? Please comment.

Rose Murphy - Busy Line

2009-10-31T11:26:00.003+01:00

Rose Murphy had a very special voice and she had a habit of inserting her catch phrase "chi-chi" into songs, that's why she got known as the as the "chi-chi girl".

In this video clip she sings the song "Busy line". If you want to hear her actually singing her trademark phrase "chi-chi" you should check out her version of "I can't give you anything but love".

What do you think of Rose Murphy singing Busy Line? Please comment.

On Revival Day - Terra Hazelton

2009-10-28T20:46:00.005+01:00

I always liked the gospel inspired song "On Revival Day", the most played version of the song on swing dance floors is by La Vern Baker.

However, I found a great version of "On revival day" in a video clip done by the Canadian singer Terra Hazelton. I like the way she does the "blues shouting".

Listen to more of Terra Hazelton on her MySpace page.

What do you think of Terra Hazelton? Please comment.

Hey Mr Jesse October 2009

2009-10-17T09:54:00.007+02:00

The October show of the podcast Hey Mister Jesse has been released.

Hey Mr Jesse is a great monthly podcast where the swing djs Jesse Miner and Manu 'Spuds' Smith talk about swingin' music that matters to dancers.

Download the October 2009 episode of Hey Mister Jesse. (~50 MB, mp3)

Read the October show notes to see what's in the podcast.

Here is my contribution to the show:

Hi Jesse! Hi Manu!

Here is some swingin' tips for October.

In the ongoing series "1001 ways to find swing music", here is item number 154: "Inspiring video clips from competitions"

In the big dance competions the best performers seek out music that inspire them to create new steps and showcase their musicality. Often those tunes work very well for the social dance floor as well.

Here is two recent examples from International Lindy Hop Championship, ILHC 2009:

1) Skye Humphries & Frida Segerdahl dancing to "Jump Through the Window" with Roy Eldridge.

Frida & Skye really use their musicality to showcase all the accents in the music.

2) Evita Arce and Nathan Bugh dancing to "That's how rhythm was born" by the Boswell Sisters.

This clip instantly gets you in a good mood. How can you avoid being smitten by Evita's bubbly jazz age charm? Impossible!

Last thing: A tip for swing dj's

I know by experience that sometimes it can be hard to ask new people to dance. If you're an experienced dancer you might be busy dancing with the people you already know or if you're a newcomer it's difficult to get the courage to ask the "really good dancers".

If I'm djing a 3 hour set I usally get on the microphone after 2 hours and say "Those of you who would like to, please dance the next song with someone you haven't dance with before". Those who don't want to do it, they simple does whatever they like.

If everybody on the dancefloor does this, well, then 100 people have gotten a new dance acquaintance.

What do you think of Hey Mr Jesse October 2009 podcast? Please comment.

Nagasaki - Alice Mei & Thomas Blacharz

2009-10-01T17:26:00.007+02:00

Alice Mei & Thomas Blacharz have great musicality when they dance to the song Nagasaki at the International Lindy Hop Championships 2009.

I don't know for sure which artist performs the song, but it sounds like Wingy Manone to me. Do you know?

Update: justafish provided me with the correct artist: Putney Dandridge.

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

Beyonce vs Duke Ellington

2009-09-29T16:32:00.006+02:00

What do you get when you mix Duke Ellington with Beyonce Knowles and all the single ladies? You get this. Brilliant mashup.

(Via Peter Loggins and Miss S)

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

Linda Hopkins & BB King - Every Day I Have the Blues

2009-09-11T14:37:00.005+02:00

"Every Day I Have the Blues" is a classic blues song. This version with a duet between Linda Hopkins and BB King must be one of the best versions I heard. Ever. So much energy!

What do you think of Linda Hopkins and BB King singing "Every Day I Have the Blues"? Please comment.

Outdoor dancing season is over

2009-09-11T10:57:00.004+02:00

The outdoor dancing season is over in Uppsala, on Tuesday we had the last dance by the river with some barbeque. You could notice that the autumn is here because it got dark much earlier.

We always get an audience who look at us dancing when the big boats passes by on the river.

A big thank you goes to the persons who made it happen: Simon, Mirjam, Emil, Lilian and Johan (and possibly others that I forgot, in that case please let me know).

They have made it possible to dance lindy hop and balboa during the summer. I think it's fantastic that right after our weekly dance Cats Corner ended for the spring season, the outdoors dancing started so that we now have social dancing every week all year around.

The outdoor dancing got the attention of the local newspaper and they published a full page interview with Anna. Anna is a enthusiastic dancer who does a lot of work for dance scene in Uppsala. Her efforts really makes a difference. Thank you Anna!

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

What do you think of the outdoor dancing by the river? Please comment.

Betty Hutton - "Murder, He Says"

2009-08-08T11:08:00.002+02:00

Jive talk was the slang language of the 1930's and 1940's. Here is video clip with some of the expressions from the swing era.

Betty Hutton sings the song "Murder, He Says" in which she is rather annoyed with the way her lover speaks when they get into an intimate situation.

According to the YouTube poster this clip is from "November 1943 for the Armed Forces Radio Service show "Command Performance" (episode 92)". I suspect that this video clip appeared in the movie Strictly G.I.

Films like Strictly G.I. were made to boost the morale for the American troupes in World War II.

What do you think of Betty Hutton belting out "Murder, He Says"? Please comment.

Movits! - Fel del av gården

2009-08-06T11:48:00.013+02:00

Lately I've been listening a lot to the Swedish hip hop /jazz group Movits!. I discovered them a couple of months ago but now they have become really popular.

Right now, Movits! album Äppelknyckarjazz is the most popular album on the Amazon.com Top MP3 Albums in Rap & Hip-Hop, before artists like Eminem, Jay-Z and Mos Def, how about that!

Movits! combines rap/hip hop with gypsy jazz and balkan rhythms. In the video clip with the song "Fel del av gården" (The Wrong Part of the Yard) you can also see dancing by the Swedish swing dance troupe The Harlem Hot Shots.

Movits! got a lot of attention when they were interviewed on the tv program The Colbert Report last week where they performed the song "Fel del av gården". In the interview they say that they were inspired to add a swing touch to their music when they heard the swing song "Sing, Sing Sing".

Do you like the music but don't know what the heck Movits! are rapping about? Here is the lyrics for Movits! song "Fel del av gården".

From a swing music point of view I like that one of the songs on the album, "Stick iväg Jack, del II" tells story about what happend after "Hit The Road, Jack".

Regarding the the name of Movits! album, Äppelknyckarjazz; "Äppelknyckare" refers to a certain kind of pants that were popular in the 1930's and 1940's. I would translate "Äppelknyckare" as "apple nickers".

The name comes from the fact that the legs of the trousers ended just below the knee and the legs could be tightened, so if you were a young rascal nicking apples from the neighbour's garden you could put all the apples inside the pants and you could run away with ease if you were discovered. Here is a photo of äppelknyckare.

In Sweden 'äppelknyckare' is very much associated with the swing era.

What do you think of Movits! and the music video for "Fel sida av gården"? Please comment.

Jazz in the Botanical Garden: Ulf Johansson Werre

2009-08-02T14:15:00.006+02:00

Tomorrow night, Monday Aug 3rd, there will be a jazz concert at the Botanical garden in Uppsala, at Orangeriet, with a jazz trio led by Ulf Johansson Werre (trombone and piano). Together with him are Erik Ojala (bass) and Robin Englund (guitar). They will play both Swedish as well as international love songs.

Two years ago Ulf Johansson Werre did a large scale concert in the Botanical garden called Botan Brass. & Fireworks with the Uppsala University Jazz Orchestra in which Robin Englund plays the guitar. Erik Ojala plays in several jazz bands in Uppsala.

The jazz concert is a part of Konstsommar i Uppsala. The concert starts at 19 and the ticket costs 120 kr (100 kr with UNT-card).

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

What do you think of the musicians in the band? Please comment.

Jerry Lewis - Leap Frog

2009-08-01T16:29:00.004+02:00

I found this video clip with Jerry Lewis from the movie The Nutty Professor via a comment made by leazwell. Jerry Lewis has made perfect examples of the phenomenon that I call "the music made me do it". Look at him in the films Errand boy or Cinderfella.

In this video clip he cant help himself, he just has to dance to the song Leap Frog performed by Les Brown and His Band of Renown.

The nutty professor explains:

"I got carried away by the music, it was a toe tapper"

What songs do you consider a "toe tapper"? Please tell me.

I've featured a very different version of Leap Frog before in my blog post "Jazz as a conversation" but it was also a example of "the music made me do it".

What do you think of Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor? Please comment.

Validation - Smile!

2009-07-31T20:14:00.005+02:00

Lately I've had some great comments about some blog posts, it's so good to hear your views on what I write about. Please keep the comments coming! I'll soon be posting some videos that you readers have sent tips about.

I think it's important to give validation to people, to let them know what they are good at and let them know how much you appreiciate them. That is what the video clip from the short film "Validation" above is about.

You can't but smile when you have seen it. A great film. Love it.

Oh yeah, I just want to remind you that there is a Facebook group for the Swing, jazz and blues blog, join it so I know who you are. You are great!

What do you think of the short film Validation? Please comment.

Doris Day - Dig It (I Ain't Hep To That Step)

2009-07-17T23:42:00.005+02:00

I saw a documentary about Doris Day and thought I'd post a song from her singing career, here a tune she sang with Les Brown and His Orchestra: (I Ain't Hep to That Step But I'll) Dig It.

What do you think of Doris Day singing Dit It? Please comment.

Nina Simone - Feeling good

2009-07-15T15:17:00.003+02:00

"Feeling Good" sung by Nina Simone is a typical summer song for me. Don't ask me why, it just is.

Do you have any song that you associate with summer or another season?

What do you think of Nina Simone singing Feeling good? Please comment.

Hey Mr Jesse - July 2009

2009-07-14T18:02:00.003+02:00

The July show of the podcast Hey Mister Jesse has just been released.

Hey Mr Jesse is a great monthly podcast where the swing djs Jesse Miner and Manu 'Spuds' Smith talk about swingin' music that matters to dancers.

Download the July 2009 episode of Hey Mister Jesse. (~50 MB, mp3)

I'm sorry that I haven't commented on the last couple of months when Hey Mr Jesse have been released, so if you use my blog to stay updated when the podcasts arrive you might have missed a few. In that case, just look at the Hey Mr Jesse archive and catch up.

This month I had a few tips on songs from some new album releases, first out was Ik Hou Van Je (I Love You) by Candye Kane from the album Superhero (available on AmazonMp3, iTunes Plus and eMusic),

Second tip was the song "Let's Misbehave" by Top Shelf Jazz from the album Fast & Louche.

My bonus tip for July was "Christopher Columbus" by Humphrey Lyttelton from the album Bad Penny Blues 1955-1956 (available on AmazonMp3, iTunes Plus and eMusic)

What do you think of Hey Mr Jesse podcast July 2009? Please comment.

The Real Group - It Don't Mean A Thing

2009-07-09T12:44:00.008+02:00

It Don't Mean A Thing is almost the definition of a classic swing song. Here is a acapella version by the Swedish vocal group The Real Group from a concert at Stockholm Concert Hall in 2005.

I really like how the bass lines are sung and I'm also very fond of the way they layer their voices (starts at ~ 2:00 into the video clip).

What do you think of The Real Group singing It Don't Mean A Thing? Please comment.

Louis Jordan - Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby

2009-07-07T13:48:00.005+02:00

According to Wikipedia, the musician Louis Jordan was born on July 8th in 1908. One of his most known songs that he performed was Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby.

Above you see him play and sing it in the movie Follow the Boys from 1944.

"Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby" have been sung by many artists. Do you have a favorite version?

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

Easy virtue - Let's misbehave

2009-07-05T20:01:00.008+02:00

While looking for versions of Cole Porter's song "Let's Misbehave" I stumbled across the film Easy Virtue that was released last year. "Let's misbehave" is the tagline of the movie and the song is also included in the film.

Easy Virtue is set in England in the early 1930's, where a young man marries an American which is not approved by his mother. The main characters are played by Jessica Biel, Ben Barnes, Kristin Scott Thomas and Colin Firth.

There is also a soundtrack from Easy Virtue available.

I think the film look charming and would like to see it. Has anyone got it?

Read more about:

Have you seen Easy Virtue? What do you think of it? Please comment.

Outdoors summer dancing in Uppsala

2009-07-03T10:04:00.009+02:00

Tuesdays are dancing days in Uppsala during the summer. If you go down to the park by the river, you'll find lindy hoppers and balboa dancers all over the place from 18 o'clock and until we run out of batteries for the boombox or run out of dancers, whichever happens first.

Many people bring food and drinks and have a picnic while they rest for a while. Many other (not yet dancing) people pass by on the walking paths beside and stay for a while and look. This is a perfect opportunity to introduce your friends to the dance.

Nobody has yet fallen into the river by accident but last Tuesday one guy jumped into river all by himself.

The event has expanded to Mondays when tap dancer try their rhythms on the quayside.

The event seems to be getting some attention since earlier this week the local radio station phoned me and wanted to get in contact with some dancers.

There are also other outside dances in Uppsala, if you dance tango, go to Smultron at Svartbäcksgatan on Tuesdays between 19 and 23 and if dance Swedish Bugg, go to the river between Skolgatan and Eddaspången on Thursdays after 18.

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

What do you think of the outside dancing by the river in Uppsala? Have you been there yet? Please comment.

Midnight Serenaders - Portland

2009-05-03T09:59:00.005+02:00

Midnight Serenaders is a band from Portland, Oregon that play 1920's and 1930's music.

There is a good segment from the show "Oregon Art Beat" from Oregon Public Broadcasting where they feature Midnight Serenaders playing and talking about their band.

[Found via Evrim Icoz]

What do you think of Midnight Serenaders? Please comment.

Frankie Manning has passed away

2009-04-27T15:21:00.007+02:00

The legendary Lindy hop dancer Frankie Manning passed away today, Monday morning, in New York, 94 years old.

I first encountered Frankie at my first visit to Herräng Dance Camp. What struck me was his good spirit and his infectious laugh. To me he embodied everything that lindy hop is all about: joy and happiness.

Frankie Manning contributed so much to this world. We will miss you!

Tell me your stories about Frankie Manning! Please comment.

Happy birthday in advance, Frankie Manning!

2009-04-23T09:40:00.006+02:00

Frankie Manning, the lindy hop legend, turns 95 in May, and he is going to have a gigantic birthday party in New York.

Peter Strom & Ramona Staffeld have created a choreography to honor Frankie at his birthday. People all over the world have participated in performing it and of course we have also done it in Uppsala. The video above is from Tuesday at Cats Corner at Smålands nation.

The song is Savoy by Lucky Millinder.

I think it looks really nice. What do you think? Please comment.

Happy Birthday Duke! - Concert and show April 29th

2009-04-22T13:16:00.007+02:00

Happy Birthday Duke! is a concert and show that you really should see. It's a concert that celebrates Duke Ellingtons 110th birthday. The concert features no less than three bands and orchestras: Uppsala University Jazz Orchestra, SweDukes and the Middlesex group.

But wait there's more. Way more. You will also see the swing dance troupe MessAround perform together with the bands. The will show off all kinds of swing dances: Lindy hop, balboa, shag, charleston and tap.

The concert takes place next Wednesday, April 29th, at Univeritetsaulan, at 19.30.
Tickets cost 130 kr (90 kr for students). If you got a UNT-card: 100 kr (70 kr for students). Buy tickets via UNT Biljett (018-478 10 70) or at Ticnet.

Invite all your friends to Happy Birthday Duke! on Facebook.

If you were at Cats Corner yesterday, you got a sneek peak of MessAround doing the charleston number Uppsala Stomp. The number was tight and had lots of energy.

Uppsala University Jazz Orchestra (UUJO) has got a new member: Claes Brodda on saxophone. The photo above is from Saturday when he played together with Jennie Löbel and the Swing Kings at Swingkattens dance at Grand. I look forward to hear more of him. (I'll post more about the Saturday night dance later).

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

Will you attend "Happy Birthday Duke!"? Please comment.

1920s Charleston at the Gatsby Picnic 08 - Lynne and Peter

2009-04-16T13:38:00.002+02:00

I really like this video clip from the Gatsby Picnic 2008 where Lynne Koehlinger and Peter Varshavsky perform a 1920's partner charleston routine to Jimmie Noone's Apex Orchestra song "Every Evening (I Miss You)".

The charleston dancing looks very airy and light and there is all sorts of charleston in the routine; partner charleston, solo charleston and breakaways (that later on developed into lindy hop swingouts). I'd like to get better at charleston, it's been a while since we had charleston workshop in town.

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

Jumpin' at the Woodside: Antti Sarpila

2009-04-01T19:46:00.004+02:00

Jumpin' at the Woodside is a classic swing song by Count Basie. It has a fast tempo and has often been used as music for lindy hop jam circles.

Above is a version from Bern Jazz Festival 1988 where Antti Sarpila and Christian Plattners duels with their saxophones. I've had the pleasure of listening to Antti Sarpila a couple of times. If he is in your town, go and hear him play.

What do you think of Jumpin' at the Woodside with Antti Sarpila? Please comment.

Trinity at Uppsala Jazz Club: Photos

2009-03-30T13:19:00.007+02:00

The jazz group Trinity played yesterday at Pub Nitton in Uppsala at a concert arranged by Uppsala Jazz Club.

The band consists of Ali Djeridi (drums), Andreas Hellkvist (Hammond) and Amanda Sedgwick (saxophone) who this time replaced Karl Olandersson (trumpet).

They played groovy jazz from the 1960's. It becomes especially groovy when Andreas Hellkvist attackes the key of his Hammond organ.

My favorite song of the concert was The Preacher by Horace Silver. Very groovy indeed.

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

What do you think of Trinity? Please comment.

Shim sham by Michael Jagger

2009-03-25T13:26:00.005+01:00

Shim sham is a jazz routine that originally was a tap routine. It's know by swing dancers all over the world.

In order to celebrate Frankie Manning's upcoming 95th birthday, Michael Jagger performs the shim sham in a most amusing way by using buns and fork to show the routine.

The song in the video clip is "T'ain't what you do" by Jimmie Lunceford and his orchestra.

Great stuff, does anyone know more about Michael Jagger and the film maker John Damn? Tell me.

(Found via Finn)

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

Lars Erstrand has passed away

2009-03-11T23:12:00.005+01:00

One of Uppsala's and Swedens best jazz musicians, vibraphone player Lars Erstrand, passed away today at the age of 72.

I liked his concerts with Swedish Swing Society and Lars Erstrand Four and I will always remember his warmth, his joy and his humour that he gave to us in the audience. Rest in peace.

Do you have any memories of Lars Erstrand that you would like to share? Please comment.

The Preacher (Jazzbacillen) - Horace Silver

2009-03-11T00:19:00.003+01:00

The song "The Preacher" is written by Horace Silver. In the video clip above The Preacher is played by Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers. The video clip also include the song Doodlin'. I don't listen to a lot a bop but this is my kind of bop (I've mentioned before that also like Silver's tune "Filthy McNasty").

In Sweden "The Preacher" is known as Jazzbacillen (The Jazz Bug). The song became a hit when it was sung by the artist Siw Malmqvist in 1959 with new Swedish lyrics written by Eva Nordström (which I think is a pseudonym).

Below is the Swedish lyrics.

Jazzbacillen

Mitt huvud surrar av toner, säg vad kan ha hänt
och kroppen dunkar av rytmer som jag aldrig känt.
Det svänger runt och det gungar så jag blir konfys.
Omkring mig allting blir upp och ner,
vad är allt detta för nys.

Jag gick till doktorn och skildrar vad som hänt så här:
Jag är en stillsam person som ej ens har varit kär.
Men jag är nu som en köttbit på en glödhet grill.
Jag visslar jämt, slår takten på allt
och jag kan inte va' still.

Jag sa jag kanske fått hispan eller kanske fnatt
men farbror doktorn tog prover och sen sa han att:
Det här är bara en envis ganska snäll bacill,
jag skriver ut ett litet recept,
så håller den sig nog still.

Jag gick till pillerkontoret, visade min lapp,
men apotekarn han log och gav min kind en klapp:
Tyvärr så säljer vi inte alls nånting sånt här.
Gå bort till nästa hus och försök
där finns en skivaffär.

Med möda läste jag det som doktorn skrivit ner
att jag fått jazzen i blodet och behövde mer.
Det var så enkelt men doktorn hade träffat rätt.
Då blev jag arg för de' han fått
för nåt som var så lätt.

Den medicin skivaffären gav mig var perfekt.
Jag fick min jazzhunger stillad och min swingtörst släckt.
I stället åkte jag på en ny och praktfull nit,
jag intogs av en ny bacill
blev kär i en expedit.

Mitt huvud surrar av toner, som mig himlen sänt
och kroppen dunkar av rytmer som jag aldrig känt.
Jag blir så frisk av baciller om de är så här,
den bästa sjukan är nog ändå
det där att plötsligt bli kär.

What do you think of The Preacher? Please comment.

Stay All Night (Stay A Little Longer): Bob Wills

2009-03-09T22:30:00.006+01:00

Stay All Night (Stay A Little Longer) by Bob Wills & Tommy Duncan is a great song especially when paired with old photos of people dancing.

I don't know much about Bob Wills, but apparently he was a big name playing western swing in the 1930's-1940's.

I like the lyrics which could describe any dance where you just don't want to leave until it's really really over.

"Stay all night, stay a little longer
Dance all night, dance a little longer
Pull off your coat, throw it in the corner
I don't see why I don't stay a little longer"

Some of the other lyrics seem to be nonsense, but it could well be the case that I don't have the cultural context (USA in the 1930's-1940s) to get the references. If the lyrics do have a meaning, please leave a comment and explain.

What do you think of Stay All Night (Stay A Little Longer) by Bob Wills & Tommy Duncan? Please comment.

Jassdancer - Blog by Peter Loggins

2009-03-09T13:05:00.004+01:00

The swing dance historian and dance instructor Peter Loggins has just launched a new blog called The Jassdancer. Peter has a collected a lot of knowledge and information about swing dances and the swing era, so it will be very interesting to follow what he writes.

One of his first posts discusses the question: What is a jitterbug?

What do you think of The Jassdancer? Please comment.

Hey Mr Jesse: March 2009

2009-03-08T21:57:00.006+01:00

The March show of the podcast Hey Mister Jesse has just been released.

Hey Mr Jesse is a great monthly podcast where the swing djs Jesse Miner and Manu 'Spuds' Smith talk about swingin' music that matters to dancers.

Download the March 2009 episode of Hey Mister Jesse. (~50 MB, mp3)

Here is my tip to Jesse and Manu:

"What a surprise with the jingle you made. Thanks :)

Ok, down to business, music tip for March:

Last time you featured a live recording by Benny Goodman, I want to recommend 2 cd set called "Live Swing Sessions 1943 - 1949" with more live sessions with Goodman.

I especially like his version of "Love me or leave me".

I also like "Rattle and roll", The songs starts a little weak but then starts pumping."

They also talked a little about my post about the Folkets Hus Five. You can see the video with the Folkets Hus Five playing "All of me" they talk about above. It was during this song I took the picture of Todd Yannacone. The video is shot by Johannes Schmidt.

Take a look at what else is in the show: read the show notes for Hey Mister Jesse March 2009.

What do you think of Hey Mr Jesse podcast March 2009? Please comment.

Cats' Corner at Gotlands nation

2009-03-04T15:09:00.007+01:00

I hope I didn't scare you with the photo above. Sometimes when I'm out taking photos unexpected things like these pop up in front of my lens. Booo! ;)

Yesterday I visited our (almost) weekly dance Cats' Corner. This season we don't have just one but several locations for the dance. This time it was held at Gotlands nation. It was there very first time we had the dance there, so there was some things to figure out how they worked.

Another debut for the night: Agnes Hjelm debuted as a swing dj and I think she played very well. She played both old classics as well as some neo swing.

One especially nice thing about Gotlands nation as a swing venue is that there are some space where people really can sit down and talk while they are not dancing. Oftentimes it's just "dance, dance, dance!" and you never get a chance to chat with people.

One other thing you could do when you're not dancing is to read the old magazines that we have bought. All the magazines are from the 1940s-1950s and it's fun to read what they thought was important to write about then. It's also entertaining to read the advertisements.

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

What do you think of Cats Corner at Gotlands nation? Please comment.

Bo Kaspers Orkester: Hon är så söt

2009-03-03T00:40:00.009+01:00

Some late night music: "Hon är så söt" (She is so sweet) by Bo Kaspers Orkester.

This song reminds me of Jan Johansson's album, "Jazz på svenska", it has that certain melancholy that I find very Swedish.

What do you think of the song? Please comment.

The Temperance Seven - Everybody Loves My Baby

2009-02-24T17:51:00.004+01:00

Here is a video clip with the song Everybody Loves My Baby performed by The Temperance Seven, a seven-piece band from Britain playing popular music and jazz from the 1920s and 30s.

I really like the cinematography of the video clip.

Also check out another version of Everybody Loves My Baby by Red Nichols that I've posted before.

What do you think of The Temperance Seven? Please comment.