Quebe Sisters Band: "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie"

Western swing isn't a style that I feature very often on the blog but here is a nice version of "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie" by The Quebe Sisters Band. The sisters; Grace, Sophia and Hulda; plays fiddle and sings in harmony.

"It's a Sin to Tell a Lie" was written in 1936 by Billy Mayhew and the most played versions of the song are probably by Fats Waller. I can't find much information about Billy Mayhew, can anyone help me?

Listen to Fats Waller's version.

What do you think of The Quebe Sisters Band? Please comment.

I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby: Lino Patruno

I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby is a jazz standard that was written by Fats Waller in 1931. Lino Patruno from Italy and his band interprets "I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby" in this video clip.

I think my favorite song by Fats Waller is Honeysuckle Rose. What is your favorite Fats Waller song?

What do you think of this version of I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby? Please comment.

Hey Mr Jesse: August podcast

The August episode of the podcast Hey Mister Jesse is just released. Hey Mr Jesse is a great monthly podcast where Jesse Miner and Manu Smith (a.k.a. Spuds) talk about swingin' music that matters to dancers.

I'm listening to the podcast as I write this. You can see what is in the show by looking at the show notes for Hey Mister Jesse August 2008. If I find time I'll post more comments about the podcast later on when I've finished listening to it.

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

I'm sending swing music tips each month to the show, but since they have picked up more listeners, they also get more feedback that they want to feature. This means that not every tip I send make it into the podcast because they have to edit the show to squeeze in most of the information. That should tell you that is a jam packed show with lots of swinging music. But I'm totally cool with that.

So, if you like my suggestions on the Hey Mr Jesse podcast, be sure to check out the blog as well, because there might be more...

Here is my tips for the August podcast:

Hi Mr Jesse! Hi Spuds!

First tip:

I'm picking up the thread from July where I mentioned Jimmy Sapienza's Five Guys Named Moe who played some Louis Jordan songs.

An artist who was also inspired by Louis Jordan was his contemporary: Calvin Boze. Calvin Boze's most famous song is Safronia B, which you might know by some of the lyrics: "I surrender! I surrender!"

I'd like to recommend a compilation album with Calvin Boze called "Havin' A Ball". It has some really good jump blues / rhythm & blues songs like Lizzy Lou, Fishtail and my favorite: "Beale Street On A Saturday Night".

The song is obviously inspired by Jordan's "Saturday Night Fish Fry" but it got another kind of vibe.

Second tip:

Continuing on the theme "similar but different" I want to mention the pianist and singer Charles Brown. He played in a small group that sounded similar to the Nat King Cole trio.

On the compilation album "Charles Brown 1947-1948" he does a version of "Moneys Getting Cheaper". I like one of his songs that is called "If You Dont Why Dont Ya!".

Bonus tip:

Now that I have been givin credit to two fairly unknown artists, I came to think of another unknown band called Comfy Chair from Berkeley, California.

Confy Chair do a song called "Givin' Credit" where they honor Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington and the other jazz greats. I dont really know how to classify their music style, progressive rock maybe(?), I think they themself call it "slamswing".

Along with this song from their debut CD in 1997, 'Party on the Titanic', is a song about Thomas "Fats" Waller, which is simply called: "Fats". I also really like the song "Renaissance In Harlem".

Here is a video clip with Comfy Chair:



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

Fats Waller sings Ain't misbehavin' with Myra Johnson

Ain't misbehavin' is a classic jazz standard by Fats Waller that he wrote in 1929 and Andy Razaf wrote the lyrics. Take a look at this soundie from 1941 where Fats Waller sings Ain't misbehavin' together with Myra Johnson.



Fats Waller had a distinctive voice and a certain performing style with his running commentary all through the song. He was a great entertainer.

Do you know anything more about Myra Johnson?

What do you think of Fats Waller singing Ain't misbehavin'? 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.

Peter Lind and the Cabaret Band at Uppsala Winter Swing

Peter Lind and the Cabaret Band played at Uppsala Winter Swing, the jazz festival that took place here in Uppsala in January. The Cabaret Band plays swing and jazz mostly from the 1930's.


The band consists of Peter Lind (trumpet), Mats Josephson (trombone), John Högman, (saxophone och clarinet), Claes-Göran Skoglund (piano), Kjell Grundström (bass and tuba) and Björn Sjödin (drums).

Peter Lind is a wonderful entertainer who tells very good anecdotes about the swing era. They played two sets at the jazz festival and I enjoyed both of them.

They even did a small dance number of the song "(Everybody's) Truckin'". The jazz dance move Truckin' almost made it to Sweden. The footwork was lost but the shaking (waving?) of the finger can be seen in movies like "Swing it, magistern" featuring jazz singer Alice Babs.

Peter Lind and his Cabaret Band has an upcoming show called Stardust. Stardust is about jazz in Harlem. They talk about the stars that performed there, about how and why the melodies were written. They feature musicians like Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Bix Beiderbecke and Eddie Condon.

The show will be at Eklundshof in Uppsala, Sun March 25th. I don't know what the ticket situation is like. If you like to see Stardust, you better mail Björn Sjödin and inquire.


The photos are taken by me and may not be published elsewhere without written permission.

Have you seen Peter Lind and the Cabaret Band? What do you think of them? Tell me.