Let me off uptown - Gene Krupa, Anita O'day, Roy Eldridge

Let me off uptown is one of those classic swing songs, maybe it's not considered a jazz standard, but when it comes to swing dancing, you're bound to hear it every now and then.

The most known version of Let me off uptown is the one above with Gene Krupa, Anita O'day, Roy Eldridge. This was also the very first swing music tip I gave on this blog.

In the middle of the video clip there is a dance sequence, does anyone know who the dancers are?

Maybe you are as silly as Miss D and I: whenever we hear the song on the dance floor, we act out the banter between Anita and Roy.

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

Drum Boogie with Gene Krupa from Ball of Fire

Here is a great video with Gene Krupa playing Drum Boogie from the film Ball of Fire.

Ball of Fire was made in 1941 and features Gary Cooper as Prof. Bertram Potts who is researching slang words for an article in an encyclopedia. He meets the singer Sugarpuss O'Shea played by Barbara Stanwyck who teaches him about slang words while she is hiding from mobsters.

What do you think of this video clip with Barbara Stanwyck and Gene Krupa performing Drum Boogie? Tell me.

Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall 70 years ago

Today it's the 70th anniversary of Benny Goodman's concert at Carnegie Hall, a concert that really helped swing to become mainstream music. The climax of the concert was the performance of the song Sing, Sing, Sing.

Here is a video clip of Sing, sing, sing with Benny Goodman's orchestra from the movie Hollywood Hotel from 1937.

You'll notice Gene Krupa on drums and Harry James on trumpet.



This version is very short compared to the Carnegie hall version which is 12 minutes long.

What do you think of the video clip with Benny Goodman playing Sing, Sing, Sing? 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.

Anita O´day: Let me off uptown

Cd review

Swing music tip of the day: Anita O´day: Let me off uptown

This is a great swing cd with the best of singer Anita O'day. All of the songs are with Gene Krupa and his orchestra.

Here are classics as 'Opus one', 'Boogie blues' and 'Massachusetts' and of course one of my favorites 'Let me off uptown' where Anita sings a duet with trumpeter Roy Eldridge.