Hey Mr Jesse October 2009

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.

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.

Hey Mr Jesse! It's April!

Hey dear readers! I hope you have caught the latest Hey Mr Jesse podcast, the April edition.

As usual I'm very eager to listen to it, but slow to announce it on the blog. But by now you regular readers should know that the podcast really is worth listening to as fast as possible.

Download Hey Mr Jesse April 2008 podcast (~50 mb, MP3)
Shownotes for Hey Mr Jesse April 2008 podcast.

The podcast features a great interview with singer Catherine Russell. Maureen Bonnefin tipped the dynamic duo about a band I've been thinking about blogging about for while: The Stolen Sweets. I enjoyed one of Jesse Miner's recent finds: a wild jam session version of "Honeysuckle Rose" with Roy Eldridge and Mel Tormé among others.

I wrote to Jesse and Manu with some comments about the March show:

Jesse, during the last show your instinct were completly right about "Kick it", it was first done by Anita O'day and Gene Krupa. I play that version all the time but now I alternate it with the Lannie Garrett version.

Great to hear some music by Banu Gibson on the show, I love her voice.

If you look at her discography on her website there is actually a great album missing. It's called "Jazz Baby" which was first released in 1983 and then rereleased on cd in 1995.

I guess Jazz Baby is kind of hard to find, but if you see it you should get it right away. The album has a great version of Heebie Jeebies (which was made popular by the Boswell Sisters) and also Lets Misbehave. I've loved Lets Misbehave ever since I saw Christopher Walken dancing to it in the movie Pennies from Heaven.

One last tip: If you want to check out some more swingin' trad jazz, take a look at "The Hot Jazz Band" from Hungary. I recommend the album "20. Jubileum" which has "Don't be that way", "Swing That Music" and two killer versions of "I've found a new baby".

What did you think about The Hey Mr Jesse April 2008 podcast? Tell me.

Ella Fitzgerald - I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm

Outside it's unusually warm for being February, could it be an effect of global warming or is it love in the air for the upcoming Valentines day, I don't know.

However, here is a video clip with Ella Fitzgerald singing "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" together with the Count Basie band and Roy Eldridge with a trumpet solo.



What do you think about the video clip with Ella Fitzgerald singing "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm? Tell me.

Cleveland Eaton + Count Basie + Kansas City 5

I'll continue the theme with superb jazz double bass playing: Today it's Cleveland Eaton on the double bass when he played with Count Basie & Kansas City 5. What a line up in that band: Roy Eldrige, Zoot Sims and Duffy Jackson.



Cleveland Eaton has a bass sound that I haven't heard anyone else have, it's a kind of thick and full sound, very groovy. Man, I love it!

I like this clip because it first displays the quality of each player and the bonus comes in the last minute of the clip when the musicians play at the same time, the amount of energy they pump into the song is unbelivable. You just got to dig it. I've said it before and I'll say it again: If you can sit still to this music you better see a doctor.

If you like this video clip (I can't image that you don't) you'll also like Cleveland Eaton playing along with Count Basie and Ella Fizgerald in One O'clock Jump.

What do you think of the video clip with Count Basie and the Kansas City Five? 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.

Sidney Bechet: Sweet Georgia Brown

Here is a smokin' hot version of Sweet Georgia Brown by Sidney Bechet from Cannes Jazz Festival 1958. The unusual thing about this video clip is that trumpet player Roy Eldridge plays the drums. Enjoy eight minutes of hot jazz!



This video clip introduced me to new (to me) musicians: Teddy Buckner (trumpet), Vic Dickenson (trombone), Sammy Price (piano) and Arvell Shaw (bass). I have to find out more about them.

What do you think of the video clip? 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.