By SB (205.187.255.250) on Sunday, August 03, 2003 - 11:18 am:

Talking about a popular and great music style - what about "Swing?"

I read an article last year where it spoke on how Swing Music was making a great comeback and that there are many youth into the sound now. It seems as if some of these youngsters have started clubs and host dances - where only this music is being played.

What are some of your favorite swing numbers and/or singers/musicians?

Of course my faves were the Duke - Benny and Glenn. And I loved the "Indigo", Swing.

By Ralph (209.240.198.62) on Sunday, August 03, 2003 - 11:36 am:

Speaking of Swing..at the Monterey State Fairgrounds ( site of the famed Monterey Pop Festival ) there is a big Swing thing going on with many Swing groups playing.

By MEL&THEN SOME (81.174.192.72) on Sunday, August 03, 2003 - 11:58 am:

"It dont mean a thing
if it aint got that Swing"

I Love those old big bands.
mel.

By Sue (205.188.209.109) on Sunday, August 03, 2003 - 12:03 pm:

Swing makes a comeback every few years -- why not? Good stuff should stick around.

When I was at Creem Magazine, Lester Bangs used to say that Benny Goodman's "Sing, Sing, Sing" was the first rock 'n' roll song. I kind of like that description. The energy is so raw ...that'd have to be my favorite swing tune.

I was lucky enough to see Benny play it later in his life; my dad took me to a concert he did at Meadow Brook.

By Eli (152.163.252.68) on Sunday, August 03, 2003 - 12:20 pm:

I particulary like:
Take the A train..
In the mood
Chatanogga Choo choo
It dont mean a thing if.......

By SB (205.187.255.250) on Sunday, August 03, 2003 - 12:25 pm:

Eli - you named all my faves, for sure. I especially like the "A-Train." Saw a special a couple of weeks ago on PBS about Duke, and about how he stopped writing and performing for awhile upon his mother's death.

Wow - "This Joint Is Jumpin':, (forum) today isn't it. LOL!

By SisDetroit (68.42.209.170) on Sunday, August 03, 2003 - 12:40 pm:

(((((DUKE ELLINGTON))))) GREAT COMPOSER and pianist.

By STUBASS (206.135.204.254) on Sunday, August 03, 2003 - 12:46 pm:

A GREAT FILM ABOUT THE SWING ERA WAS CALLED "SWING KIDS"...AND WAS ABOUT GERMAN KIDS DURING THE PRE WAR ERA...AND THEIR LOVE OF AMERICAN SWING MUSIC...AND THEN HOW MANY OF THESE KIDS BECAME HITLER YOUTH...AND FRIENDSHIPS WERE SHATTERED...AND HOW THEY HAD TO SMUGGLE BENNY GOODMAN RECORDS...AND THE GESTAPO WOULD RAID THEIR CLUBS WHERE THEY LISTENED TO THIS TYPE OF MUSIC!!!...I'LL ALWAYS REMEMBER THE FINAL LINE IN THE MOVIE...A YOUNG KID IN GERMAN UNIFORM...AS HIS JEWISH FRIEND IS TAKEN AWAY BY THE SS...RAISING HIS RIGHT ARM IN NAZI STYLE...AND HIS WORDS..."SWING HEIL"!!!...STUBASS

By 65mememories (66.72.186.77) on Sunday, August 03, 2003 - 12:55 pm:

For the past 7 years, Mumford High School in Detroit has had a Ballroom Dance class for students, where hundreds of students each year learn various swing and line dances. They are so good that they perform at different community functions each year. At an honors affair held for various schools this year, other students from other schools were amazed when Mumford brought their own music and monopolized the dance floor with swing.

By Jim G (205.188.209.109) on Sunday, August 03, 2003 - 01:00 pm:

Ellington's mother, Daisy, died at Providence Hostpital in Detroit.

By MEL&THEN SOME (81.174.192.56) on Sunday, August 03, 2003 - 01:07 pm:

SB
Heres a few for ya

Charlie Barnet and his Orchestra
Flat top flips his lid,
Just A-Sittin'an a rockin'
Count Basie&Orchestra
swinging the blues,
Panassie Stomp.
Al Cooper and his Savoy Sultans
Jump Steady
Rhythm Doctor Man.
Lional Hampton & Orchestra
Hamps boogie woogie
Hey Ba-Ba-Re-Bop.
Andy Kirk and his Twelve Clouds of Joy
walkin'& swingin'
Little Joe from Chicago.
Jimmy Lunceford
Organ grinders swing
For dancers only
Jay McShann and his Orchestra
Hooties Blues
Swingmatism.
Lucky Millinder and his Orchestra
Shout sister shout
Apollo Jump
Chick Webb
Strictly Jive
Rock it for me
plus Cab Calloway etc,etc.
swingin'Mel.

By SB (205.187.255.250) on Sunday, August 03, 2003 - 01:16 pm:

Wow Mel. Cab was bad too - wasn't he?

What was the name of that tune in the Malcolm X movie - when he and Shorty & Co. were swinging and doing the "Lindy Hop?" Was it the Lindy Hop? Them cats playing that music were bad, and of course - the tune was fantastic.

By Jim G (205.188.209.109) on Sunday, August 03, 2003 - 01:21 pm:

"Flying Home" by Lionel Hampton was the number.

By MEL&THEN SOME9 (81.174.192.56) on Sunday, August 03, 2003 - 01:23 pm:

SB
Cab Calloway for me
was the buisness.
'Minnie the Moocher'
top sound.
mel.

By SB (205.187.255.250) on Sunday, August 03, 2003 - 01:24 pm:

Thanks Jim. Lionel was bad too. Too much!


Malcolm tickled me when writing, that he used to shine their shoes when he first started working in that particular ballroom.

By SB (205.187.255.250) on Sunday, August 03, 2003 - 01:29 pm:

Just found this site.

http://www.sarahwilliams.com/swing/default.htm

I'll holla back. Gots to duck out for a time.

By musicchef (68.104.25.189) on Monday, August 04, 2003 - 02:10 am:

I'm starting to get more into swing with the "PoPsie" project (PoPsie was the road manager with the Goodman Orch during the late 30's/early 40's). Of course I have to post a piccie here to add to the conversation...

Lionel Hampton (note the novel use of "air conditioning" in the fellah in the background)



Da Chef

By Funkyone D J Dollar BILL (216.221.81.96) on Monday, August 04, 2003 - 02:46 am:

Jump up on the woodside

By Jim G (12.47.224.13) on Monday, August 04, 2003 - 08:24 am:

Chef, from what I've read about Popsie, he was Benny's gopher at that time, certainly not his road manager. He idolized BG, who later set Popsie up with a photography business. Is this not correct?

By douglasm (68.113.13.31) on Monday, August 04, 2003 - 10:11 am:

Can someone recommend for me a current big band who'se CD I should look for, and what are the major surviving bands? Thad Jones/Mel Lewis? Don Ellis have a band currently? Does Buddy Rich's band live on in some form? Who is leading (or is there even) a Glenn Miller Orchestra at this time.......

By SteveS (209.219.207.3) on Monday, August 04, 2003 - 10:50 am:

Douglas,

If I remember correctly, Don Ellis died quite young, many years ago. There are Miller, Dorsey and other "ghost bands" around, mostly with really young players recruited from colleges. I read an article a while back about how these bands play a circuit of retirement communities in Florida, Arizona and California.

By Galactus (207.144.253.114) on Monday, August 04, 2003 - 10:50 am:

Not sure about current stuff.

But I highly recommend the following CDs which I've really enjoyed:

Early Ellington (3 CD set on Decca)
The Blanton Webster Band (Ellington from the 40s.....3 disc set on Bluebird)
Coleman Hawkins: Body and Soul (2 disc set on Bluebird)
Count Basie-the Decca recordings (3 disc set on Decca)
Benny Goodman-Birth of Swing (Decca 3 CD set)
Louis Armstrong Hot Fives and Sevens (NOT the Columbia stuff......get these on the British JSP label)
Louis Armstrong: The Big Band recordings (JSP)

This stuff will take you back in time. You can almost see the old Ford cars, the top hats, the smoky cotton clubs, people begging on the street during the depression........great stuff.

By douglasm (68.113.13.31) on Monday, August 04, 2003 - 10:56 am:

Thank you, SteveS.
I was wondering specifically about the Miller band. Miller's estate kept a fairly tight leash on it, which caused Buddy DeFranco some problems back in the late '60's, and I knew it had disbanded in the late '70's under Peanut Hurko's (sp) leadership when it couldn't get gigs beyond the Troc in Denver.
Any Detroit rehersal bands left? My uncle played in a number of them in the '60's.

By Steve Litos (209.100.86.4) on Monday, August 04, 2003 - 11:16 am:

Here in Chicago, Swing & Big Band music was back "IN" from about 1995 to 1998. It actually coincided with the release & the popularity of the movie "SWINGERS". There were several clubs in which held "Swing Night" at least one night of the week if not more. During that time period, you could go swing dancing every night of the week and they would have free dancing lessons at the clubs. Some people really got into it with clothing & makeup.

The movie "SWINGERS" is a great snapshot of the mid-90's swing scene. It's also one of my favorite movies of all time.

Alas - It fell out of favor with the "IN" crowd & only "THE GREEN MILL" plays live big band music with any regularity. It's a great club that's been around since the 1920's. Too bad it has a very small dance floor!

Doug - Two of the most popular bands of the swing/jump revival were Chicago's "Mighty Blue Kings" & LA's "Big Bad Voodoo Daddy" (who were in the movie Swingers). They were less big band than most as they had about 8 or 9 members at most. Each have several CDs for sale.

Stubass - I saw "Swing Kids" & I remember "Swing Heil". I think the guy who plays the good Dr. Carter on ER (Noah Whiley) is the bad guy in the movie!

By Jim G (12.47.224.13) on Monday, August 04, 2003 - 11:21 am:

douglasm, the Ellington & Basie ghost bands are very active. I've heard both, and they actually sound good. Don't know about a ghost Miller band, I expect it would be very popular.
There will be a few big bands at this year's Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival.

There are at least four active big bands in Detroit: New Breed BeBop Society Orchestra (Teddy Harris), Ben's Friends (Ben Pruitt), Dezi McCullers Orchestra (remains of the Bob Hopkins band), Johnny Trudell Orchestra.
Baker's has a different big band each Thursday, goto bakerskeyboard.com for their schedule.

By Sue (64.12.97.7) on Monday, August 04, 2003 - 11:33 am:

Jim G,
Isn't the Ellington ghost band headed up by Mercer Ellington still?

I saw him lead the orchestra at one of Aretha's birthday parties somewhere in the 1993-4 time period.

By Jim G (12.47.224.13) on Monday, August 04, 2003 - 11:51 am:

Sadly, Mercer died in 1996, but yes he did lead the band after Duke died in 1974.
Mercer was a lot like his old man--suave, sophisticated, good musician & organizer (I think he was an engineer, too). He didn't have Duke's breadth as a composer but he wrote some cool numbers for the band.

Mercer's son Paul is the current bandleader. He's a pretty impressive bandleader for a guy in his early twenties.

By Sue (64.12.97.7) on Monday, August 04, 2003 - 12:07 pm:

Jim,
Thanks, then I did see Mercer shortly before his death. I'm glad I saw him when I did. He did remind me very much of what I saw of his father on film and TV ...

By STUBASS (206.135.204.254) on Monday, August 04, 2003 - 12:19 pm:

MY BROTHER ARRANGED A DIGITAL ALBUM FOR MERCER ELLINGTON...AND ANOTHER FOR DIANNE CARROLL BACK IN THE 70'S!!!...IT WAS QUITE A TREAT FOR BRUCE TO WORK WITH THE SON A SUCH A LEGEND!!!...STUBASS

By STUBASS (206.135.204.254) on Monday, August 04, 2003 - 12:22 pm:

DOUG!!!...SAXOPHONIST TEX BENEKE TOOK OVER THE GLENN MILLER BAND UPON MILLERS DISAPPEARANCE IN THAT PLANE INCIDENT DURING WORLD WAR 11!!!...I DON'T KNOW WHO IS CURRENTLY LEADING THAT BAND...ALTHOUGH I'M SURE THAT THE GLENN MILLER NAME ALONE WOULD CREATE A STRONG FOLLOWING!!!...STU

By Jim G (12.47.224.13) on Monday, August 04, 2003 - 12:28 pm:

Miller 'disappeared' when a bomb from a British bomber accidentally hit his plane.
Miller was in a small plane either coming from or going to France (from England). Both planes were over the English Channel, and the bomber dropped its remaining payload before returning to base. Unfortunately, Miller's plane was in the bomb path.

By douglasm (68.113.13.31) on Monday, August 04, 2003 - 12:33 pm:

Stu...
....took a peak at their website. Trombone player Larry O'Brian is the current musical director of the band, which is operated by Glenn Miller Enterprises, which I assume is the estate's company. There's a pretty good history of the band there that shows the band officially reforming in 1956.

doug

By Jim G (12.47.224.13) on Tuesday, August 05, 2003 - 06:58 am:

Stu, I'm curious--exactly what did your brother arrange for Mercer?

By musicchef (68.104.25.189) on Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 03:20 am:

Jim,

I got the info from an article from Nov, 1975 in the Phoenix Gazette. Here's an excerpt from the article. Matter of fact, it was during his role as manager he changed his last name to "Randolph" in Chicago after one too many hotel clerks mangled his real last name of Sezenias. I'm glad that you at least remember who ol' PoPsie was... It's amazing that a guy of his talent has been forgotten by so many...

Da Chef

By musicchef (68.104.25.189) on Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 03:26 am:

Although the info is NOT correct... Goodman played himself in the movie. I just bought the sheet music from the Oscar nominated song from the movie in 1944.

Da Chef

Here's a shot of PoPsie in uniform with the Goodman band

By STUBASS (64.12.97.7) on Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 08:24 am:

JIM!!!...AND I'M REALLY JOGGING MY MEMORY ON THIS ONE...BUT I REMEMBER BRUCE DID TWO PROJECTS ON DIGITAL WHITE VINYL!!!...ONE ALBUM WAS DIANNE CARROLL AND THE OTHER WAS THE MERCER ELLINGTON ORCHESTRA!!!...THIS TECHNOLOGY WAS PRETTY NEW AT THE TIME!!!...I'VE CONFUSED A COUPLE OF HIS PROJECTS RECENTLY...SO WHEN I TALK TO HIM...I'LL GET MORE DETAILS FOR YOU!!!...STU

By Bob Olhsson (12.93.84.123) on Thursday, August 07, 2003 - 12:55 am:

According to Cab Calloway, Chick Webb is who started it ALL!
He was possibly the most influential single musician of the 20th century.

By Wonder B (193.252.209.66) on Thursday, August 07, 2003 - 02:46 am:

I love Cab Calloway but I love Louis Jordan even more... From the videos I have he sure did put a lot of fun in his music... and his live appearances...

Wonder B

By Jim G (12.47.224.13) on Thursday, August 07, 2003 - 06:55 am:

Bob, I appreciate your Chick Webb fixation, but exactly what is it that Chick started?
That he was an influential drummer who led a superb band is beyond dispute. And he garnered national exposure for Louis Jordan and Ella Fitzgerald and had great soloists (Bobby Stark, Sandy Williams, "Tone" Williams, and of course Chick himself).
But I think it's a long stretch to say he is "possibly the most influential single musician of the 20th century."

By MEL&THEN SOME9 (217.14.178.49) on Thursday, August 07, 2003 - 10:50 am:

WonderB
Louis Jordan
say no more
SUPERB.
regards
mel.

By Bob Olhsson (12.93.85.109) on Thursday, August 07, 2003 - 11:36 pm:

Calloway credits him with bringing all of the elements of swing together. Louis Jordan played sax in the band and Ella sang in the band until Webb passed away after which it was called the Ella Fitzgerald orchestra.

Really the best way to understand is by listening to recordings and then checking out how amazingly early the dates are. Other people probably became more famous than Webb because Ella's stardom so overshadowed the rest of the band (a la the funks) but it's a safe bet that there would be no swing, R&B, western, modern jazz and rock & roll, (or Ella Fitzgerald for that matter) had it not been for the extraordinary musical contributions of Chick Webb.

By Jim G (12.47.224.13) on Friday, August 08, 2003 - 12:26 pm:

Bob, I've listened to many recordings but I don't know which ones you are thinking of.
'Bringing all of the elements of swing together' can be heard in recordings made before Chick made records (e.g., "Stampede", "The Boy In The Boat", to name only two).
Henderson, Page, Carter (who arranged music on some of Chick's first recordings, Ellington, Redman, Challis...these are the guys who designed big band jazz, overcame the problems inherent in getting twelve or fourteen musicians to swing as one.
Sure, Louis Jordan played in Chick's band, but Louis played in bands before Chick's. It's cool that Louis was on the band but he sang ballads. His early Tympany 5 recs. are quite different.
He probably did get his Decca contract through Chick's manager and we know that Louis and Ella recorded together a few times. And those are great records.

And I still maintain that crediting Chick Webb with somehow creating, or laying, the foundation upon which subsequent American musical developments are based is a BIG STRETCH.
But I accept your opinion and I'm glad Chick has such an ardent fan.

By stephanie (64.63.221.248) on Friday, August 08, 2003 - 12:33 pm:

I like the Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy!!! That drumbeat is so infectious and of course Take the A Train!!

Daddy Angel I saw Swing Kids and I thought the movie was a little preposterous but it was really good to see all those kids dancing like that and willing to go to concentration camps for the sake of swing!!! I wish that movie had done better it was quite interesting,
Stephanie

By STUBASS (64.12.97.7) on Friday, August 08, 2003 - 12:52 pm:

AGREE "ANGEL"!!!...BUT IT WAS AN INTERESTING "PERIOD PIECE"...AND TOOK AN INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE ON THE EFFECT OF NAZISM WITHIN THE GERMAN POPULACE!!!...STUBASS