Lindy Hop | Shuffle Projects

DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #93: Moonglow

Written by Christian on 12.12.2011 · Leave a Comment

I’m a big admirer of Benny Goodman’s small group recordings from 1935 to 1939. He recorded with different group sizes and what I like is the relaxness in the songs, there is so much joy of play hearable. The sound is full and often, you get the feeling, there were many more musicians involved than actually were. Most of the recordings were done as a quartet, with Gene Krupa on drums, Teddy Wilson on piano and Lionel Hampton on vibes. Please note, that two of the musicians (Wilson and Hampton) were black. It was quite uncommon at that time to [...]

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DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #92: Little Sir Echo

Written by Christian on 05.12.2011 · 1 Comment

DJ Chrisbe's Song of the Week: "Little Sir Echo" by Rex Stewart & Dickie Wells | Shuffle Projects

With “Rexatious” [SOTW #89] we have learned, that Rex Stewart was famous for his talkative style (among other styles). This week I would like to feature a song where this technique is more hearable. But before, I need to introduce another jazz musician who had perfected a similar sound but with a different instrument. William “Dickie” Wells (10.06.1907/09 – 12.11.1985) was a leading black American trombonist noted, especially in the swing era, for his melodic creativity and expressive techniques. [source: biography.com] Scott Yanow on allmusic.com describes Wells as follows: “One of the more adventurous trombonists of the swing era, the distinctive [...]

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Random Clips on Friday: Lindy Hop Stop-Motion Animation

Written by Christian on 02.12.2011 · Leave a Comment

I posted this yesterday on my Facebook Page – and many other Facebook users as well – and it’s so incredibly awesome that I have to continue the unoffical Friday series and post this short clip (only 28 seconds) again. Stop-Motion Animation inspired by Max Pitruzzella & Annie Trudeau Unfortunately, there is no information about the creator (Adam from Canada?). What is Stop-Motion? Stop motion (also known as stop action) is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion [...]

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DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #91: ‘Tain’t What You Do

Written by Christian on 28.11.2011 · 3 Comments

When you are an experienced dancer, then you know this song for sure. If you are a beginner, then here is a song you have to know! It was one of Frankie Manning‘s favourite songs and it is very often used for the Shim Sham. It Ain’t What You Do (It’s The Way That You Do It) was composed by Melvin “Sy” Oliver and co-written with Trummy Young. It was first recorded in 1939 by Jimmie Lunceford and his orchestra. Sy Oliver (17.12.1910 – 28.05.1988) was a trumpeter, vocalist, composer and arranger. In 1933 he joined Jimmie Lunceford’s orchestra to [...]

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Random Clips on Friday: Lindy Hop Flash Mob at Denver Airport

Written by Christian on 25.11.2011 · Leave a Comment

Wow, what a cool Flash Mob! Obviously, they put a lot of effort into the choreography. I like the energy of the dancers, it seems they had a lot of fun. Also the filming and editing is very nicely done! Enjoy! Official Denver Airport Holiday Flash Mob Description, taken from YouTube: Holiday travelers at Denver International Airport (DIA) were surprised with an entertaining treat when a flash mob broke out in Jeppesen Terminal on November 22nd, 2011. Approximately 100 dancers from Community-Minded Dance (cmDance) performed a Lindy Hop to a medley of Swing classics in the airport’s Great Hall in [...]

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DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #90: Stompin’ At The Riverside

Written by Christian on 21.11.2011 · Leave a Comment

A genre I haven’t touched so far is Western Swing, the forerunner of American Country music. One of its big stars was Spade Cooley – self proclaimed as the “King of Western Swing“. Donnell Clyde “Spade” Cooley (17.12.1910 – 23.11.1969) was an American Western Swing violinist and big band leader. He also was a successful actor in western films and TV host. Unfortunately, he was convicted of murdering his wife Ella Mae Evans in 1961. In 1969 he suffered a fatal heart attack. You can find a biography on Wikipedia or on biography.com. Stompin’ At The Riverside is great tune [...]

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DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #89: Rexatious

Written by Christian on 14.11.2011 · Leave a Comment

Sometimes, it’s really difficult to explain in words why I like a certain song so much. Rexatious is one of them. Nevertheless, I’ll try it anyway. It must be the rhythm section! This steady ongoing beat “boom-ta-boom-ta” by the drums and then the bass, first only on 1 and 3 and after the break at ca. 0:40 on every beat, is like a heart beat going through that song. Of course, this is always the sense of the rhythm section but here it sounds differently! I don’t want forget the other instruments in this song, but this rhythm is just [...]

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DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #88: Honeysuckle Rose

Written by Christian on 07.11.2011 · Leave a Comment

Another very influential jazz pianist I haven’t written about so far, was Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller (21.05.1904 – 15.12.1943). He was a master of stride piano, but also organist, composer, singer and funny entertainer. Waller’s father was a Baptist lay preacher and his mother played piano and organ. He started to play piano at age six. When he was ten, he learned playing organ in his father’s church. Five years later, he composed his first rag called “Squeeze Me“. In 1922 he made his first record for Okeh at age 18. After that he backed various blues singers, worked as [...]

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Shim Sham Flash Mobs in Bern

Written by Christian on 17.10.2011 · Leave a Comment

Last Saturday, 15. October 2011, the Lindy Hop association Swing Machine in Bern Switzerland organized two flash mobs at the train station in the middle of the city. Here are the two clips: Shim Sham No. 1 Shim Sham No. 2 I especially like Shim Sham No. 1 because of the location. The destination board in the background is quite impressive. Which one is your favourite? Actually, we should also organize swing flash mobs in Zürich!

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DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #85: Summit Ridge Drive

Written by Christian on 17.10.2011 · Leave a Comment

The use of the harpsichord in Come On-A My House by Rosemary Clooney [Song of the Week #68] was inspired by the song of this week. Like Benny Goodman with his different small groups, clarinetist, composer and bandleader Artie Shaw (born: Arthur Jacob Arshawsky, 23.5.1910 – 30.12.2004) created a smaller combo out of his big band and called it Artie Shaw and his Gramercy Five. He needed something special to create a distinctive sound. As Johnny Guarnieri told “Piano Jazz” radio host Marian McPartland in 1981, he was already in Shaw’s big band when Shaw called him one day in [...]

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