Swing music needed

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rickryan.com

rickryan.com

DJ Extraordinaire
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Dec 9, 2009
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www.rickryan.com
I have an event in a few weeks where the FOB told me his daughter and her hubby enjoy dancing to swing music. I have a decent amount of it but most of what I have are originals (i.e. low quality). Do you guys use the old stuff or do you have a source on re-makes with better quality? Does anybody have a list of winners they use in this category?
 
I use the older stuff most of it was remastered for CD and doesn't sound all that bad and anyone that's used to it realizes it's not top notch sound they kind or expect the "pops and clicks"

I don't get alot of requests for swing but when I do I generally start with the Jive Bunny mix because it has a more mass appeal and you can get a feel for how many actually like swing and give you an idea of how many you should play throughout the night. The other thing I do with swing is play it close to the end of a fast set so if I do lose the floor you can get them back with a slow one

A few of the more popular ones I use

Sing, Sing, Sing - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra
In The Mood - Glenn Miller Band
Mack The Knife - Louis Armstrong or Bobby Darin
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy - The Andrews Sisters

Pretty much anything Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Crosby, or Sinatra from the era would be popular with that crowd too and if you need some slow ones Artie Shaw had a few good ones
 
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Some of the older recordings of swing band music are not bad. But if you're looking for modern swing, there's The Brian Setzer Orchestra, The Cherry Poppin' Daddies, The Diablo Swing Orchestra, The Squirrel Nut Zippers, Reel Big Fish, Royal Crown Revue, Ingrid Lucia and the Flying Neutrinos, Swingtips, The Bill Elliot Swing Orchestra, and my personal favorite; Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
 
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I did a wedding last summer that they did kind of a "rock the reception" thing. They used Faith Hill and Tim McGraw - It's Your Love for the first minute and then broke in to this....It has a bit of a swing feel to it if they are younger it might work at some point in the night

 
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OK... Yesterday Steve149 got me listening to 50's Rock. Today I'm bouncing around the house to Swing music (thanks RickRyan). I'm almost afraid to find out what's coming tomorrow! [emoji1]


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DJ Bobcat said:
OK... Yesterday Steve149 got me listening to 50's Rock. Today I'm bouncing around the house to Swing music (thanks RickRyan). I'm almost afraid to find out what's coming tomorrow! [emoji1]


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I'm thinking of updating my libraries of Tuvan Throat Singing and Modern Pan Flute.
 
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DJ Bobcat said:
OK... Yesterday Steve149 got me listening to 50's Rock. Today I'm bouncing around the house to Swing music (thanks RickRyan). I'm almost afraid to find out what's coming tomorrow! [emoji1]


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Friday's are thrash metal day Bob enjoy ;)

 
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Suggest you download "In the Mood" by Buddy Bregman Big Band Orchestra--a today orchestra. It's a tad over 5 minutes, but sounds GREAT!
Another good point was made... is it East Coast Swing or West Coast Swing. But "Swing the Mood" by Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers would also work. DJ Bobcat also pointed out some current orchestras that play swing music.
 
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Nice topic. I agree with all posted here. I also agree that CD's from the 90's to now that contained this material were really good quality.
 
Had a couple at a dance ask for Stevie Wonder, I Wish, which I really love the song but don't find a lot of people wanting to dance to it. I played it as the couple could really dance, and danced to almost everything I played. They broke out in a swing dance that left everyone in the building standing and applauding.
 
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I recommend 'In a Digital Mood'. It's a re-recording by many of the original musicians, playing the exact same arrangements as the originals. It sounds like a remastered original when in fact, it's a re-recording.
 
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I liked your recommendation DJ Wes. I got a copy of it. I also started listening to some of the mixes on YouTube. This one is pretty good, but it seems a lot of them get away from the swing vibe after a while.


I think I'm going to make my own Modern Swing mix and I'll post it when it's finished.
 
Can always go with the Cantina Band from Star Wars ...

especially this jazzier version:

 
You will definitely want to vary the BPM--not all music is fast like Jive for instance. Some dancers like it a bit slower, like East and West Coast Swing which have a different beat. I'm sure they will provide you with some of their favorites when you meet with them. Perhaps you should solicit a short list of their favorites now. I would. This way you will know where you stand with tempo.

I'll check my library and cite a few examples for you. When's the gig?
 
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Some great suggestions here. I too like a mix of the older and newer/revival stuff.

Don't overlook jump blues and early R&R stuff that they can swing to-- Wynonnie Harris, Louis Prima, even some of the Sun Records/Rock-a-billy material.

Sounds like a fun wedding Rick!

GJ
 
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After listening to some of the modern swing groups, I had to eliminate The Diablo Swing Orchestra. Their lyrics are a little rough; not something I'd play in a mixed group. Some of the other groups play styles other than swing. You get maybe a couple of good swing cuts per album . The Brian Setzer Orchestra is the best at mixing swing with rockabilly, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has some good stuff, after that I found I have to pick and choose from other similar groups. There's a compilation called "We're Swinging", which has some good tracks. I ordered another 3 CD collection from B&N because it was not available for download; will get it next week. I've found about 20 other artists that play a modern version of swing. I'm in the process of paring down a list. It's time consuming, but enjoyable.:nod:
 
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