Caledonia, Caledonia, What Makes Your Big Head so HARD - The Swingingest!

[scotrace]

When i hear Woody Herman and The Thundering Herd doing Caldeonia, I can't sit still - a great source of entertainment at traffic lights, am I.

What's the jumpin-est, swingin-est foot tappiest, gotta danciest tune you love?

 

[Paisley]

Oh, so that's how it goes! I thought it was Holy Bible days or something.

Some more good songs:

• Jump, Jive & Wail
• Jumpin' at the Woodside
• Flying Home
• Sing, Sing, Sing
• Ball of Fire
• Midnight in Moscow
• Little Bitty Pretty One

Some others that are less jumpy but more dance-y:

• Beyond the Sea
• Lullaby of Birdland
• Cheek to Cheek
• Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey by Ella
• Fine Brown Frame

Some early R&B faves:

• "Hound Dog" and "My Man" by Big Mama Thornton
• It Ain't the Meat
• 60 Minute Man
• "Only Sixteen" and "Twistin' the Night Away"

 

[scotrace]

Editor explains his ninnyhammer move:

Paisley posted her (great list). In it she mentioned one song:

• There's a song that starts, "Have you ever seen a church begin to rock."

I thought I'd be Mr. Cleverpants and proivide the name of the tune, which is "On Revival Day."

But ended up editing and gutting her post instead. I deleted it, and she has graciously reposted.

 

[dhermann1]

For Dancers Only

Well, anything by Basie swings. Basie is just the swingingest cat of all time. But I've always had a soft spot for Jimmie Lunceford. If he hadn't dropped dead in 1947 he'd be a lot better known today. Glenn Miller said Lunceford was the greatest of all bands, and patterned his own band after Jimmie's to a large degree. My favorite Lunceford tune is "For Dancers Only". It has a slightly slower tempo than some great swing songs, but it really gets hold of you. Lunceford's peak was about 1936. By 1942 some of his best people, such as arranger Sy Oliver, had gone on to greener pastures, so he was not so much in the forefront by the 40's. But he was one of the very greatest.

 

[scotrace]

I like Red Nichols 20's & 30's stuff. Much of it is Dixieland in nature but great. I never thought Fletcher Henderson was so great - and i bought a big box set of his work because he turns up on everyone's short list.

Stompin' At the Savoy is fantastic.

 

[CharlieH.]

I got plenty of these.... In the swing department there's-

Man From Mars (Artie Shaw)
It Happened In Sun Valley (Glenn Miller... and I can't resist singing along either)
Harlem Camp Meeting (Cab Calloway)
Bye Bye Blues (Cab Calloway)
Night Ride (Ambrose)
Main Stem (Duke Ellington)
Daybreak Express (Duke)
Swingtime In The Rockies (Benny Goodman)
Madhouse (Benny Goodman)
Bugle Call Rag (BG again... Harry Roy made a good recording of that one too )
Lady Be Good (Artie Shaw)
Shout And Feel It (Count Basie... and I haven't heard it in ages)
Boogie Woogie Stomp (Albert Ammons)
You're Driving Me Crazy (Django Reinhardt)

Then in the hot jazz department....
San (Abe Lyman)
Wa Wa Wa (King Oliver's Dixie Stompers)
Variety Stomp (Fletcher Henderson)
Aaand...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAExrFCVVT0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vveQ4Es9tJY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Rieeshhfj4

To name a few....

 

[flat-top]

When i hear Woody Herman and The Thundering Herd doing Caldeonia, I can't sit still - a great source of entertainment at traffic lights, am I.

Scotrace, check THIS out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcq93txBdtM

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

Definitely Jumpin' At the Woodside.

"Jumpin' Jack" and "Mambo Swing" by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

 

[SWTroopers]

Roll 'em Pete by Joe Williams and Basie ALWAYS gets me going!

 

[flat-top]

For me, ANYTHING by Wynonie Harris!
http://www.amazon.com/Bloodshot-Eye...5068068?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1188386354&sr=1-2

 

[mike]

Editor explains his ninnyhammer move:

Paisley posted her (great list). In it she mentioned one song:



I thought I'd be Mr. Cleverpants and proivide the name of the tune, which is "On Revival Day."

But ended up editing and gutting her post instead. I deleted it, and she has graciously reposted.

Sounds like LaVern Baker to me! (Who does a stormin' version of Voodoo, Voodoo I might add!)
I think we're preachin to the converted, so let me throw up my hands in joy for the one and only Sister Rosetta Tharpe! Also the Reverend Charlie Jackson & Reverend Utah Smith for rock n roll rhythm n blues gospel one man preaching machines! I'd also like to throw out a praise the lord to none other than Mr. Bunker Hill backed by Link Wray's Raymen!

psssst! I got the boogie disease

 

[Paisley]

Hallelujah I Just Love Him So by Peggy Lee
My Baby Just Cares for Me by Nina Simone
Love Me or Leave Me; there's a version with a female singer and a piano that has almost a classical sound to it.

None of these songs is really hot and jumpy, but they're all great to dance to. A great dance tune should have some breaks and some smooth parts and staccato parts.

 

[scotrace]

Scotrace, check THIS out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcq93txBdtM

I think we've watched that 100 times now - thanks!

 

[HadleyH]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcq93txBdtM

Totally AMAZING!!!!!!!!!! I'm loving it

 

[Fletch]

Tiger Rag by the Gene Kardos orchestra of 1932, a tentet of nervous New York white guys renowned in their day for the ability to sight-read and double-tongue anything. This performance is like restless-legs syndrome notated into music...or the dancing frenzy of Art Deco gangster mice who've been up all night ratatatting at each other with eeensy Tommy guns as they chew into big burlap bags of coffee beans and skitter and scatter to evade the warehouse cat. What is incredible about it is how much excitement the band can generate without even coming close to "swinging."

 

[scotrace]

Holy Cats.

I'm OFF to find THAT one Baby.

(Also grabbing a bunch of Red Nichols off iTunes - he recorded over 4,000 pieces in the 1920's. Did Ken Burns mention him??)

Paul Whiteman needs to be in this list.


And Fats Waller.


Edit: Is there a digital version, Fletch?

 

[scotrace]

Well? Fletch?

 

[flat-top]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcq93txBdtM

Any excuse to see this again is welcome!

 

[scotrace]

I was thrilled to find it again also. Just watched it a few times!

 

[VintageVixie]

Tiger Rag by the Gene Kardos orchestra"

Oh man! I have four pieces on mp3 by Kardos and orOh, but not that one. Somehow, however, I have seven other versions of Tiger Rag. Including one very peppy version by Ray Noble and Orch, 1933.

I know where to start with a list of my swinginest... I wouldn't know where to end, though.