Search Results for: chrisbe song of the week lindy hop

DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #139: Blue Skies

29.10.2012 by Chris

I'm pretty sure you know the song «Blue Skies«.

It was composed by Irving Berlin in 1926 for the musical «Betsy«. The show was a disaster and closed after only 39 performances but the song was an instant success.

On October 6, 1927, the first feature-length motion picture with sound «The Jazz Singer» starring vocalist Al Jolson premiered and “Blue Skies” was one of the nine tunes performed by Jolson. The film was a huge success and brought the song to the attention of millions.

Ever Since, «Blues Skies» was a success in several other films and it was recorded countless times.

One of these recordings is by

Cyril Blake

Cyril McDonald Blake (1897 – Dec. 3, 1951), originally from Trinidad (British West Indies), was an essential part of the music scene of England in the decades both before and after World War II.

Around 1918, he arrived in England and was one of the guitarists in the Southern Syncopated Orchestra. While being in the band, he switched to trumpet.

During the 1920s, he worked in Paris and in London

In the 1930s, Blake lived and played in different bands (Leon Abbey, Happy Blake, Rudolph Dunbar, Leslie Thompson, Joe Appleton, and Lauderic Caton) in London.

In 1938, he started his own band and Jig's Club in Soho became a venue associated almost completely with Blake.

He recorded several times under the name Cyril Blake & His Jig's Club Band. In December 1941, the band was recorded live at Jig‘s Club by Parlophone.

In the 1940s, Blake led his band behind Lord Kitchener for recordings on Parlophone Records, playing in a calypso style. Then he returned to Trinidad, where he continued to lead bands. He died in 1951 because of illness.

[easyazon-image align=»left» asin=»B003KXM6PG» locale=»us» height=»160″ src=»https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61YeI0LEawL._SL160_.jpg» width=»160″]Title: [easyazon-link asin=»B003KXOB04″ locale=»us»]Blue Skies[/easyazon-link]
Artist: Cyril Blake And His Jig's Club Band
Recorded: December 1941
Album: [easyazon-link asin=»B003KXM6PG» locale=»us»]Anthology of British Vintage Jazz, Volume 3[/easyazon-link]
Tempo: 210 bpm
Dance: Balboa, Lindy Hop

Click the link to download the song at
iTunes EU ･ iTunes US ･ [easyazon-link asin=»B003KX49X8″ locale=»de»]Amazon DE[/easyazon-link] ･ [easyazon-link asin=»B003KXOB04″ locale=»us»]Amazon US[/easyazon-link] ･ [easyazon-link asin=»B003KWSYHQ» locale=»uk»]Amazon UK[/easyazon-link]･ emusic

How do you like this version of «Blues Skies»? What do you think about the Series «Song of the Week»? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

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Every Monday, I post a new «Song of the Week«.
You can find the songs also on my Spotify playlist or on 8tracks.

DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #137: Skinny Minne

15.10.2012 by Chris

Glenn Crytzer, whose background includes both classical music and jazz, but also swing dancing, founded «Glenn Crytzer and his Syncopators» in 2007.

The band describe themselves as follows:

The band's musical influences range from the late 1920s through the mid 1940s […].
The musicians in the band live and breathe vintage swing; having learned from studying the records of the great bands of the swing era, but you'll never hear the band give a note for note performance of an old recording.
Instead, Glenn Crytzer, the Syncopators‘ musical director, encourages his musicians to bring their own personalities and musical ideas to their performance while working within the framework of the style of the jazz and swing eras.
The band performs vintage arrangements, as well as new songs and arrangements composed in the vintage style.

Skinny Minne

Skinny Minne is a live recording from Midwest Lindy Fest in May 2012. Glenn successfully funded the money on Kickstarter to finish the album in the studio, which was released just a few days ago.

Here is the title track:

Artist: Glenn Crytzer And His Syncopators
Released: October 9, 2012
Album: Skinny Minne
Tempo: 141 bpm
Dance: Lindy Hop

The price of the digital album is USD 12 or more (you decide how much you wanna pay!).How you like Glenn Crytzer's new album? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Every Monday, I post a new «Song of the Week«.
You can find the songs also on my Spotify playlist or on 8tracks.

Related Songs:

DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #136: There Ain’t No Sweet Man That’s Worth The Salt Of My Tears

08.10.2012 by Chris

The longest title ever for a «Song of the Week»!

When I started dancing Lindy Hop in 1999, «Frim Fram Sauce» by Canadian singer and pianist Diana Krall (* Nov. 16, 1964) was one of the songs that were played all the time on the dance floor.

At the beginning of October 2012, Krall released her 11th album «Glad Rag Doll» and it sounds completely different. The album features songs from the 1920s and 1930s.

The sexy album cover – which of course is related to the topic and the song choices of the album (or just a clever move by the marketing department?) – created a lot of buzz months before the album was released.

Diana Krall & T Bone Burnett about Glad Rag Doll

Elvis Costello interviews his wife Diana Krall and record producer T Bone Burnett about «Glad Rag Doll».

«Glad Rag Doll» is not typical swing album, but there are a few songs that work great for swing dancing.

There Ain't No Sweet Man That's Worth The Salt Of My Tears

The song was written by Fred Fisher and first recorded in 1928. In the Paul Whiteman movie «The King Of Jazz» from 1930, it was sung by the Rhythm Boys: Bing Crosby, Harry Barris and Al Rinker.

As a I wrote before, «Glad Rag Doll» is not only about swing but it's a beautiful jazz and blues album that I can highly recommend!

Title: There Ain't No Sweet Man That's Worth The Salt Of My Tears
Artist: Diana Krall
Released: October 2012
Album: Glad Rag Doll (Deluxe Edition)
Tempo: 131 bpm
Dance: Lindy Hop

How you like Diana Krall's new album? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Every Monday, I post a new «Song of the Week«.
You can find the songs also on my Spotify playlist or on 8tracks.

Related Songs:

DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #134: I Ain’t Got Nobody

24.09.2012 by Chris

I have to warn you: this is a damn hot version of I Ain't Got Nobody 😉

Lew Stone

Lew Stone (June 28, 1898 – Feb. 13, 1969), born in London UK, was an extremely popular bandleader, arranger, and pianist throughout the 1930s.

Beginning in 1927, he was as a freelance arranger for numerous bands for four years.

In 1931, Stone joined Roy Fox's orchestra as a arranger and pianist, playing at the Monseigneur Restaurant. Stone took over the leader's position when Fox needed to rest because of illness. He turned the band into the most popular one in London.

Stone continued to utilize some of Fox's musicians for his own band. They played on the radio once a week and made quite a number of recordings.

During the 1940s, Stone led the Stonecrackers and the Novatones. He also led the orchestra at the London Coliseum. He and his band continued to play across England and Scotland during the 1950s. From 1959 to 1967, he was leading a sextet.

During his career, Stone was a musical director for almost forty films and several theater productions.

Source: allmusic, wikipedia

I Ain't Got Nobody

It's a bit scratchy in the clip, the sound quality of the recording below is better.

[easyazon-image align=»left» asin=»B004A8F9X6″ locale=»us» height=»160″ src=»https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61qZfw6yrlL._SL160_.jpg» width=»160″]Title: [easyazon-link asin=»B004A8KVR0″ locale=»us»]I Ain't Got Nobody[/easyazon-link]
Artist: Lew Stone
Recorded: ??? (Let me know, if you have an idea)
Album: [easyazon-link asin=»B004A8F9X6″ locale=»us»]The Golden Age Of British Dance Bands: Those Dance Band Hits[/easyazon-link]
Tempo: 178 bpm
Dance: Balboa, Lindy Hop

Click the link to download the song at
iTunes CH/EU ･ iTunes US ･ [easyazon-link asin=»B004A5JKA2″ locale=»de»]Amazon.de[/easyazon-link] ･ [easyazon-link asin=»B004A8KVR0″ locale=»us»]A'zon.com[/easyazon-link] ･ [easyazon-link asin=»B004A55BHI» locale=»uk»]A'zon.co.uk[/easyazon-link] ･ emusic

What do you think about this version? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

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Every Monday, I post a new «Song of the Week«.
You can find the songs also on my Spotify playlist or on 8tracks.

30 Week Lindy Hop Challenge: Favorite Song(s) To Dance To

21.09.2012 by Chris

Every Friday for thirty weeks, I will write about a topic from the list of the
«30 Week Lindy Hop Challenge«.

Let's talk about music.

Week #11: Many Favorite Songs To Dance To…

Since I'm a Swing DJ there is for sure not only one favorite song I could name. I'm an avid collector of Jazz, Swing & Blues and I'm acquiring «new» songs almost every day.

The best way to get an idea about my favorite songs is to check out my series

DJ Chrisbe's Song of the Week

But I agree, it would be too easy just leave you with a link. Here are some lists with my all-time favorite artists and songs (I like find as many different versions as possible of these).

Artists

Artie Shaw
Benny Goodman
Charlie Christian
Count Basie
Duke Ellington
Jimmy Rushing
Sidney Bechet

Contemporary Artists

Bernard Berkhout
Gordon Webster
Linnzi Zaorski
Meschiya Lake

All-Time Favourite Songs

Blues My Naughty Sweety Gives To Me
Four Or Five Times
I Found A New Baby
Some Of These Days

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