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Benny Goodman

DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #83: Queer Notions

03.10.2011 by Chris

James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson (18.12.1897 – 29.12.1952) was a pianist, composer, arranger and leader of the first great jazz big band. He had a huge influence in early jazz.

Henderson had a degree in chemistry and mathematics, but when he came to New York in 1920, the only job he could find was in the music industry because of race discrimination. He worked as a music director and pianist for the Black Swan label.

In 1922 Henderson formed his first band with Don Redman. Thanks to Redman's innovative arrangements, they became quickly the best Afro-American band in New York. When Louis Armstrong joined the band in 1924, Redman started to contribute more swinging tunes.

After Redman left the band in 1927, Benny Carter and Henderson's younger brother Horace Henderson helped with the arrangements, before Fletcher Henderson became himself a top arranger in the early 1930s.

The band was very popular but Henderson a bad business men, so he started to work for other bands. In 1934 Benny Goodman bought some arrangements from him for his weekly radio show “Let's dance”.

In 1936 Goodman became the “King of Swing“, ironically with arrangements, Henderson already was playing with his band many years before. In 1939, Henderson became the staff arranger of Benny Goodman's band.

Queer Notions is in a certain way quite awkward, with strange harmonies. Queer as its title. I guess, it was a difficult arrangement to play for the band.

Well, I have a foible for strange songs! 😉


DJ Chrisbe's Song of the Week #83: Queer Notions by Fletcher Henderson & His OrchestraTitle: Queer Notions
Artist: Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra
Recorded: 1933
Album: Yeah Man!
Tempo: 162 bpm
Dance: Lindy Hop



Click the link to prelisten and/or buy the song (mp3/mp4a) at
iTunes
— Amazon.de (CH/D/A) — Amazon.com — eMusic*

*not an eMusic member yet? Get 25 Songs with Your 7 Day FREE Trial!


Do you like this song? Do you like the series? Please leave a comment!


Every Monday, I post a new “Song of the Week“.

Sign up now for DJ Chrisbe's free resources emails for
more music tips and swing DJ resources!

Related posts:

Song of the Week #23: “Muskrat Ramble” by Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five
Song of the Week #16: “Six Appeal” by Charlie Christian & Benny Goodman
Song of the Week #82: “Bizet Has His Day” by Les Brown
Song of the Week #81: “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” by Duke Ellington
Song of the Week #80: “Shout, Sister, Shout!” by Sister Rosetta Tharpe & Lucky Millinder

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Filed Under: Music, Song of the Week Tagged With: Benny Carter, Benny Goodman, DJ Chrisbe, Fletcher Henderson, Lindy Hop, Louis Armstrong, Swing

DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #78: Savage Serenade

29.08.2011 by Chris

Dear Balboa dancer, here is another song for you: Savage Serenade, in a version recorded in 1933 by Adrian Rollini and his Orchestra.

Adrian Francis Rollini (28.06.1903-15.05.1956) was a talented multi-instrumentalist, he played piano and xylophone as a youth. Later he played bass saxophone (some say he was the greatest bass saxophonist of all time), he was one of the first jazz vibraphonists and he introduced the “goofus” in jazz.

Rollini was an important member of the California Ramblers, one of the most recorded bands in the 1920s. He formed two sub-groups: The Little Ramblers (from 1924)  and the Goofus Five (1926-1927). During this time he developed his distinctive style of bass saxophone playing.

He also recorded with Red Nichols, Frankie Trumbauer, Bix Beiderbecke and Joe Venuti. From 1933-1940 he worked in the studios, leading many recording sessions under different names.

While he also had the talent to assemble great musicians like for example Benny Goodman, Jack Teagarden and Bunny Berigan, who became afterwards the hottest names in jazz, the result of most of these recordings is quite unoriginal, compared to older recordings.

One exception is for sure Savage Serenade!


DJ Chrisbe's Song of the Week #78: Savage Serenade by Adrian Rollini & His OrchestraTitle: Savage Serenade
Artist: Adrian Rollini & His Orchestra
Recorded: October 16, 1933
Album: The Key Sessions 1931-1937 CD C
Tempo: 196 bpm
Dance: Balboa



Click the link to buy the song (mp3/mp4a) at
iTunes — Amazon.de (CH/D/A) — Amazon.com — eMusic*

*not an eMusic member yet? Get 25 Songs with Your 7 Day FREE Trial!


Do you like this song? Do you like the series? Please leave a comment!

Every Monday, I post a new “Song of the Week“. Sign up for the weekly blog update by email and get the newest edition directly in your inbox.

Sign up now for the DJ Chrisbe's resources emails for more music tips and swing DJ resources!

Related posts:

Launch Of DJ Chrisbe’s Swing DJ Resources Email List
Song of the Week #60: “Chicken And Waffles” by Bunny Berigan
Song of the Week #37: “Singin' The Blues” by Bix Beiderbecke & Frankie Trumbauer
Song of the Week #77: “A Viper's Moan” by Willie Bryant
Song of the Week #76: “Wabash Stomp” by Roy Eldridge

If you enjoyed this post, please tweet, “like”, +1, or share it. Thank you!

Filed Under: Music, Song of the Week Tagged With: Adrian Rollini, Balboa, Benny Goodman, Bix Beiderbecke, Bunny Berigan, DJ Chrisbe, Frankie Trumbauer

DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #40: Piano Stomp (Shine)

06.12.2010 by Chris

Frenchie Balboa Festival (FBF) is over! Another great Balboa weekend with great dances and great music.

If you would like to improve your speed in Balboa dancing and especially shuffling, here is my song of the week which will be a challenge for sure.

This is one of the fastest song I've ever danced to: A breathtaking version of Shine with 300 bpm!!

Lionel Leo Hampton (20.04.1908-31.08.2002) was one of the swing giants, he was the first jazz vibraphonist, but also pianist, percussionist, band leader and actor.

1936 he was discovered by Benny Goodman, shortly afterwards he played and recorded with Goodman, Teddy Wilson and Gene Krupa as the Benny Goodman Quartett. Six weeks after he officially joined Benny Goodman.

In 1937, he started recording regularly as a leader for Victor with specially assembled all-star groups that formed a who's who of swing.

Source: allmusic.com

Lionel Hampton Piano Stomp (Shine)

Title: Piano Stomp (Shine)
Artist: Lionel Hampton
Recorded: 1937
Tempo: 300 bpm
Dance: Balboa

Click the link to download the song from: Amazon ・ iTunes

You can find the songs of the series also on my Spotify playlist. Official hashtag of the series: #djcsotw

Do you like the “Song of the Week” series? Share your thoughts below.

Now Check Out:

  • Song of the Week #39: “Te Reo o Papatuanuku” by Kataraina Pipi
  • Song of the Week #38: “Vol Vist Du Gaily Star” by Slim & Slam
  • Song of the Week #37: “Singin' The Blues” by Bix Beiderbecke and Frankie Trumbauer Orchestr

Filed Under: Music, Song of the Week Tagged With: Balboa, Benny Goodman, DJ Chrisbe, Gene Krupa, Lionel Hampton, Swing, Ted Wilson

DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #1: All The Cats Join In

08.03.2010 by Chris

With this post I'm gonna start a series to introduce my favorite Swing songs to you.

To feature a Song of the Week is actually not my invention, there was at least one blog with a similar column, but unfortunately after a short while they stopped posting.

I like the idea and since I'm DJ'ing quite a lot, you might be interested!

All The Cats Join In

I would like to start this column with one of my all time favorites.

This is a great song either for a Lindy Hop or for a Balboa crowd.

I especially like the break after about 2:50 where you think a new song is going to start before you realize that it's still the same one.


Title: All The Cats Join In
Artist: Benny Goodman & Orchestra
Recorded:
June 12, 1944
Tempo: 180 bpm
Dance: Lindy Hop, Balboa

Click the link to download the song from: Amazon


You can find the songs of the series also on my Spotify playlist.
Official hashtag of the series: #djcsotw

Do you like the “Song of the Week” series? Share your thoughts below.

Now Check Out

  • Overview Song of the Week

Filed Under: Music, Song of the Week Tagged With: Balboa, Benny Goodman, DJ Chrisbe, Jazz, Lindy Hop, Swing

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Welcome, I'm Christian Bossert. Since 1999, I‘ve been passionate about Swing dances as well as their culture and history. I‘m a Swing dance instructor and international Swing DJ Chrisbe, based in Zurich Switzerland. Read More…

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