Shuffle Projects

Swinging Projects for Lindy Hop & Balboa Dancers

Jazz

DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #37: Singin‘ The Blues

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With Louis Armstrong, Leon Bismark «Bix» Beiderbecke (10.03.1903-06.08.1931) was one of the most influential jazz cornet soloists of the 1920s.

Bix taught himself to play cornet by ear, he never learned to read music well. Unfortunately he drank himself to an early death.

He first recorded with the Wolverines in 1924, after which he played briefly for the Jean Goldkette Orchestra before joining Frankie Trumbauer's Orchestra in 1926.

In the same year, Beiderbecke and Trumbauer both joined Goldkette.

The following year, Trumbauer and Beiderbecke left Goldkette to join the best-known and most prestigious dance orchestra in the country: the New York–based Paul Whiteman Orchestra.

Singin‘ the Blues (together with the recording «I'm Coming, Virginia») is a milestone in Jazz history.

The jazz ballad style was born and some elements can be found in Cool Jazz of the 1950s and 1960s. Bix had an unusual purity of tone and he was a genius of improvisation.

Check out: Bix Beiderbecke Resources

Title: Singin‘ The Blues
Artist: Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra w/ Bix Beiderbecke
Recorded: 04.02.1927
Tempo: 136 bpm
Dance: Lindy Hop

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.

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Gottlieb Jazz Photos on Flickr (Library of Congress Collections)

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Gottlieb Jazz Photos (Library of Congress Collections)

Through a post on Yehoodi.com, I came across William P. Gottlieb's great photos, made available by the Library of Congress.

Although the photos are amazingly beautiful, I sometimes wish to watch them in colour. Just to see what clothes they wore and how the interior decoration looked like. Our imagination of that time is always black and white, isn't it.

Gottlieb was both a notable jazz journalist and a self-taught photographer who captured the personalities of jazz musicians – as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Thelonious Monk, Ella Fitzgerald, and many more – and told their stories with his camera and typewriter.

Celebrated jazz artists come to life in photographs by William P. Gottlieb. His images document the jazz scene in New York City and Washington, D.C., from 1938 to 1948, a time recognized by many as the «Golden Age of Jazz».

The first 219 images in the set show the photos published alongside the photographer's personal recollections in his book, The Golden Age of Jazz.

More photos will be added each month until all 1,600 are in Flickr.

The Library of Congress is the national library for the United States, based in Washington, DC. They are also the world's largest library.

Link: Gottlieb Jazz Photos

DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #36: You Shall Reap What You Sow

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Lil Hardin Armstrong (1898-1971) was a  pianist, composer, vocalist, recording artist and band leader. She helped introduce America to jazz music.

She was a dedicated jazz pianist, who established a reputation as “Hot Miss Lil,” one of the few female band ensemble members of the 1920’s.

She played on many of the first jazz recordings ever made and she wrote many of the early songs of the jazz era. Though she might be identified in the jazz world as the wife of Louis Armstrong, she was much more than that.

Read the full biography on allaboutjazz.com

Lil Hardin's You Shall Reap What You Sow is my song of the week: solid rhythm section, light and beautiful harmonies. I especially like Lil's soft voice and the different short solos.

Title: You Shall Reap What You Sow
Artist: Lil Hardin Armstrong and Her Swing Orchestra
Recorded: 02.02.1938
Tempo: 182 bpm
Dance: Balboa, Lindy Hop

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.

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DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #35: Smiles

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Smiles is the second song from the compilation «Swing in Europa 1: 1939-1945» I'm featuring in the «Song of the Week» series.

Alto saxophonist Flavio Ambrosetti first started studying piano in his hometown Lugano in Switzerland, afterwards he took vibraphone lessons.

After having seen tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins performing in Switzerland in the late 30s, he started to play saxophone.

Ambrosetti was one of the pioneers of the bebop style in Europe.

In 1949 he played at the legendary Jazz Festival Paris in Hazy Osterwald's band and met his number one influence Charlie Parker. 

1972 he founded with his son Franco, with Daniel Humair and George Gruntz The Band, which later evolved to the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band. Ambrosetti also was the organiser of the International Jazz Festival Lugano.

Smiles, recorded 1943 with his sextet, is a song I play quite often as a Swing DJ. Not too fast but with a great pumping rhythm section and a soulful Ambrosetti at the vibraphone.

Line-Up: Flavio Ambrosetti (vib, as), Michel Eberhard (ts, cl), Géo Voumard (p), Ray Hunter (g), Sunny Langenbacher (b), Memeta Ambrosetti (d).

Title: Smiles
Artist: Flavio Ambrosetti Sextett
Recorded: 1943
Tempo: 164 bpm
Dance: Lindy Hop

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.

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DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #34: At Sundown

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As a guitar player, I have a predilection for Jazz guitarists.

This week's song is by a white American who came from a musical family and started his professional career at the age of 11: George Van Eps (7th August 1913-29th November 1998).

George started to play banjo like his father Fred, who was a famous banjo virtuoso and sound engineer.

At the age of 13 he fell under the influence of Eddie Lang, he learned the guitar well enough to play alongside Lang for six months as a teenager.

From 1931-1933, Van Eps worked with Freddy Martin, from 1934-1935 with Benny Goodman, from 1935-1936 and 1940-1941 with Ray Noble.

Meanwhile he moved to Hollywood and was working interim as a freelance musician, author of a how-to guitar book, and instrument designer.

After that, George Van Eps worked in his father's recording lab for two years and developed a 7-string guitar before returning to be a freelance musician for many years.

With an additional bass string he was able to play bass lines simultaneously with chords and lead solos.

I've chosen the tune «At Sundown«. What shall I say about it? It's a lightly swinging song with a catchy melody. Great for Balboa dancing!

George Van Eps - Jazz Guitar Legends

Title: At Sundown
Artist: George Van Eps
Recorded: 1946
Tempo: 202 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: