[edit]Warning: this post is too long, rambles too much, and is generally quiet confusing. YOLO![/] I talk and write a lot about ‘favourites’ and ‘safety songs’ in DJing, so I thought it was worth putting together a post about them. I’ll try to add some notes about musical style while I’m at it. Let’s defineContinue reading “Herräng report part 3: favourites and ‘safety’ songs (and some stuff about canons, power and recreationism)”
Search results for: recreation
‘Historical Recreation’: Fat Suits, Blackface and Dance
I’m just doing some housekeeping over here in the blog (hence the somewhat dodgy CSS), and have been looking back through unpublished drafts. This is a post that I wrote back in July. I put off publishing it then because I was getting a bit more attention than I felt comfortable with. So I justContinue reading “‘Historical Recreation’: Fat Suits, Blackface and Dance”
contemporary 20s jazz recreationists – rough ideas
Listening to a new CD by the Charleston Chasers, I was struck by the short musical step between British brass bands and the earliest jazz and ragtime. The story goes: Afro-American slaves took up the instruments abandoned by fleeing southern American soldiers at the end of the 19th century and invented ragtime. Ragtime moved toContinue reading “contemporary 20s jazz recreationists – rough ideas”
A known offender is teaching at a local event. What do you do?
A known offender is teaching at an event in your area. What do you do? I’d probably think local. You can’t change the entire world, but you can be useful to local people. You know you and your mates won’t go (because you know who he is and what he’s done), but do the peopleContinue reading “A known offender is teaching at a local event. What do you do?”
Black music, white bands: Racist discourse in lindy hop institutions
Eric Heveron-Smith fb post 25 June at 05:47 A question was posed on a Facebook group called Swingopedia, and I have decided to finally voice my answer. Hey, it’s quarantine, I don’t have any gigs to lose right now… “I’ve noticed that music trends in the global swing dance community have changed, since I startedContinue reading “Black music, white bands: Racist discourse in lindy hop institutions”
Some notes to bands about playing for dancers
I work with bands quite a bit for dance events. The type of music you play and how you play it will depend on the dancers. Are they dancing balboa? Blues? Lindy hop? If the organiser has just said ‘swing dance’, then they usually mean lindy hop, with a sprinkling of balboa. There are reallyContinue reading “Some notes to bands about playing for dancers”
Lost post: the trouble with linear jazz narratives + more
Here’s a post I’ve just discovered, that may have fallen off my database somehow. MAY 4, 2009 In the earliest parts of my researching into jazz history, I tried to set up a sort of ‘time line’ or map* of musicians and cities and bands. Who played with which band in what city at whatContinue reading “Lost post: the trouble with linear jazz narratives + more”
New Music: Doyle and Gamble
Jonathan Doyle Swingtet – Too Hot For Socks and Michael Gamble and the Rhythm Serenaders – Michael Gamble and the Rhythm Serenaders Disclaimer: Books Primo approached me to review the Doyle album, offering me a free download. I chose to pay for it (to support the band), but i took him upContinue reading “New Music: Doyle and Gamble”
I dunno, I’m not convinced
Look, I don’t think I’m all that excited about dancing to careful 3 minute transcriptions of recorded big bands. I like a little more chaos with my historical recreation. I’ve been listening to some live and radio recordings from the 30s and 40s, and some modern stuff like this video from the Kansas City soundtrack,Continue reading “I dunno, I’m not convinced”
Glenn Crytzer’s Savoy Seven: album review
Hello! This is a post about music! I was approached by Glenn Crytzer a couple of weeks months ago, saying “I’d love to have you do a piece on our new record. Please let me know if that’s something you’d be interested in. Here’s a digital copy of the album for you.” And there wasContinue reading “Glenn Crytzer’s Savoy Seven: album review”