when other people are DJing, I feel like this:
Sometimes, when I am DJing and trying to talk to a friend, I do turn the music down. Because there are Priorities, aren’t there?
Category Archives: djing
it could just be that nerds – no matter their flavour – love to talk to other nerds about stuff they love
I’ve been crapping on about DJing on the SwingDJs board. I started a thread called mad skillz: mentoring, encouraging and skilling up (new) DJs. As with all threads I’ve begun with long, expository posts that don’t really make much sense and which tend to be far to theoretical, the thread has been languishing. Kind of like my tutorials when I ask a long question which is really a bit of exposition or otherwise impossible to answer.
But someone asked a question which caught my interest, so I’m going to answer it here, at length.
I made this comment (in a post that was far too long):
One thing I’ve noticed – if a scene values social dancing and has quite a tight community vibe, there’s a strong emphasis on skilling up new DJs. But the local culture dictates how this skilling up is achieved.
(Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 20:40, first page of the thread at URL above)
And Haydn replied:
Can I ask you – in practice, how does this ‘tight community vibe’ translate into DJs helping each other?
I’m going to answer this at length here, rather than cluttering up that discussion board with my own opinions/rambles.
I have to reiterate: I’m working largely from an Australian perspective, with only a bit of international experience. I’m sure things are vary in different places.
‘A tight community vibe’ needn’t actually translate into DJs helping each other. I don’t see it very often, but I’m sure there’ve been times when a DJ has made it difficult for a new DJ or experienced DJ to ‘break into’ a scene – to preserve their own status, to preserve their own profits, etc.
Also, definitions of ‘community’ (and who’s actually considered part of that community) are ideologically and politically loaded. Do you count west coast swing dancers as part of your ‘swing’ community? Rock and rollers? People from other dance schools/studios? Musicians? People you don’t know?
When I say a ‘tight community vibe’, I’m thinking about scenes where people articulate some sense of ‘communitas’ or identify themselves as part of a scene or community with some sort of pride, protectiveness, etc.
But how might that translate to DJs helping each other?
Well, if a local scene has an active social club or organisation who also run social events, then that club might have an incentive to manage DJs quite carefully – so new DJs will get a bit of mentoring or coaching. I’ve noticed that gigs run by a smaller more coherent group – or by one person, or coordinated by someone who really cares about the DJing/social dancing – often manage the DJs more carefully. If the night is only one of many, is managed by an inexperienced dancer (or DJ) or isn’t actually ‘valued’ terribly highly, the DJing might be less strictly managed. Also, interestingly, if an event (or club) has a particularly fervent revivalist bent (ie they’re really really really into historical ‘accuracy’), they’re also pretty anal about music and about ‘teaching’ their DJs to like the ‘right’ music. But people might ‘manage’ DJs for other reasons – nepotism, interpersonal rivalries, failed romances, burning desires, professional networking, etc – all might affect who hires whom for which gigs.
I’ve noticed that these trends increase as a scene develops – in a newer scene, for example, where there are fewer DJs, there’s less ‘regulation’ of DJing: people are just happy to have someone play some music. As DJing becomes increasingly ‘professionalised’ or formalised in a scene (eg introducing pay rates, introducing a DJ roster, introducing preferences for particular types of music), then it becomes more ‘regulated’. It can also become less accessible. I’ve wondered if this is as a scene or community grows it also develops increasingly complex modes of cultural production and management (whether we’re talking DJing, dancing, dress making, event management, website design, whatever). Also, people figure out that formalised ways of working together can be useful on large projects – a camp has ‘rules’ for teachers (whether unspoken or not), an exchange is run by a group who become a nonprofit organisation to deal with tax and insurance, a social night has formal (or informally enforced) ‘no aerials’ rules for public safety.
What I’ve noticed (and I guess I’m talking about Australian examples, and only very vaguely in reference to the US, etc) is that if a local scene has quite a close community – ie people volunteering their time for events, events run by committees with a ‘community development’ agenda and ethos rather than (or in addition to) a profit motive, etc – then there’s a greater interest in ‘skilling up’ DJs – for the community’s benefit. More experienced DJs are more likely to volunteer to mentor new DJs in that context out of a spirit of ‘communitas’ or ‘doing good stuff for the community’.
There are other reasons for managing new DJs, though – profit motive is a good one, especially if you’re in a scene where dancers really value or care about the quality of DJing. Or plain old competition for cultural capital – a DJ might feel it’s in their interests to discourage new DJs or to not open their night to new DJs (ie they want to keep their status and ward off competitors). If a particular event has a specific musical focus (eg it might want to showcase a particular musical style or moment in history), then there’d also be reason to manage the DJs – if you were (for example), interested in running a ‘neo revival’ night, you might favour DJs who play BBVD, etc, and not hire DJs who play old school exclusively. I’ve even played gigs where what I’ve looked like – on stage – has been important: wearing vintage gear was specifically requested… which leads to interesting questions about the ‘performance’ of DJing. And how we might ‘perform’ the role of ‘vintage music fan’ or ‘swing dancer = vintage costume fan’ for an audience of non-dancers, for example. [That last bit is interesting in the light of things like the Facebook group ‘Embracing my embarrassing swing adolescence’ which seems largely to be about aesthetics and protocols of swing dance fashion – ie what not to wear]
There’s also another interesting aspect to all this. Throughout much of the academic literature dealing with online communities, authors note the importance of ‘answering questions’, especially in an established and well-moderated online ‘community’. People might answer questions for a number of reasons: to help out; to demonstrate their own knowledge (and status); to test their own knowledge; to enter into the discussion (and hence participate in the community – basically, answering simply as a way of getting into the conversation and enjoying the process of answering and discussing questions); etc etc etc.
I’ve always been interested in noticing what type of people answer what types of questions in swing dance discussion boards. In the years I was gathering data for my doctoral thesis (and before), I was really surprised by some of my findings. Sure, the data suggested all this stuff, but I was really hoping to find that how we play online wasn’t so tightly bound to gender. But I found that female posters tend to be quicker to offer assistance (eg hosting, info, etc), but that they mightn’t do so publicly (they’re almost always over-represented in offering condolences, giving positive feedback, compliments and proffering kind words generally). Men are more likely to post ‘information’ or ‘facts’, and to disagree. There are exceptions, but on the whole these tropes are consistent, and they also correlate with the way we talk in groups face to face. I’m also interested in the way the threaded discussion echoes ‘formal turn taking’ in a meeting – which is something all-male groups tend to favour (whereas women tend to favour a more casual, more interrupting/cooperative meaning-making approach). There are also ethnic issues at work here – I was at a fascinating book launch the other day for indigenous literacy day: the speeches and discussion was very very different to the usual middle class ‘literati’ book launch: a room full of koori ladies don’t really do formal turn taking :D.
This is partly to do with how we’re socialised (which of course will result in regional variations), but also to do with the social/cultural context of online communication, especially on something like a discussion board. I’ve been wondering how Facebook changes all that, especially as it’s far more accessible than something like a discussion board.
All this might mean, in the context of DJs helping each other, that women are more likely to answer questions via private message or to ask for help via private message, and less likely to post publicly on the board generally. It also suggests that people post answers and ‘help each other’ for a range of reasons.
SwingDJs is a tricky case study as DJing generally is so male-dominated: there are more men posting regularly here than women, for example (which could be a result of the culture of online communication rather than directly correlating to the number of women DJs IRL).
Something I’ve noticed: experienced DJs, no matter what their gender, are generally very helpful and welcoming to new DJs. They mightn’t be very good at actually helping or communicating their welcome, but they certainly want to be helpful and care about this stuff. This might be a trickle-on effect from the revivalist impulses of contemporary swing dance generally – there’s this impetus towards ‘recruiting’ new dancers, so as to ‘preserve’ historic dance forms.
Or it could just be that nerds – no matter their flavour – love to talk to other nerds about stuff they love.
oh goodness me: the new orleans jazz vipers
But I do like the New Orleans Jazz Vipers.
They play olden days music with a nasty olden days energy that gets me all excited. I can’t wait to DJ this stuff.
I couldn’t help but buy all their CDs from www.cdbaby.com. And I love shopping at CDbaby – they got these kids to me in about 10 days from the States, they send nice thank you emails, and they pimp indy music. There’re quite a few artists I like DJing who sell their gear through CDbaby – Gordon Webster, who’s a really great pianist and also a nice guy and a lindy hopper. I’ve had my eye on that CD for a while – that’s some sweet action for blues dancing. His other half (oh, how they’d hate me describing them that way), Solomon Douglas is also sold through CDbaby… I can’t think of any others just now, but I’ve bought a few CDs through them.
And I love love love these Vipers CDs. I also have my eye on a Tshirt.
round up
Enough of the random posts. Just join them all together and make one long stream of consciousness post.
Right now my stomach is feeling unsure. It began feeling unsure yesterday after I had chicken salad from the joint in Summer Hill. I wouldn’t have eaten there if it hadn’t been 4pm and I hadn’t forgotten to have lunch. I’d also walked to the hardware store (again – I freakin’ love that place) and then round the long way to the shops, mostly so I could look at the flour mill that’s up for redevelopment. I am fascinated by the fact that there’s a giant flour mill just down the street, and that it’s joined to another flour mill in Dulwich Hill by a special-duty train line. That one’s been made into flats, though. But I’m still really interested in it. It seems I’m not the only one into flour mills. There’s always someone leaning over the railing on the bridge over the railway, staring at the giant white flour mill (the one in Summer Hill). It’s a pretty good view – a long view, from a height. And it’s so freakin’ big. And you just know that the people having a stare are thinking about what they’d do with the site if they owned it. I don’t know why they’re bothering – it belongs to a gang of crows who’ve been terrorising the pigeons in that neck of the woods, and they’re not likely to cede it to a bunch of no-winged two-leggers who’d like a little light industrial inner-city living.
So yeah, my stomach feels a bit odd. I can’t decide if it’s dodgy chicken salad or anxiety. It could quite possibly be low level anxiety. This is the first day I’ve had to myself in the new house with no real jobs to do. I guess I need to go up to Ashfield to get groceries (we have none). I’d really like to get into the city to a) go to see some Art, and (more importantly), b) find that tapestry speciality place. But I’m apparently crippled by… that thing that makes it difficult to leave the house. I think I might chalk all this up to hormones, as I’ve actually been feeling quite wonderful ever since we got here. I really like traveling and I love being in a new city. I like all the walking. Plus Sydney’s fabulous weather is making me feel so good. I hadn’t realised just how draining Melbourne’s grey skies and nasty cold were until we left. I am remembering how nice it is to live in a warmer climate. But I’m not so struck on the increased humidity – I am also remembering its effects on my allergies.
It’s not so much that I’ve been shouting at innocent blokes, but more that I’ve been trying to rub my nose off my face and had trouble concentrating. It could be PMS, but I actually am pretty sure it’s allergies screwing with my mood. I’m trying not to take antihistamines as I seem to be on them every single day, but it’s not really making me feel nice.
I’m also at home because I’m waiting for tradesmen #62 000. Actually, it’s more like tradesman #9. Really. I am liking living in a house where the owner actually fixes things. The things we’ve needed fixed have been fairly inconsequential… well, except for the River of Effluent… but they’ve been fixed immediately.
1. windows painted shut? fixed (Charlie, from Greece – my favourite)
2. fence built? done (whatsit from Malta – initially my least favourite, but later one of my top 5)
3. forgotten bathtub spout? done (young fulla who’s name I can’t remember. ok)
4. garage door doesn’t close? not quite fixed, but at least a couple of blokes came to look at it (one of whom was Mal, whose parents were from Italy).
5. garage door still not closing? still not fixed (another bloke who failed to return and give me his life story, though he did provide a few interesting tips on the tensile strength of various metals).
6. sound proofing? quotes done (including…. can’t remember his name either. But he was Greek by descent and he lives in the outer suburbs but works in Marrickville. He recommends the cakes in Leichardt)
7 and 8. River of Effluent? dammed. (“Maria! Send tradesmen, please! The garden is full of effluent!” 2 young fullas of skip descent, up to their knees in human waste, giving our drains a good routing. White neighbour-cat carefully discouraged from helping)
9. Today it’s another sound proofing guy. Apparently the owner is going ahead with it (which is wonderful). He was supposed to be here between 9.30 and 10, but it’s 10.39 now. He and the garage door guy have failed to return.
Part of me is worried about all this tradesman action. I don’t want to use up all my credit now when I’ll certainly need it in the future… or will I? We have obviously moved up a rental bracket, to that wondrous place where wiring isn’t illegal and life-endangering (we have a trip switch! No plug points have caught fire! We have had electricity for at least three weeks!) and where plumbing is generally sound, barring the usual hiccups of a house that’s over 100 and recently had new pipes installed. No water mains have burst, filling our veggie patches with boiling water. No windows have broken, letting in arctic winds. And the stove works wonderfully. There are no mice (knock on wood), but I have seen one large cockroach in the house. I remembered why I actually wear thongs. After I dealt with it The Squeeze proceeded to sing ‘la cocka roacha!, la cocka roacha!’ around the house for about five minutes in a Tom Waits voice. It was entertaining, but perhaps too entertaining so close to bed time – it was difficult to sleep with the thought of Tom Waits serenading me in a Mexican cantina.
So I’m wondering if we’re tempting fate with all this tradesmen action.
This hasn’t stopped me asking if it’s ok to dig up the garden and plant zillions of herbs. Ordinarily I’d just do it, but the landlord seems pretty house-proud, so the rules are different. Our back neighbour (who lives in the back part of this federation home) is a chef, so he’s also quite keen on a herb garden/veggie patch. He is now My Friend, partly because I am still in post-move aggressive friendliness mode and will not allow otherwise. He is also the owner of aforementioned friendly white cat (Alby).
Alby is convinced he actually lives in our part of the house as well, and follows me around all day. He divides his time between sleeping in front of the front door in the sun, trying to climb into my laundry basket, romancing me with quite lovely accapella and playing in Rivers of Effluent. I am mightily allergic to cats, so there’s no physical contact, a lot of “No! Don’t go in there! Get out of there!” This has, of course, made me both the most interesting and the most appealing part of our neighbourhood.
The other day Alby was joined by Fluffy Tailed Black Cat from round the corner, and they both proceeded to play in the mulch and attempt domestic incursions. Alby failed (I think he’s a bit dumb – he’s very pretty, being white with pale blue eyes and a pink nose – but he’s not so smart. He’s also quite young), but FTBC had a little more luck. I was making the bed when a pair of large black ears was followed by a goofy black face over the other side of the bed. As I picked him up (physical contact! Aaaargh!) he let out a sort of ‘mrprrft’ purr-burp and kept up the chainsaw action as I clamped him under the armpits and hefted him outside.
I have also seen a giant orange and white tom with a mangled up face. Both Alby and I gave him a deal of distance as he marked out the new trees as his territory. We were both willing to concede him sovereignty.
On other fronts, I am working at Gleebooks doing functions (thanks Glen!). I like it a LOT. I was too late for sessional teaching this semester, but have lined up some contacts for next year. I have already DJed one set here in Sydney and am set for a blues set this Sunday. It seems there aren’t too many DJs here, which is a shame. But I’m really enjoying dancing, so I’m not sure I’m ready to DJ a whole lot. I will set limits.
Last weekend we went to Canberra for Canberrang, the Canberra lindy exchange. I bought a Tshirt and DJed one set. We stayed with an old school friend of mine and only attended two night’s worth. I think I prefer shorter events – Fri, Sat, Sun nights max. Any more is kind of too much. We went on the bus and it wasn’t too bad. It was also very cheap. On the way back it snowed and snowed and snowed and snowed. It was like Europe. With eucalypts and kangaroos. We had a good time, over all.
We have quite a few friends here in Sydney, and have already had interstate visitors. Next week we get more. And the next week The Squeeze’s matriarch arrives, so we will get our tourist on, big time. Which I’m looking forward to. I feel like the OPERA HOUSE is out there doing fun things without me every day. Then we have people coming up for SLX in September. Then my mother in October (perhaps). Then we’re down in November for MLX. Then it’s christmas, which we may spend in Melbourne, but we aren’t sure. So it’s all systems go. Sydney is apparently one of those cities people really like to visit. Partly because it rocks – there’s just so much to do. And also because the weather is nice. Which is where it pwns Melbourne.
I like Sydney, but I am a bit sad that there are so few fabric shops. I have seen two in Marrickville, and I have been given the sweet lowdown by a dress making Hollywood lindy hopper, and will get on into the city (Haymarket) to find more. Then there’s Cabramatta, but that’s miles away. At any rate, none are a short bike ride away, so it seems I will have to find new hobbies. Or rediscover old ones. I have also found a yoga studio quite near by, but it is some sort of arty made up bullshit yoga, and not straight out iyengar. I need to get on that ASAP as I miss yoga already. Also, I haven’t ridden my bike once. This means that I’m getting more exercise, but I am missing my bike. Poor blacky, stuck in the shed all day, bored and lonely. The Squeeze has been riding to work in the city and comes home with stories about having his arse kicked by the hills and making friends with other bike riders. This city is disturbingly friendly. Everyone seems so delighted that we’ve left Melbourne for Sydney – there’re lots of “How do you like it?”s and chats with strangers about cake. There are fewer conversations about the weather, but I suppose that’s because it’s so nice here there’s really nothing to say beyond “pwoar – another freakin’ beautiful day, hey?”
Alright, that’s enough blathering. I have to go…. well, not do anything, really, but I might as well think about doing something other than making internet. You know the rules: get out of bed, change out of your pajamas (or pa-yamas! if you’re Tom Waits a la cantina), leave the internet alone after a couple of hours. It is, unsurprisingly, a beautiful day, and there’re fabric shops to stalk.
because…
…it’s that time of year, I’m thinking about DJing hardware. I think I want to upgrade from the imic
to something serious. Well, to be honest, right now I use the imic as the output for my headphones and go straight from the laptop headphones jack to the sound gear. Which isn’t ideal. But somehow I got into the habit when I was first using my headphones – I couldn’t get DJ1800 to work with the headphones while itunes played through the imic. I think it’s a DJ1800 issue. DJ1800 is not very excellent – perhaps I need to fix my software solution…
…look, well, I’ll have a go with the imic talking to the sound gear with itunes, and DJ1800 playing through the headphones jack to the headphones. Maybe that will help with some skanky sound problems I’ve been having lately…
trev got pwnd
But this image pwns all.
Mora’s Modern Rhythmists
In a fit of frivolity the other week I picked up this bundle of four Mora’s Modern Rhythmists/Swingtet CDs:
These guys are from the US and specialise in creating ‘authentic’ recreations of 20s, 30s and 40s dance music (mostly 20s and 30s, really). I’m a big fan. I already had Call of the Freaks and 20th Century Closet, but this 4-pack was too good to pass up (and I’ve already found someone who wants the doubled up copy of 20th Century Closet, which is (in my opinion), the best). As I said, I really like this group – they’re recreating music I really like, which means I have nice quality versions of good songs for playing to crowds who aren’t really comfortable with serious scratch. These better quality versions are also a nice way of changing the vibe or lifting the energy in a set without moving away from this nice musical period.
Their latest CD Devil’s Serenade reminds me of the Melbourne band The Red Hot Rhythmakers (which we’ve featured at MLX a few years in a row now) – earlier dance band stuff. Hot and seriously fun.
The Rhythmakers are a good example of the music that’s quite cool with some of the younger American dancers atm, especially in places like Seattle. It tends to the super fast and is really quite freakin’ good fun. The Rhythmakers have just realised their new CD, actually (the launch was this past Monday). Though I couldn’t make the launch, friends have managed to secure copies of the CD for me, which is also very neat. I really like their first one and am looking forward to this one.
Any how, I’m very happy with these Mora CDs – it was a bargain and this stuff is very useful for DJing, even if though I tend to prefer the ‘originals’ for home listening. These guys are also useful for performances – good quality but also ‘authentic’ and not bullshit neo rubbish.
maybe i should stick to dancing
Goodness me, I’ve gotten up late this morning. I played a very ordinary set last night that went down very ordinarily. Here it is:
Froggy Bottom Jimmy Witherspoon With Jay McShann And His Band 155 1957 2:37 5/06/08 10:06 PM Goin’ To Kansas City Blues
Blues In Hoss’s Flat Count Basie 144 1958 3:13 5/06/08 10:09 PM Chairman Of The Board [Bonus Tracks]
Jump Through The Window Roy Eldridge and his Orchestra 154 1943 2:42 5/06/08 10:12 PM After You’ve Gone
Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra 135 1945 3:21 5/06/08 10:15 PM Hamp: The Legendary Decca Recordings
Hungry Man Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five 135 1949 3:08 5/06/08 10:18 PM Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five (vol 6)
The Back Room Romp Rex Stewart and His 52nd Street Stompers 152 1937 2:49 5/06/08 10:21 PM The Duke’s Men: Small Groups Vol. 1 (Disc 2)
Peckin’ Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra 165 1937 3:10 5/06/08 10:24 PM The Duke’s Men: Small Groups Vol. 1 (Disc 2)
A Viper’s Moan Willie Bryant And His Orchestra 153 1936 3:26 5/06/08 10:28 PM Willie Bryant 1935-1936
Stompy Jones Duke Ellington and His Orchestra 200 1934 3:03 5/06/08 10:31 PM The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition: Complete RCA Victor Recordings (disc 07)
Jive At Five Count Basie 174 1939 2:51 5/06/08 10:34 PM The Complete Decca Recordings (disc 03)
Good Queen Bess Duke Ellington 160 1940 3:00 5/06/08 10:37 PM The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition: Complete RCA Victor Recordings (disc 10)
The Basement Blues Nobel Sissle with Sidney Bechet 153 2000 3:16 5/06/08 10:40 PM Ken Burns Jazz Collection: Sidney Bechet
Krum Elbow Blues Mora’s Modern Swingtet 162 2004 2:46 5/06/08 10:43 PM 20th Century Closet
Effervescent Blues Mora’s Modern Swingtet 122 2004 3:07 5/06/08 10:46 PM 20th Century Closet
New Orleans Bump Wynton Marsalis 128 1999 4:36 5/06/08 10:50 PM Mr. Jelly Lord – Standard Time, Vol. 6
Charlie’s Prelude Mora’s Modern Swingtet 128 2004 2:49 19/04/08 7:19 PM 20th Century Closet
Digadoo Firecracker Jazz Band 247 2005 5:20 5/06/08 10:56 PM The Firecracker Jazz Band
All the blues dancers were in town and they were afraid of a) tempos over 120 and b) old music. I think I might actually suck as a DJ, mostly because I just didn’t want to play any new groovy rubbish. I just don’t have any interest in that stuff any more. Thing is, most of the stuff I really am interested in just goes down like a lead balloon. Sigh. I have to stop playing that ‘Froggy Bottom’ – it’s not good lindy hop.
I’m doing that other set on Sunday – blues – so I hope that goes ok. We’ll have to see about that. I’ve been asked to play ‘old school’ blues because not many other people will be, but that’s not really all that great an idea – after a weekend of groove and soul, old scratchy stuff that’s actually higher tempos won’t go down well.
I’d like to play some Harlem Hamfats, some early Ellington with Bessie Smith (!!!), some more Bessie Smith, some skanky Kansas doods (Walter Brown with Jay McShann, Big Joe Turner, Juliea Lee, etc), some odd people like Cow Cow Davenport, some dirty chicks like Blu Lu Barker, some rowdy neworleans people like Jelly Roll Morton, some Jimmie Noone (of course!), some Bix Beiderbeck, some Sam Price, Bechet, Wingy Manone, etc etc etc… heck, lots of stuff. Really, just the stuff I’d like to play for lindy hoppers, but slower.
But I find people can’t hack the sound quality (especially after a weekend of lovely hi-fi supergroove)…
I like this stuff because it screams ‘DANCE BY YOURSELF! DO THOSE JAZZ STEPS, YOU BABY!!!’ and it has an edge – it’s not so serious, it’s dark and quite scary, but it’s also winking at you, inviting a bit of black humour…
Well, we’ll just have to see. I might end up playing emergency Aretha Franklin and late testament Basie as a compromise.
But I’m not feeling hugely confident in my abilities right now. Maybe I should stick to dancing.
low level anxiety
I have to write some lectures RIGHT NOW. Stop procrastinating, you! Stop thinking about pop ups!
I have to DJ tonight, but haven’t even thought about my music in the two weeks since I last DJed. I’m also doing a blues set on Sunday night, and I certainly haven’t thought enough about that lately. So I have to spend some time with my laptop, listening to music.
I have to go to the library to (hopefully, fingers crossed) find a nice reading on advertising, from a cultural studies or media studies perspective, which involves or at least refers to semiotics and ‘ideology’, as a sort of follow-on from the previous two weeks (‘intro textual analysis/semiotics’ and ‘ideology’). There’s a full sick chapter by Johnathon Bignall from Media Semiotics, but I’m using him elsewhere (week on news values, to be precise). Goddamn copryight, goddamn it.
I have a short list of other stuff, but the library is kind of bare this time of year, particularly in Melbourne, where the libraries are full of computers and stoods facebooking on them and decidedly bare of books. Ordinarily, that’s fine by me – bring on the ebooks (Goddess bless them). But some of the Olden Days books (as in, the ones from before the 90s) aren’t on the internet. So I need the paper ones.
I had to trek all over the universe last week (three universities, 4 libraries) looking for a copy of Thwaites, Davis, et al’s Tools for Cultural Studies (in whichever editorial incarnation). I’m not a dumbarse, so I’m pretty sure I didn’t stuff up the whole ‘using the catalogue’ thing, but I’m pretty sure one copy’s not enough for a giant university. I ended up buying the latest edition (to replace my collection of photocopies from a very early edition) and it cost me FAR TOO FREAKIN’ MUCH. But I know it will be useful, as I’ve managed to use it nearly every year since I first did my undergraduate degree with messirs Thwaites, Davis et al.
–a short, impassioned digression—
But I did manage to find a copy of Cohen and Young’s The Manufacture of News: social problems, deviance and the mass media, which was an absolute nostalgia-thon. Oh, news values, how I love you. How I loved Stuart Hall when we first met. It was love at first skim-read. How I adored that book. I miss those days. When I was all about newspapers and developed mad microfilm skills. When Galtung and Ruge were fully sick and cultural studies was first listed in my wicked kewl book. Sigh. Then they made the internet and it all changed. Goodbye microfilm reader headaches, hello monitor headaches.
—
I have to buy some groceries. Milk. Bread.
I have to catch up with about half a dozen people I haven’t seen lately.
I HAVE TO MAKE POPS! Last night I had pop up dreams. It’s just like when I was going through a lol-making frenzy. Disturbed sleep. Decline in existing communication skills, incline in new ‘skills’…
Yoga still rocks. I am half moon queen. Not so much with the down dog. I just don’t think my arms will ever be straight. I think it’s congenital, and no amount of moving my shoulders up my back body and broadening and flattening of my collar bone will work.
And I have a few DVDs out that I need to watch.
So I have a little low level anxiety, and am dealing with it through the time honoured and much maligned process of procrastination. And there is no better source for that than blogging.
extreme DJing nerdery
I’ve had a busy DJing fortnight… well, month, really. I’ve done 6 sets this month, including a blues set. The week before last I did a double on Thursday, then a set on Friday, and then last week I did a set Wednesday and one Thursday. I’m about done with this. Remind me to talk about my sore ears, ok?
Any how, here’re the sets I played that are kind of interesting.
This next set is the double from Thursday 24th April. It was a last minute double set, and for once the gig (CBD) actually had some people. It was the night before a public holiday, so there was an almost full room. Not the biggest ever, but much bigger than other weeks. And a mixed crowd, so I could play a mixed set. But I’d had a pretty horrible day, and wasn’t feeling terribly inspired or great. So I played the most ordinary set of overplayed favourites ever. But people really liked it. They were dancing like fools, over-energised, over-adrenalined. Which was nice. I started at 8.30 and finished at 11. Here’s the set:
Moten Swing Count Basie 135 1958 25/04/08 12:07 PM 4:50 Chairman Of The Board [Bonus Tracks]
Jump Ditty! Joe Carroll and The Ray Bryant Quintet 134 25/04/08 9:49 PM 2:54 Joe Carroll Sings
I Diddle Dinah Washington 153 1/05/08 10:15 PM 3:05
Tain’t Me Roy Milton and his Solid Senders 158 1992 1/05/08 10:17 PM 2:34 Vol. 2: Groovy Blues
Fine Brown Frame Nellie Lutcher 123 2006 25/04/08 12:18 PM 2:54 Fine Brown Frame
Big Fat Mama Lucky Millinder 135 25/04/08 12:21 PM 3:09 Apollo Jump
Be Careful (If You Can’t Be Good) Buddy Johnson and His Orchestra 121 1951 1/05/08 10:12 PM 3:09 Walk ‘Em
My Baby Just Cares For Me Nina Simone 120 25/04/08 10:49 PM 3:38 The Great Nina Simone
Massachusetts Maxine Sullivan 147 1956 25/04/08 12:32 PM 3:19 A Tribute To Andy Razaf
C-Jam Blues Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis 143 1999 25/04/08 10:23 PM 3:34 Live In Swing City: Swingin’ With Duke
For Dancers Only Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra 148 1937 25/04/08 9:59 PM 2:41 Swingsation – Jimmie Lunceford
Pan Pan Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five 152 1941 1/05/08 10:20 PM 2:54 Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five (vol 2)
Drinkin’ Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra with Sonny Parker 134 1949 25/04/08 9:56 PM 3:24 Hamp: The Legendary Decca Recordings
Solid as a Rock Count Basie and His Orchestra with The Deep River Boys 140 30/04/08 11:20 PM 3:04 Count Basie and His Orchestra 1950-1951
Joog, Joog Duke Ellington and His Orchestra 146 1949 30/04/08 11:17 PM 3:01 Duke Ellington and his Orchestra: 1949-1950
Pound Cake Count Basie and His Orchestra with Lester Young 186 1939 24/04/08 9:23 PM 2:46 Classic Columbia, Okeh And Vocalion Lester Young With Count Basie (1936-1940) (Disc 2)
Good Queen Bess Duke Ellington 160 1940 1/05/08 10:39 PM 3:00 The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition: Complete RCA Victor Recordings (disc 10)
Six Appeal (My Daddy Rocks Me) Benny Goodman Sextet with Charlie Christian 150 1940 1/05/08 10:36 PM 3:13 Charlie Christian: The Genius of The Electric Guitar (disc 2)
Bli-Blip Jonathan Stout And His Campus Five 140 2007 1/05/08 10:29 PM 2:44 Moppin’ And Boppin’
Jersey Bounce Ella Fitzgerald 134 1961 24/04/08 9:36 PM 3:36 Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie!
Blue Monday Jimmy Witherspoon With Jay McShann And His Band 125 1957 1/05/08 10:05 PM 3:40 Goin’ To Kansas City Blues
Hallelujah, I Love Her So Count Basie 145 1959 24/04/08 9:42 PM 2:36 Breakfast Dance And Barbecue
Tickle Toe Count Basie and His Orchestra 234 1960 24/04/08 9:45 PM 2:36 The Count Basie Story (Disc 2)
Hop Skip and Jump Mora’s Modern Swingtet 191 2004 24/04/08 9:47 PM 2:44 20th Century Closet
The Back Room Romp Rex Stewart and His 52nd Street Stompers 152 1937 1/05/08 2:17 PM 2:49 The Duke’s Men: Small Groups Vol. 1 (Disc 2)
A Viper’s Moan Willie Bryant And His Orchestra 153 24/04/08 9:54 PM 3:26 Willie Bryant 1935-1936
Apollo Jump Lucky Millinder 143 30/04/08 11:08 PM 3:27 Apollo Jump
Jump Through The Window Roy Eldridge and his Orchestra 154 1943 24/04/08 10:00 PM 2:42 After You’ve Gone
The Heebie Jeebies Are Rockin’ The Town (Alt Tk) Red Allen & Lionel Hampton, vocal, & His Orchestra 141 1939 24/04/08 10:02 PM 2:44 The Complete Lionel Hampton Victor Sessions 1937-1941 (disc 3)
Walk ‘Em Buddy Johnson and His Orchestra 131 1946 25/04/08 10:04 PM 2:53 Walk ‘Em
Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra 136 1945 24/04/08 10:09 PM 3:22 Lionel Hampton Story 3: Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop
Savoy Blues Kid Ory 134 24/04/08 10:12 PM 3:01 Golden Greats: Greatest Dixieland Jazz Disc 3
Joshua Fit De Battle Of Jericho Kid Ory And His Creole Jazz Band 160 1946 1/05/08 2:42 PM 3:13 Kid Ory and his Creole Jazz Band 1944-46
Shake That Thing Vince Giordano 230 2004 24/04/08 10:18 PM 2:59 The Aviator
Blues My Naughty Sweetie Sidney Bechet 140 1951 30/04/08 10:49 PM 5:44 The Blue Note Years
Tishomingo Blues Carrol Ralph 128 2005 1/05/08 2:27 PM 4:15 Swinging Jazz Portrait
Going To Chicago Barbara Morrison 126 2002 24/04/08 10:33 PM 5:35 Live At The 9:20 Special
Every Day I Have The Blues Clark Terry Quintet and Carrie Smith 122 2001 24/04/08 10:38 PM 5:12 The Clark Terry Quintet: Live On QE2
Mumbles Oscar Peterson 188 1964 24/04/08 10:40 PM 2:02 Ultimate Oscar Peterson As Selected By Ray Brown
Froggy Bottom Jimmy Witherspoon With Jay McShann And His Band 155 1957 25/04/08 10:13 PM 2:37 Goin’ To Kansas City Blues
Sent For You Yesterday Count Basie and His Orchestra with Joe Williams 163 1960 25/04/08 10:16 PM 3:10 The Count Basie Story (Disc 2)
Blues In Hoss’s Flat Count Basie 144 1958 1/05/08 10:08 PM 3:13 Chairman Of The Board [Bonus Tracks]
Lavender Coffin Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra with Sonny Parker and Joe James 134 1949 25/04/08 10:07 PM 2:47 Hamp: The Legendary Decca Recordings
On Revival Day Lavern Baker 144 25/04/08 10:10 PM 3:16 Lavern Sings Bessie Smith
As I said, it’s very ordinary. Nothing new except a Carole Ralph track and a Jimmy Witherspoon, neither of which are actually new.
Any how, the next night I played the Funpit gig. The room was absolutely solid. You couldn’t push your way into the room, let alone the dance floor. It was all beginners, too – people who’d only had a lesson or two. Plus a few other people with more experience. But no one who’d been dancing more than a year or two besides me, the teachers and one or two other people. In a room that was the crowdedest gig I’ve ever played in Melbourne. It was heaps of fun to play. But I was coming down with a cold, so when I got up to dance after my set I was too tired to dance more than a song. I spent the weekend being very ill, but I still had fun that night.
Here’s the set (Friday 25th April, 9.30-10.45pm, Funpit):
Splanky Count Basie 125 1957 3:36 Complete Atomic Basie, the 25/04/08 9:47 PM
Jump Ditty! Joe Carroll and The Ray Bryant Quintet 134 2:54 Joe Carroll Sings 25/04/08 9:49 PM
Hungry Man Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five 135 1949 3:08 Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five (vol 6) 1/05/08 2:11 PM
Drinkin’ Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra with Sonny Parker 134 1949 3:24 Hamp: The Legendary Decca Recordings 25/04/08 9:56 PM
For Dancers Only Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra 148 1937 2:41 Swingsation – Jimmie Lunceford 25/04/08 9:59 PM
Are You Hep To The Jive? Cab Calloway 160 1994 2:50 Are You Hep To The Jive? 25/04/08 10:01 PM
Walk ‘Em Buddy Johnson and His Orchestra 131 1946 2:53 Walk ‘Em 25/04/08 10:04 PM
Lavender Coffin Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra with Sonny Parker and Joe James 134 1949 2:47 Hamp: The Legendary Decca Recordings 25/04/08 10:07 PM
On Revival Day Lavern Baker 144 3:16 Lavern Sings Bessie Smith 25/04/08 10:10 PM
Froggy Bottom Jimmy Witherspoon With Jay McShann And His Band 155 1957 2:37 Goin’ To Kansas City Blues 25/04/08 10:13 PM
Sent For You Yesterday Count Basie and His Orchestra with Joe Williams 163 1960 3:10 The Count Basie Story (Disc 2) 25/04/08 10:16 PM
Blues In Hoss’s Flat Count Basie 144 1958 3:13 Chairman Of The Board [Bonus Tracks] 1/05/08 10:08 PM
C-Jam Blues Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis 143 1999 3:34 Live In Swing City: Swingin’ With Duke 25/04/08 10:23 PM
Be Careful (If You Can’t Be Good) Buddy Johnson and His Orchestra 121 1951 3:09 Walk ‘Em 1/05/08 10:12 PM
Pan Pan Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five 152 1941 2:54 Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five (vol 2) 1/05/08 10:20 PM
Ain’t Nothin’ To It Fats Waller & His Rhythm 134 1941 3:10 Last Years (1940-1943) (Disc 2) 1/05/08 10:27 PM
Laughing In Rhythm Slim Gaillard and his Peruvians 142 1951 2:56 Laughing In Rhythm: The Best Of The Verve Years 25/04/08 10:35 PM
Bli-Blip Jonathan Stout And His Campus Five 140 2007 2:44 Moppin’ And Boppin’ 1/05/08 10:29 PM
A Viper’s Moan Mora’s Modern Rhythmists 143 2000 3:30 Call Of The Freaks 1/05/08 10:33 PM
Squatty Roo Jonathan Stout And His Campus Five 173 2003 3:43 Jammin’ the Blues 25/04/08 10:45 PM
My Baby Just Cares For Me Nina Simone 120 3:38 The Great Nina Simone 25/04/08 10:49 PM
Again, nothing new or exciting. I’m really quite a boring DJ these days. Partly because most of the stuff I’m buying (helloooooooo Jelly Roll Morton!) is completely inappropriate for lindy hop. Not so bad for blues dancing, though.
Then this week just passed I did my first set at Madame Dynamite’s. This is what I played:
Blue Monday Jimmy Witherspoon With Jay McShann And His Band 125 1957 3:40 Goin’ To Kansas City Blues 1/05/08 10:05 PM
Hungry Man Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five 135 1949 3:08 Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five (vol 6) 1/05/08 2:11 PM
Give Me Some Skin Lionel Hampton and His Sextet 138 1941 3:16 The Complete Lionel Hampton Victor Sessions 1937-1941 (disc 5) 5/05/08 12:06 PM
The Back Room Romp Rex Stewart and His 52nd Street Stompers 152 1937 2:49 The Duke’s Men: Small Groups Vol. 1 (Disc 2) 1/05/08 2:17 PM
Just Kiddin’ Around Artie Shaw and His Orchestra 159 1941 3:21 Self Portrait (Disc 3) 1/05/08 2:20 PM
Bli-Blip Jonathan Stout And His Campus Five 140 2007 2:44 Moppin’ And Boppin’ 1/05/08 10:29 PM
Tishomingo Blues Carrol Ralph 128 2005 4:15 Swinging Jazz Portrait 1/05/08 2:27 PM
The Blues B Artie Shaw And His New Music 122 1937 2:59 Self Portrait (Disc 1) 1/05/08 2:30 PM
Deep Trouble Jimmie Noone 161 1930 2:49 The Jimmie Noone Collection 5/05/08 12:09 PM
The Basement Blues Nobel Sissle with Sidney Bechet 153 2000 3:16 Ken Burns Jazz Collection: Sidney Bechet 1/05/08 2:36 PM
Ballin’ The Jack Bunk Johnson’s V-Disc Veterans 156 1944 2:45 Bunk And The New Orleans Revival 1942-1945 1/05/08 2:39 PM
Blues My Naughty Sweetie Sidney Bechet 140 1951 5:44 The Blue Note Years 30/04/08 10:49 PM
Stuffy Jonathan Stout And His Campus Five 153 2003 3:46 Jammin’ the Blues 30/04/08 10:53 PM
The Grabtown Grapple Artie Shaw and His Gramercy 5 178 1945 2:57 Self Portrait (Disc 3) 30/04/08 10:56 PM
Peckin’ Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra 165 1937 3:10 The Duke’s Men: Small Groups Vol. 1 (Disc 2) 30/04/08 10:59 PM
The Heebie Jeebies Are Rockin’ The Town Red Allen & Lionel Hampton, vocal, & His Orchestra 139 1939 2:44 The Complete Lionel Hampton Victor Sessions 1937-1941 (disc 3) 30/04/08 11:01 PM
Pan Pan Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five 152 1941 2:54 Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five (vol 2) 1/05/08 10:20 PM
Apollo Jump Lucky Millinder 143 3:27 Apollo Jump 30/04/08 11:08 PM
Half Tight Boogie Jonathan Stout And His Campus Five 150 2003 3:13 Jammin’ the Blues 30/04/08 11:11 PM
Bogo-Jo Lionel Hampton and His Sextet 158 1940 2:55 The Complete Lionel Hampton Victor Sessions 1937-1941 (disc 5) 30/04/08 11:14 PM
Joog, Joog Duke Ellington and His Orchestra 146 1949 3:01 Duke Ellington and his Orchestra: 1949-1950 30/04/08 11:17 PM
Solid as a Rock Count Basie and His Orchestra with The Deep River Boys 140 3:04 Count Basie and His Orchestra 1950-1951 30/04/08 11:20 PM
Till Tom Special Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra 158 1940 3:24 Tempo And Swing 30/04/08 11:23 PM
Summit Ridge Drive Artie Shaw and His Gramercy 5 128 1940 3:21 Self Portrait (Disc 2) 30/04/08 11:27 PM
Easy Does It Big 18 129 5:14 30/04/08 11:32 PM
B-Sharp Boston Duke Ellington and His Orchestra 126 1949 2:55 Duke Ellington and his Orchestra: 1949-1950 30/04/08 11:35 PM
It Takes Two to Tango Lester Young and Oscar Peterson 104 1997 6:09 Lester Young With the Oscar Peterson Trio 1/05/08 2:04 PM
It was the second set (Wednesday 30th April, 9.30-late), there weren’t many people there at all and the floor was really slippery. I really struggled to find the right vibe that night. I’d expected a crowd who’d want old school, and mostly faster. I was looking forward to playing some of my newer, more obscure stuff. But that didn’t happen so much. I’m not sure if it was because I sucked or because the dancers just weren’t in the mood. I find it really difficult to work smaller crowds – I just need critical mass to really make them do what I want… or to get where I want to go. This crowd was also really into a bit of talking rather than dancing as well. So this set is more of the same, especially at the beginning, then there’s some newer stuff. I did play that ‘Give Me Some Skin’ song from my new Hampton Mosaic set (which I adore), I screwed up and played ‘Bogo-Jo’ instead of … some other song from that same set, and it didn’t work so well. So I recovered with a safety song, ‘Joog, Joog’. Overall, I wasn’t too happy with that set, but it didn’t suck. I mean, I liked the music a lot, and would have liked to dance to it, but it didn’t really work the crowd properly. I also learnt that it’s important to be able to see the people sitting down not dancing as well as the dancers when I’m DJing. At the Funpit I couldn’t see anyone because it was so packed, but that’s kind of easier to work. At MD’s I couldn’t see the people sitting down, so I couldn’t judge their body language to see how they were feeling. Oh well.
I quite liked the bit from ‘The Blues B’ to ‘Ballin’ the Jack’. I’m especially fond of ‘Deep Trouble’. But that stuff doesn’t make for good lindy hop. It’s too early. I’m really loving 1927-1930 right now (incidentally, that’s the period the third season of House of Eliot is set, and I’m loving THAT – the skirt hems are so HIGH (knees! knees!)), but even though I know that’s when lindy began, people in Melbourne can’t dance to it. There’s not enough swing, and it still feels a bit too oomp-a, oomp-a for proper lindy. D says that that type of music is good for ‘one and five’ dancing, and that people overseas dig it atm. I dig it, I’d like to dance to it, but it simply doesn’t make for nice lindy hop. People at MD’s seemed to like it, but they weren’t really sure what to do with it.
In fact, I’m finding that people generally quite like the songs, but that they don’t really know how to dance to it. Some of the songs I played at the blues night had a similar effect. People really liked them, but their dancing looked pretty awkward. And I could hear an awful lot of stompy, clattering feet during a few tracks.
Anyhow, here’s that set list:
Do I Move You? (Second Version) (Bonus Track) Nina Simone 70 2006 2:20 Nina Simone Sings the Blues
Save Me Aretha Franklin 122 2:19 Greatest Hits – Disc 1
Get Back Temptation Ollabelle 80 2004 2:50 Ollabelle
I Left My Baby Kansas City Band 83 1995 7:24 Kansas City: A Robert Altman Film
St. James Infirmary The Cairo Club Orchestra 109 2004 3:33 Sunday
Reckless Blues Velma Middleton with Louis Armstrong and the All Stars 88 2:30 The Complete Decca Studio Recordings of Louis Armstrong and the All Stars (disc 06)
Back Water Blues Dinah Washington with Belford Hendricks’ Orchestra 71 1957 4:58 Ultimate Dinah Washington
Cloudy Jimmy Witherspoon With Jay McShann And His Band 69 1957 3:16 Goin’ To Kansas City Blues
Wee Baby Blues Count Basie with Mahalia Jackson 64 1968 3:14 Live In Antibes 1968
Amtrak Blues Alberta Hunter 95 1978 3:24 Amtrak Blues
Long John Blues Dinah Washington 97 1948 3:10 Dinah Washington:the Queen Sings – Disc 2 – Stairway to the Stars
My Daddy Rocks Me Jimmie Noone’s Apex Club Orchestra 114 1929 3:09 The Jimmie Noone Collection
New Orleans Bump Wynton Marsalis 128 1999 4:36 Mr. Jelly Lord – Standard Time, Vol. 6
Black And Tan Fantasy Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis 88 1999 4:36 Live In Swing City: Swingin’ With Duke
Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho Mahalia Jackson 130 1958 2:13 Live At Newport 1958
Goin’ To Chicago Count Basie and His Orchestra with Jimmy Rushing 79 1952 3:22 Complete Clef/Verve Count Basie Fifties Studio Recordings (Disc 2)
I Want A Little Girl Big Joe Turner with Pete Johnson and Freddie Green 91 1956 4:19 The Boss Of The Blues
It’s from the SP blues night, 13th April, 10.30-11.30. I especially love that song ‘My Daddy Rocks Me’. I’ve heard a more recent version played lately round town – something hi-fi. But this version is the BEST. The older versions always sound so much dirtier. I wonder if it’s because the contemporary singers, today, don’t know what the words mean? Or if they can’t make it work because they don’t use those expressions themselves in their everyday talk (vernacular much?), so they can’t give it the right weight….? Any how, Jimmie Noone is my man. My homey. My main squeeze. We are having a Thing. If you read the Red Hot Jazz entry about him you’ll see where my musical taste is at at the moment – I am still really keen on Kid Ory (and following him through Jelly Roll’s bands), nuts for Johnny Dodds and chasing some Earl Hines.
This blues set was quite varied, moving from an excellent (truly great) set by Leon. But Iiked the part from Long John Blues onwards especially. I played the Winton Marsalis version of ‘New Orleans Bump’ rather than the Jelly Roll one because I needed to get up out of the scratchy sound quality for the room to get a bit of energy. People really have trouble with those blues tracks with tango type rhythms, though. Me, I lubbs them, because I have experience with Argentinian tango. And because I really like blues music which makes you feel like moving around the floor rather than just standing there getting your frottage cheeze on. Also, the guy who wrote ‘St Louis Blues’ said in an interview I read somewhere that he wrote the song with a ‘tango’ intro because tango was so cool with dancers at that moment, and he wanted to get them on the floor before hitting them with the blues action…. now I think about it, I’m not sure it was ‘St Louis Blues’. But whatever, it’s an interesting point. And I really should look up the quote so I can get it right. But I like the late 20s for all the interesting stuff that was going on. We see early labour movement stuff. Women’s movement stuff (where women were beginning to reap the benefits of the suffragette movement of the late 19th century). Sweet-as music stuff. It was just an interesting period.
Any how, I played the LCJO version of ‘Black and Tan Fantasy’ rather than a bit of sweet Ellington because of the scratch factor. This crowd isn’t all that used to or comfortable with really old stuff – they prefer the hi-fi. And the sound gear and room just wasn’t working with so much lo-fi, scratchy, messy sounding music. Which is a real shame.
Some day I’d like to do a set that played all the music from a particular period, regardless of tempo or style, just working it all together to make for an interesting night of dancing. I’d like to play the really slow stuff and the really fast stuff, working it all together so it kind of flowed, but not having to think ‘oh, these speed freaks won’t dance slow’ and vice versa.
Sigh.
— Note: all pics are from this interesting site, www.mainspringpress.com. —