i’m comin’ virginia

I’m currently really loving the song I’m Coming Virginia, penned by Donald Heywood and Marion Cook, recorded by a whole range of people, from Django Reinhardt to Fletcher Henderson.
I’m still loving the Maxine Sullivan version from this album (you can listen to bits of the song here). I think it’s a minor key thing. But Sullivan’s version is really just the beginning.
I’m also quite taken by a 1927 Fletcher Henderson version (Sullivan’s is 1956), though there’s a really big tempo shift (Henderson’s is about 200bpm, Sullivan’s 110bpm), and quite a serious difference in mood – Sullivan’s is mellow and laid back, Henderson’s (though mellow for much of his stuff in this period) is pretty well pre-swing and very up-and-down feeling (ie makes you want to charleston rather than swing out like a groover).
I also have a version by Sidney Bechet which I quite like, and I’m pretty well partial to another 1927 version, this time by Frank Trumbauer and his Orchestra with Bix Beiderbecke. This one, while the same year as Henderson’s, is really far more serious. You can hear the New Orleans funereal march echoes in this version (which is actually called I’m Coming Home Virginia and comes from this album). This one sits on about 132bpm.
I’m Coming Virginia is really the best song.
I think my favourite thing about it is the way it’s spelt on both my Henderson albums – I’m Coming Virgina.

solomon douglas’ swingtet’s swingmatism and the basie mosaic set!

I scored with two bits of music for christmas.
First, a friend’s band’s album: the Solomon Douglas Swingtet‘s album Swingmatism from The Squeeze’s mother, and second, The Basie Mosaic set from The Squeeze.
Both are, of course, really fricking great. It’s unfortunate, though, that Sol’s album arrived with the Basie one – they’re working (in a very general way) in the same sort of style* as the new testament Basie on the Mosaic set, and really, it’s cruel to set the two head to head. Basie wins, of course.
CDcover_small.jpg But Sol’s album really is very good – if this band was playing regularly in my city I’d be a very happy lindy hopper indeed. They’re certainly better than the B# Big Band who are the closest thing Melbourne has in comparison, and I prefer them to the JW Swing Orchestra, who are our other major swinging big band (there are others, but these are the only dancer-oriented/dancer-trained bands).
For lindy hoppers, this album is definitely worth the cash**.
…I’m try to write an even partially coherent discussion of this album, but I’m feeling a bit scatty.
Actually, my feelings about this album are mixed. Firstly, I really appreciate it as a present – it was a very thoughtful gift, and definitely something I really like. Well chosen, mother of The Squeeze (and Squeeze).
Secondly, as a general into-music type person, I like it very much. I like to support current day swinging bands, especially ones like Sol’s, where the band is led by a dancer, and tailors its sets specifically for dancers. I can also really appreciate this album as a dancer – this is some fun shit.
Thirdly, as a DJ, this is some good stuff. The version of the Big Apple Contest is a bit of a score, and there are some really nice songs on the album.
But, fourthly, as a picky, DJ nerd wench, I’m not sure this is my cup of tea. It’s a little hi-fi/new testament for my liking (though I MUST admit that it wanders through a fair old range of musical territory – there’s a nice version of Black and Tan Fantasy, for example), and I’m not sure how often I’d play this for my own pleasure at home. I do, however, really really like songs like Funky Blues – it feels like this is where it’s at.
As a picky DJ, I’m wondering when I’d play many of these songs. I’m not sure I’d choose this version of Shiny Stockings, for example, when there are so many wonderful versions by people like Basie, which really are fabulous. I’d definitely spin that version of the Big Apple song, though, and I might play a few of the other tracks to win over a few of the groover/US-favouring dancers in our scene. But I’m not sure if I’d play things from it if I was compiling my ideal set. Having said that, when do we ever get to play our ‘ideal’ sets?
So, thinking sensibly, this is one of those albums (like Mora’s Modern Rhythmists’) which is great for getting the pickier hi-fi dancers interested in proper swing-era bands: this is some shit-hot recreationist work. I’d put this CD on my sneak list. Which, of course, makes this a very useful album indeed.This is a band we should support by buying the album, as these guys are the bread and butter of swing dancing – without wonderful live bands who put such effort into their live sets and recordings, many local scenes would founder in their early days, and we’d really miss this sort of superior big band action at our big balls and major events.
I do regret the fact that I’ve been listening to this with the Basie set at the same time. There simply is no comparison. Which is a shame, as I do think Sol has done fabulous work, and I don’t doubt the band live are frickin awesome.
229.jpg The other CD I scored was the fabulous 8-CD Mosaic set. The Squeeze is the sneakiest beast on earth. In town doing our christmas shopping the other week, he suggested popping in to Basement Discs (where I’d seen this set) for a bit of browsing. I poo-pooed the idea in favour of goal-oriented shopping. He later (or had already – I’m not sure which) popped in to pick this up himself. And I scored big time.
This is one fabulous collection of new testament Basie action. There are some fricking awesome versions of lindy hopping favourites (including another version of Jive at Five for my collection), all in fantastic quality. I’m not the hugest late testament Basie fan, but this is such a great, solid collection of the dood’s work in the 1950s, I’m really very happy to have it. This was a period where Basie had some pretty shit-hot musicians on hand, working a band who were really cooking together. I can’t get over the quality. Though most of this later Basie stuff is pretty good quality, this is a really, really nice collection.
As I’ve already said, it’s a shame I first heard Sol’s band in such close proximity to this set.
But I do think that the two are complementary and definitely very nice additions to any lindy hopper (let alone DJ)’s collection. The Basie set is, however, a massive luxury, and Sol’s CD is far more accessible and practical for small-time collectors.
At the end of the day, I’m very very happy with these two presents – I couldn’t have asked for anything better…. though this Basie set has me hankering for the Peggy Lee set, which I do not need! 184.jpg
*As in they’re hi-fi, have a kind of late testament sound, etc.
**Incidentally, when I asked The Squeeze if I could use his paypal account to buy this album the other day, he declared “no way – I’m not wasting paypal dollars on that guy’s band”, and then immediately sneaked off to coordinate its purchase with his mother. This album is, of course, very Squeeze like, and he does actually think it was worth spending paypal dollars on this album. Even if they were his mother’s paypal dollars.

trifle = go

We made the trifle and it was wonderful!
I made custard for the very first time (and it was amazingly light, fluffy and lovely), we used lots of lovely fresh berries (though I’d have used even more, and forgot a few of the things in the fridge – fresh figs, blueberries, etc), I forgot the jam layer (but we decided it wasn’t necessary as it would’ve made this even sweeter, and we liked the tartness of the fruit), we used lovely local Taswegian plum liqueur stuff instead of kirsch on the cake layer, we had to use bodgy bought cake for the bottom layer because we only decided to make the trifle at the last minute, but it was all GREAT.
Now I will have to make it with old sponge cake (for historical accuracy), or perhaps a dryer cake/bread base.
Follow the links from this photo on my flickr account to see a sort-of/abridged fewd bio.

pav, you’re the BEST! This recipe has convinced me trifle is worth my time: no jelly! No urky rum or cooking sherry! No sloppy custard! No runny cream! No canned fruit! YAY!

christmas meme

via pav’s cat.
I am really enjoying having endless time to just sit online and talk and write crap. The last six months of insane teaching and busyness have made me realise what a luxery doing a phd is – you get to sit about and write and read and write and rewrite and edit as much as you like. I miss it all ready.
The nicest thing about this holiday with the ps is that we’re all superbusy people (The Squeeze does crazy late night systems admin support stuff, the mother … mothers and stuff, the father is a busy suepracademic) and we’re all really enjoying doing nothing. The father’s family are big on sitting about and talking and enjoying each other’s company. There’s been some shouting, but not as much as usual, and not me. Surpisingly. I have a history of Big Shouting, but as I pointed out to The Squeeze, we don’t shout at each other (though I do shout, generally, and sometimes in his direction. But not angrily), so it was actually strange to find my parents shouting at each other strange. But it wasn’t angry shouting – just kind of loud emoting.
Because it’s that time of year (and pav says it’s ok to be in the Spirit), here’s the most useful advise I’ve had all year:
The Squeeze said (when I was busy being worried about some nasty and insensitive comments from acquaintances):
think less about people you don’t like, and more about people you do like.
Or (the hardcore version)
think less about the people you hate (just give them a punch in the bum and fuck off) and more about the people you love.
It was the best advice ever.
But on to the meme.
1) Do you have a tree, and if so what is hanging on it?
Some nice white lights, some red/gold/green baubles. It’s a fake tree, but it looks nice.
2) What’s the most successful bit of Christmas cooking you’ve done so far?
Mince tarts!
3) And the least successful?
Fried rice with herbs. Boring boring boring. Too dry. Dumb. Waste of nice prawns and pink ling (that’s a fish).
4) Which bit of your Christmas shopping are you happiest with?
The p’s present: it’s one of those amazing toilet seats that’s clear plastic but with wonderfully tacky sea shells and things inside it. They will LOVE IT. Especially the father.
5) Have you opened any of your presents yet? What was it / were they?
Nope.
6) Do you have any bad Christmas associations that will have to be tackled?
Well, family stuff with my sister in law. But that’s largely sorted. Because she’s in Brisvegas and I’m in Hobart.
7) What’s your favourite carol? Why?
The Holly and the Ivy (I think it’s called that), because it’s really nice to sing. But the other day I discovered that the tune of Deck the Halls works really nicely with all sorts of lyrics, especialy when you’re riding your bike.
8) Which part of your Christmas plans is most likely to go awry?
Turkey. It can suck if it’s over cooked.
We are also flying back to Melbourne Boxing Day for dinner with The Squeeze’s mothers and grandfather. That could be a bit tiring.
9) What’s your most favourite thing about Christmas?
I like the hardcore food (cooking, more like).
I like coming down to Tasmania.
I like the way The Squeeze is really relaxed and fun.
10) What’s your least favourite thing about it?
Spending so much money on crap (though we have become less present-centered since the year the mother was really ill. We had only a couple of days after she came out of hospital to get presents, and because we were all kind of preoccupied, we didn’t fuss about presents or food too majory – we were more mellow and just spent time enjoying each other’s company and plain old counting our blessings.
It feels like we now spend less time fretting about crap like whether we got people good enough presents or will have a ‘proper’ christmas (something that always seems on the mother’s (English) mind).
Now we just do nice things. And I like that. We’ve also learnt to really enjoy grownup christmases without kids…so I guess this is mostly a story about the good things about christmas.
11) What Christmassy thing have you seen or heard in the street or on the teeve or in the blogosphere that has
(a) touched your heart
Ummm a version of ‘from little things big things grow’ being sung by Paul Kelly. Not quite Archie Roach, pav, but still, it’s a wonderful song.
(b) hit a nerve
…nothing?
or (c) made you want to barf?
I felt a little nausious afte eating too much last night.
12) Who do you wish you had contacted to say Happy Christmas but haven’t so far?
Most everyone. I have been super slack this past six months, generally. I owe my friends some communication.

berry it up, baby

The wonderful pavlov’s cat has blogged her recipe for trifle and I figured, what better thing to do with some of these sexy beasts?

These are wonderful organic raspberries, purchased at the Salamanca Markets yesterday. We will make trifle with them tomorrow (though I must admit, I find it difficult to resist nabbing a couple each time I go into the fridge): YUM.

And of course, thank you so much, pav: you’ve saved me from urky trifle! And prevented family dischord! Huzzah!

hot christmas fewd action

Yesterday we made mince tarts. Well, actually, a few days earlier we made the mince meat (currents, sultanas, a couple of golden delicious apples, a ya pear, orange and lemon rind, brown sugar, butter, contreau… and some other stuff I’ve forgotten) and then kept it in the fridge. But yesterday we made 20 odd mince tarts. The Squeeze is King of Pastry – I am crap with pastry – and these were fabulous.

Here I am adding the filing to the shells. Check out the rest of the pics for more enthralling fewd action.