Category Archives: Playlists

The August Playlist and a Request

Here’s the playlist from August’s Balboa on a Sunday Afternoon. I don’t have the BPM numbers up, but one of the things I find challenging is that many of my favorite Bal songs are in the 220-240 BPM range, but people have generally preferred songs around 190 or below. When I went through the playlist after the event, there were only 8 songs over 200 and none over 210.

What are your favorite songs to dance Balboa to? Post a top 10 in the comments or send me an email!

Other comments and feedback are always welcome, of course.

  Song Title Album Artist Year
1 Hop, Skip And Jump D5vb1105 RCA-20-1800 Artie Shaw’s Gramercy 5 1945
2 Chicago Django Reinhardt 1936-1937 Django Reinhardt  
3 At The Clambake Carnival M791 Okeh -6896 Cab Calloway & His Orchestra 1938
4 The Seargent Was Shy The Classic Tracks Of The 1920’s & 1930’s Duke Ellington 1930
5 Peckin’ 09569-1 Victor -25621 Benny Goodman & His Orchestra 1937
6 Four Or Five Times All-bal 2006 Mora’s Modern Rhythmists  
7 For Dancers Only Jimmie Lunceford : 1934 – 1942 Jimmie Lunceford 2007
8 Rose Room The Genius Of The Electric Guitar Charlie Christian 1939
9 Jacquet In The Box The Ultimate Jazz Archive 23 [disc 2] The Illinois Jacquet Sextet 1946
10 Flying Home   Lionel Hampton  
11 Sioux City Sue Decca 18745 Hoosier Hot Shots (v. Sally Foster, Two-Ton Baker)  
12 Cross Your Heart 055064 RCA Victor-26763-b Artie Shaw And His Gramercy 5 1940
13 Three Swings In And Out M746 Vocalion-3995 Cab Calloway & His Orchestra 1938
14 King Porter Stomp Brunswick-8366 Harry James And His Orchestra 1939
15 In The Mood Harlem Joys Edgar Hayes 2005
16 Strictly Swing 027958 Bluebird-10012b Erskine Hawkins & His Orchestra 1938
17 Muskrat Ramble   Sidney Bechet Bluenote Jazzmen 1945
18 Vol Vist Du Gaily Star The Very Best Of Slam Stewart 2009
19 Jump Steady 20th Century Closet Mora’s Modern Swingtet 2004
20 Satchel Mouth Swing Decca-1636 Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra 1938
21 Hawaiian War Chant (ta-hu-wa-hu-wai) Coral-60510 The Ames Brothers
Feat. Roy Smeck And The Serenaders		 1951
22 Candy Shop Oh! The Grandeur Andrew Bird’s Bowl Of Fire 1999
23 Night And Day Souvenirs The Quintet Of The Hot Club Of France  
24 Minor Swing All-bal 2006 Django Reinhardt  
25 Oh, Lady Be Good Complete RCA Victor Small Group Master Takes, [disc 1] Benny Goodman  
26 McPherson Is Rehearsin’ (to Swing)   Ella Fitzgerald 1939
27 Massachusetts   Anita O’day  
28 Pennsylvania 6-5000 Best Of The Big Bands – Ii – Various Artists Glenn Miller  
29 East St. Louis Toodle-oo The Classic Tracks Of The 1920’s & 1930’s Duke Ellington 1930
30 Ragging The Scale Jimmie Lunceford : 1934 – 1942 Jimmie Lunceford 2007
31 Reet, Petit And Gone Five Guys Named Moe: Original Decca Recordings, Vol. 2 Louis Jordan 1946
32 Out West   Swing Session  
33 Three-quarter Boogie Gold Collection-lionel Hampton [disc 2] Lionel Hampton 1941
34 Sweet Sue, Just You Complete RCA Victor Small Group Master Takes, [disc 1] Benny Goodman  
35 The Flat Foot Floogie The Very Best Of Slam Stewart 2009
36 The Jumpin’ Jive The Jumpin’ Jive Cab Calloway & His Orchestra 2008
37 Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho   Sidney Bechet  
38 I Want To Be Happy Victor-25510 Benny Goodman And His Orchestra 1937
39 Dig These Blues   The Four Clefs  
40 Sugar Foot Stomp 19669-2 Brunswick-7735 Artie Shaw And His Orchestra 1936
41 Rock Hill Special Victor 26114 Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra 1938
42 Lindyhopper’s Delight Strictly Jive Chick Webb 1999
43 Sing You Sinners The Chronological Classics: 1937-38 Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra 1937
44 I Want The Waiter (with The Water) Lunceford Special Jimmie Lunceford 2001
45 You’re A Lucky Guy – V T P Bluebird-b-10482 Artie Shaw And His Orchestra 1939
46 Jacquet And No Vest The Ultimate Jazz Archive 23 [disc 2] Illinois Jacquet 1946
47 Posin’ The Chronological Classics: 1937-38 Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra 1937
48 Tutti Frutti The Very Best Of Slam Stewart 2009
49 Jeepers Creepers Quintette Du Hot Club De France Django Reinhardt  
50 Darktown Strutters Ball Stomping At The Savoy Featuring Ella Fitzgerald 1934/1949 Chick Webb  
51 In The Bag Gold Collection-lionel Hampton [disc 2] Lionel Hampton 1942
52 Glass Figurine Thrills Andrew Bird’s Bowl Of Fire 1998
53 Back Beat Boogie Columbia 39484 Harry James  
54 Lafayette All-bal 2006 Hot Lips Page  
55 Carioca Self Portrait Artie Shaw  
56 Topsy Victor-26107 Benny Goodman And His Orchestra 1938
57 Goodbye Little Darlin’ Dla2402 Decca -18767b Bing Crosby 1941

The Playlist from July

I’ve been hoping to write a post reflecting on the first two dances but I’ve been swamped with work and just haven’t been able to get around to it.  In the meantime, I figured I could at least shoot out a quick post on the music I’ve been playing.  I’m hoping people will find it of interest, if not helpful. And if people would like to send feedback about particular songs or the music in general or would like to pass along suggestions and recommendations, I’d love to hear it.

It’s been a challenging experience collecting songs for the dance.  While I’ve always been pretty good at identifying a large swathe of popular music from the 80s simply based on the first second and a half of the drum machine intro, I’m still developing an ear for the music of the 30s and 40s, so I often have some difficulty identifying songs or recalling a melody simply based on the title unless it’s something crazy-obvious like Rigamarole or Joshua Fit. The exercise of preparing to DJ the dance has helped a bit — it’s still a struggle right now, but I can already see it getting easier.

Anyway, here’s the list of songs I played at the first Balboa on a Sunday Afternoon in July; I lost track of a few songs and Alex DJ’d the first set so it’s far from a complete list, but it’s a start, y’know?  I should mention that as far as choosing songs, I like the idea of throwing unusual tracks from different genres into the mix, but I found myself mostly sticking close to home, except for that Adam Ant song towards the end there. We’ll see how that goes.

I’ll try to post the list for August soon.

Song Title Album Artist Year
Breakfast Feud The Genius Of The Electric Guitar Charlie Christian 1941
Back Bay Shuffle Let’s Go For Shaw! Artie Shaw 1996
The Jumpin’ Jive The Jumpin’ Jive Cab Calloway & His Orchestra 2008
8, 9 And 10 The Very Best Of Slam Stewart 2009
Stampede The Chronological Classics: 1937-38 Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra 1937
Dig These Blues Bluebird B-8655-B The Four Clefs 1941
Blue Lou Ella Fitzgerald With Chick Webb Chick Webb/ella Fitzgerald 1998
Minor Swing All-bal 2006 Django Reinhardt
Hop, Skip And Jump D5vb1105 RCA-20-1800 Artie Shaw’s Gramercy 5 1945
Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho Home Sidney Bechet
Jamaica Jam Ridin’ The Subways Teddy Powell 2001
Stealin’ Apples The Chronological Classics: 1937-38 Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra 1937
When I Get Low I Get High Ella Fitzgerald With Chick Webb Chick Webb/ella Fitzgerald 1998
C Jam Blues The Masters [disc 1] Duke Ellington 1997
Posin’ The Chronological Classics: 1937-38 Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra 1937
Putting On The Ritz The Cangelosi Cards The Cangelosi Cards
Stompy Jones The Classic Tracks Of The 1920’s & 1930’s Duke Ellington 1930
Mary Had A Little Lamb Willie Bryant Et Son Orchestre: 1935-1936 Willie Bryant (chant) Et Son Orchestre 2006
Suits Are Picking Up The Bill Perennial Favorites Squirrel Nut Zippers 1998
The Dipsey Doodle Call Of The Freaks Mora’s Modern Rhythmists 2000
Blues In B The Genius Of The Electric Guitar Charlie Christian 1941
Breakin’ Em Down All-bal 2006 Chick Webb
Vote For Mr. Rhythm Ella Fitzgerald With Chick Webb Chick Webb/ella Fitzgerald 1998
Corner Pocket October Swing Mix Count Basie
Harlem Shout Jimmie Lunceford And His Orchestra, Vol. 1 (1934-1939) Jimmie Lunceford 2009
Ko-ko The Masters [disc 1] Duke Ellington 1997
Wham! (re-bop-boom-bam) Lunceford Special Jimmie Lunceford 2001
Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives All-bal 2006 Sidney Bechet
Everybody Eats When They Come To My House Cab Calloway
Candy Shop Oh! The Grandeur Andrew Bird’s Bowl Of Fire 1999
Sweet Adeline 21425-2 Brunswick-7936 Artie Shaw & His New Music 1937
Till Tom Special The Genius Of The Electric Guitar Charlie Christian 1940
Goody Two Shoes Antics In The Forbidden Zone Adam Ant 1990
San Fernando Valley Decca 18586b Bing Crosby 1943