Jazz to dance too?

Icarus26 · #1 03-16-2009, 09:52 PM

Hey lads and ladies. I'm looking for new music to listen to and i've been doing some research on jazz music. My depth of knowledge of jazz music is about the same level as a guitarists' knowledge of uhhh...well anything...excuse my attempt at something funny.

but anyways, i know that jazz has a lot of subgenres, like any other form of music. I was just wondering what kind of jazz people dance to. And i know you can say any type of music is influenced by jazz, but please people, only helpful posts please.

so yeah, if you could, recommend an artist or album that i should check out. The least you could do is tell me the name of the genre that i'm looking for. Thank you.

bass12 · #2 03-16-2009, 10:19 PM

Do some searches for "Snowboy". He's a DJ and percussionist who has been contributing to the British "Jazz Dance" scene for years. In fact, he recently had a book published on the subject. Two Snowboy compilations to check out are "Snowboy Presents The Hi-Hat: The True Jazz Dance Sessions" (featuring artists such as Horace Silver, Bob Berg, Sirius B, Pete Escovedo and Negrocan) and "Snowboy Presents The Return Of The Hi-Hat: Essential Cuban, Brazilian, Hard Bop + Fusion" (featuring Michel Petrucciani, Jaco, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Bosch, Afro Cuban Jazz Project and Antibalas). Of course, all of the jazz in the twenties and thirties was dance music, but I suspect that's not what you're asking about...

Jim Campbell · #3 03-16-2009, 10:38 PM

swing...........i dont know what you mean when you say jazz but the big band era was dance oriented ........glen miller ,the dorsey brothers,stan kenton, kay kyser,krupa........,duke elington ,basie,chick webb,or more modern guys like big bad voodoo daddy,a lot too depends on the kind of dancing.....jive, jitterbug,zoot suit .........there was lots in the days before tv

Steve! · #4 03-17-2009, 10:35 AM

Weather Report is Danceable. A lot of Big Band Stuff is too

TraceGroove77 · #5 03-17-2009, 08:50 PM

Try listening to a few of these people: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Horace Silver, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, and Charles Mingus.

JimK · #6 03-18-2009, 04:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icarus26

...recommend an artist or album that i should check out. The least you could do is tell me the name of the genre that i'm looking for. T

Swing, of course. Then came Bebop(Charlie Parker/Dizzy) & nobody really danced anymore. People coulda danced to Bop...people preferred listening (at the time, I imagine it sounded frantic & out of control, etc).

People dance to Latin-Jazz

the genre you're probably looking for is Hard Bop (not as intense as Bebop) or Soul-Jazz (a sub-genre of Hard Bop).
Do a search at Wiki or www.allmusic.com for a better description & examples.

Artists include Lee Morgan ("The Sidewinder", "The Rumproller"), Horace Silver, Cannonball Adderly, etc.

Some of Herbie Hancock's material, too-
"Cantaloupe Island"...wasn't it US3 that did a dance version of this tune?

Bassmickeyd · #7 03-18-2009, 04:43 AM

Check out the two Louie's.
Louie Jordan and Louie Prema.
They're the catz!

Steve! said;
Weather Report is danceable.
One question..... How many drinks does that take?

Jim Nazium · #8 03-18-2009, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassmickeyd

Steve! said;
Weather Report is danceable.
One question..... How many drinks does that take?

LOL I think that would take more than drinks. I'm thinking mushrooms. Then you can dance to King Crimson.

Seriously, I think what the OP is looking for is swing music: Louie Armstrong, Duke Ellington, etc. Stuff from the 1920s - 1940s, before bebop. There was a swing revival in the 90s too, with bands like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Cherry Poppin Daddies, Royal Crown Revue, and others.

HTH

have fun!

JimK · #9 03-18-2009, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Nazium

There was a swing revival in the 90s too, with bands like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Cherry Poppin Daddies, Royal Crown Revue, and others.

...and Brian Setzer Orchestra.
Most of that revival was Jump Blues.
It had swing but not the full-on assault of a Jazz Big Band (IMO).
Whatever, one really needed to have their dance chops in order.
That's my guess why the stuff came & went pretty quick.

Bassmickeyd · #10 03-18-2009, 07:38 AM

The original music lasted quite a while, from the 20'4 into the 50's. The re-issue of the late 90's lasted about 4 to 5 years. But, they were good years while they lasted, people going out getting dressed up to have a good time and dance. Instead of getting x'd out and listening to a techno beat in a dark room. ...... I think it died a natural death, partially because it was featured in the movies, Swing Kids and Swingers and it was an imitation of the real thing. It wasn't really allowed to be creative and become something else. Instead it stayed a novelty. But, there still good songs to learn with strong cord changes and groovin' bass lines.
I still play a once a month 'swing dance', where people pay the band good $$ to come out and play good songs they can swing dance to.

Icarus26 · #11 03-18-2009, 08:09 AM

Thanks for everyones input. From what i've been listening, all swing music has been done on a double bass. Of course, at the time there was nothing else, but i was wondering if you guys knew of any swing bands, i guess it'd be neo-swing? that used an electric bass. Just so i could apply it to myself.