Swing Dance Music

Gandalfe

Gandalfe

Striving to play the changes in a melodic way.
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I'm setting up two big bands and a jazz combo to support a local swing dance club. We have music they like such as:
  • Sing, Sing, Sing
  • Two Oclock Jump
  • American Patrol
  • Pennsylvania 65000
Anyone do this kind of music? The lady in charge likes music like this plus the Charleston and Boogie Woogie. The Charleston is a dance, not a song. I'm trying to build a book of 50 charts. And I'm not finding an easy way to locate this sheet music at the normal places.
I've found some sites with these kind of listings:

Title - Artist - Time - Year - Dance
  • Walkin' On the Moon The-Dream & Kanye West 4:15 2009 WCS
  • Everyday I Have the Blues (Chatman) The Clark Terry Quintet Feat. Carrie Smith 4:52 2004 Lindy/Foxtrot
  • No Llores - cha Gloria Estefan 4:11 2007 Cha
  • Bleeding Love -swustle Leona Lewis 4:22 2007 WCS/Hustle
  • You Already Love Me - 2step Toby Keith 3:32 2008 2 step
  • Crazy Little Thing Called Love Queen 2:44 1994 ECS
  • Spotlight Jennifer Hudson 4:10 2008 WCS/Hustle
  • Going Back to Louisiana - wcs ecs Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown 4:41 2001 WCS/ECS
  • Kelly Ray - swustle Raphael Saadiq 3:30 2008 WCS/Hustle
  • Georgy Porgy Eric Benet featuring Faith Evans 4:40 2007 WCS/Hustle
  • Because of You - nc2 Reba McEntire & Kelly Clarkson 3:44 2007 NC2S
  • Don't Be Cruel Elvis Presley 2:05 1956 ECS
  • Circus Britney Spears 3:12 2008 WCS
  • Spanish Fly Eric Benet 4:30 2008 WCS/Cha
  • Love That Girl - wcs Raphael Saadiq 3:04 2008 WCS
  • Abracadabra Robin McKelle 3:34 2008 ECS/Foxtrot
  • Push Enrique Iglesias 3:52 2007 WCS
  • Just Dance Lady GaGa 4:02 2008 WCS
  • Free Fallin' (Live) John Mayer 4:24 2008 WCS
  • My Baby Just Cares for Me Nina Simone 3:36 1958 Lindy/Foxtrot
  • That's the Way Love Is Kenny Lattimore 4:13 2008 WCS
  • Good 2 U - blues Dave Mason 4:32 WCS
But locating the charts looks to be a big project.
 
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The Charleston is a tune, too.

Checkout Jim Jones' Yestertunes for arrangements for many swing-era (and older jazz) tunes. It is a business, so some fees attach. DAVE
 
Anyone do this kind of music?
Click to expand...
Oh, yes. The ghost bands and revivalist big bands do them regularly. I'll be playing in one tomorrow and Saturday nights.

"Charleston" was written by Jimmy Johnson and published in 1923. I'm guessing that the tune was written to support the popularity of the dance, which was performed to several pop tunes of the day.

"Black Bottom" was another.
 
Don't forget "In the Mood". Everyone is tired of playing it, but it always gets the dancers on the floor.
 
Dick Spencer's listing of charts for a 5444 group plus vocals is extensive and includes a number of the tunes listed. An arrangement costs out about $40.00, and in many cases are available either as a vocal or an instrumental. His address is:

RMC Arranging
Post Office Box 625
Forestdale RI 02824

His phone number is (508) 242-5132.

I have used Dick extensively over the past seven years. I think that I have about 200 Spencer charts. His charts vary in consistency at times, but most are solid pieces of work. He is also easy to work with on custom arrangements, and is quick to fix problems with charts.

Another source is Lush Life Music, at lushlife.com. They are based in England, and the charts are a bit more expensive (say $50.00 at current rates), but they are error-free, all engraved rather than hand written, and are uniformly "sharp" arrangements.

They too are quick to correct errors and support their customers. I think that I have thirty or so of their charts, and regularly order more.
 
String of Pearls
Stompin' at the Savoy
570 in the Book
Tuxedo Junction
A train
In the Mood

These are the tunes that our local swing dancers dig, although they'll dance to anything with a swing, bossa, or 60s funk feel.
 
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