Thursday, June 11, 2009

Theme Thursday - Swing

Sorry, no playground swings, rope swings, tire swings, or whatever here. As a musician, when I hear the word "swing", I think of music. Ella singing "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. Doowop doowop doowop doowop doowop doowop doowow!" And the King of Swing, Bennie Goodman. Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys with rollicking Texas Swing. And on it goes.

But the music doesn't have to have swing in the genre name or in the title; if it swings, it swings no matter who's playing it. For instance, take this picture of Del McCoury and his band at the 2005 Newport Folk Festival. You can tell just by looking that these guys are swinging!


Okay, I know I'm biased, but Del and the boys are the best damned bluegrass band in the business, bar none. Just to show you how much of a fan I am, left to right: Ronnie McCoury, mandolin; Robbie McCoury, banjo; Alan Bartram, bass; Jason Carter, fiddle; and Del McCoury, guitarist and vocalist extroadinaire! And can they swing? Well, here's Del, Ronnie, and Robbie playing with The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band playing "Take Me In Your Lifeboat". You tell me whether they can swing or not.



But of course, I can't do a post about "swing" without presenting the King of Swing himself, Benny Goodman, playing the swingingest song in history: "Sing, Sing, Sing", with that jungle drumbeat from Gene Krupa, that great trumpet line behind Harry James, and Benny's patented wail. Put on your dancin' shoes, grab your partner, and get ready to swing, swing, swing!



Photo & text © 2005 & 2009 by A. Roy Hilbinger

15 comments:

  1. Great post! Was already listenting to "Sing, Sing, Sing" from the Silver Fox's TT post as I read your's! :)

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  2. wow, that nitty gritty dirt band song took me back!

    nice to see the benny vid too!

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  3. came upon a gret bluegrass band at a lek in the mountains last year. was fun to sit and listen. who am i kidding...i couldn't sit long. the music makes you want to move...and swing.

    happy TT!

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  4. Yessir! That's twice today I've heard Bennie & the boys doing that one, and I 'bout came outa my chair both times! "King of Swing" I reckon!
    Del and them ain't no slackers either, though. You are right about them, for sure. I love those old bluegrass gospel tunes, and really enjoyed this one.
    Great swingin' post, Roy!

    And on a side note: I really like your TT pic for this week. Hubba-hubba! ;-) (The Jane, not the Tarzan;-p)

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  5. We have some friends who play in a bluegrass band. You just can't sit still when you listen!

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  6. Great swingers all. Love the "Dirt Band." And what can I say about Swing Master Krupa. Not but a moment of silence to listen. Did the Cherry Poppin' Daddies cover Sing, Sing, Sing?

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  7. Great music videos. Greatly enjoyed them. I also think that is cool that you can name all who are in the band. I think I can only name the Beatles. But who pretty much cannot.

    Thanks for the music. God bless.

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  8. Oh Yes! Brilliant Music!NGD-Band Rule!

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  9. Love the Big Band sound, especially Bennie Goodman.

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  10. King of Swing....Bennie Goodman....a little tiny bit before our time but such a great sound.

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  11. Dunno about 'take me in your lifeboat' fitting into the 'swing' category but they sure look like they're having fun! I can't listen to Benny Goodman without thinking about my father, he was a nut for swing!

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  12. way cool...i've kindof gotten hooked on jazz/swing as my oldest & youngest have been in jazz band the last 8 years...amazing how good a group of high school kids can be.

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  13. I was pleasantly surprised at how many TT posters used the "swing" theme to talk about swing music!

    I remember when Benny Goodman died. My clock radio used to wake me with music, and imagine my surprise when the local hard rock station I set it to was playing Goodman's band when the alarm went off. The DJ was an apparently knowledgeable sort who said that rock'n'roll owed a lot to artists like Benny, which was why she was commemorating his life.

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  14. Oh joy! Strings! Nice sound Roy. And "Sing,Sing,Sing"---three talents that played great to-gether. I think I used to have that on a 78rpm! Too, fun post :)

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  15. awesome! they can sure swing. ;)
    and they have great hair too!

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