Swing it daddy-o, swing it hard!

January 23, 2011 9:51 AM

I'm trying to expand my exposure to swung rhythms in music. I know that some genres are more likely to have swung rhythms--blues and jazz being two obvious examples--but there is a lot of straight-time music within those genres as well. So...are there any ways to search for swung rhythm music? Sites that compile lists of swung songs? Personal recommendations?

I'm particularly interested in the slower end of the spectrum (80bpm or less), but I'm open to whatever suggestions you can offer.

posted by philosophygeek to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

You might enjoy this.
posted by phrontist at 10:58 AM on January 23, 2011

Listen to Texas honkytonk and classic western swing. Nary a straight beat to be found. Johnny Bush, Ray Price, that sort of thing.
posted by spitbull at 3:37 PM on January 23, 2011

Count Basie, for sure. A few tracks to look for:
Shiny Stockings
April in Paris
Corner Pocket
Cute
Basie, Straight Ahead

And definitely listen to A Night in Tunisia (I like the Dizzy Gillespie version) which alternates between Latin and Swing.
posted by plinth at 4:55 PM on January 23, 2011

There are tons of swing dancers on the net, and they ONLY dance to swung rhythms (if they're any good, that is). Check out their sites and DJ sets. A good place to start is the swingdjs.com forum.
posted by some chick at 7:20 AM on January 24, 2011