Not quite my tempo.
February 2, 2015 5:54 AM Subscribe
Just finished watching Whiplash and I would like to know what are some of the fastest Big Band Jazz recordings the world has ever heard?
• would prefer studio recordings, but live recordings okay too (if it's incredible)
• vocals would be great, though there's probably not much super fast vocal jazz done with a big band?
title references a scene from the movie
• would prefer studio recordings, but live recordings okay too (if it's incredible)
• vocals would be great, though there's probably not much super fast vocal jazz done with a big band?
title references a scene from the movie
I give you the exact performance that turned this then-young metalhead into a jazz listener: Arturo Sandoval and his band doing "Cherokee" at the Grammy Awards, 1993.
posted by jbickers at 6:29 AM on February 2, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by jbickers at 6:29 AM on February 2, 2015 [2 favorites]
Count Basie and Buddy Rich both used to play a tune called "Wind Machine" that is often done very fast
posted by thelonius at 6:34 AM on February 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by thelonius at 6:34 AM on February 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
What you want is anything with Gene Krupa.
Is Sing, Sing, Sing the type of thing you're interested in? Here's one with the famous Gene Krupa-Buddy Rich Drum Battles.
How about Spike Jones Flight of the Bumble Bee?
There's a really fast version of I'm Beginning to See the Light, which is an Ellington tune (and one of the best wordplay songs EVAH!) But I can't find it anywhere, and damned if the name of the artist doesn't escape me. I heard it in the late seventies, early eighties and it's a female artist, I vaguely remember English, but I could be all wet about that. Curly hair.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:58 AM on February 2, 2015
Is Sing, Sing, Sing the type of thing you're interested in? Here's one with the famous Gene Krupa-Buddy Rich Drum Battles.
How about Spike Jones Flight of the Bumble Bee?
There's a really fast version of I'm Beginning to See the Light, which is an Ellington tune (and one of the best wordplay songs EVAH!) But I can't find it anywhere, and damned if the name of the artist doesn't escape me. I heard it in the late seventies, early eighties and it's a female artist, I vaguely remember English, but I could be all wet about that. Curly hair.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:58 AM on February 2, 2015
Magic Flea. The link takes you to a live recording by the Count Basie Big Band. A recorded version appears on the album Basie Straight Ahead and is available on Spotify.
posted by crLLC at 7:21 AM on February 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by crLLC at 7:21 AM on February 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
I think the OP specifically wanted Big Band (as in Swing) not small combo bebop tunes. Like 99% of Charlie Parker's oeuvre would be applicable here if not for that.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:37 AM on February 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:37 AM on February 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
That's a recording of Dizzy Gillespie's big band from 1947, Potomac Avenue.
posted by thelonius at 7:38 AM on February 2, 2015
posted by thelonius at 7:38 AM on February 2, 2015
Oops my bad good point! Anyway, this recording of Louis Armstrong doing Tiger Rag is insanely fast. This question is fun.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:30 AM on February 2, 2015
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:30 AM on February 2, 2015
This might be too early for what you are looking for, but
Somebody Stole My Gal, performed by Billy Cotton
posted by snowymorninblues at 8:42 AM on February 2, 2015
Somebody Stole My Gal, performed by Billy Cotton
posted by snowymorninblues at 8:42 AM on February 2, 2015
Last one I promise, Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall, 1938. This recording has kept us awake on many a long drive home. Here's a playlist playlist, not everything is fast, but check out Avalon and China Boy and the aforementioned Sing, Sing,Sing.
posted by snowymorninblues at 8:49 AM on February 2, 2015
posted by snowymorninblues at 8:49 AM on February 2, 2015
More Basie: Jumping at the Woodside
Oligatory: Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross, "Cloudburst"
posted by rhizome at 9:56 AM on February 2, 2015
Oligatory: Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross, "Cloudburst"
posted by rhizome at 9:56 AM on February 2, 2015
Caribbean Clipper - Glen Miller
Little Jon Special - Lucky Millender
Sweet Georgia Brown - Wynton Marsalis version (plenty of other versions do it this fast too)
Central Avenue Breakdown - Lionel Hampton
Traffic Jam - Artie Shaw
One Is Never Too Old To Swing - Cats & The Fiddle
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:08 AM on February 2, 2015
Little Jon Special - Lucky Millender
Sweet Georgia Brown - Wynton Marsalis version (plenty of other versions do it this fast too)
Central Avenue Breakdown - Lionel Hampton
Traffic Jam - Artie Shaw
One Is Never Too Old To Swing - Cats & The Fiddle
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:08 AM on February 2, 2015
Here's another speedy Ella tune with Oscar Peterson, Air Mail.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:10 AM on February 2, 2015
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:10 AM on February 2, 2015
Mel Torme is kinda cheesy but his speed scatting is pretty tight. Here's his Sweet Georgia Brown.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:24 AM on February 2, 2015
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:24 AM on February 2, 2015
Here's Mel snapping in the 60s Fascinating Rhythm.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:25 AM on February 2, 2015
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:25 AM on February 2, 2015
Anything at the Django Reinhardt festival in New York, such as "Them There Eyes"
posted by blob at 1:11 PM on February 2, 2015
posted by blob at 1:11 PM on February 2, 2015
Duke Ellington's The Opener moves along at a fair pace, especially the solos.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:38 PM on February 2, 2015
posted by Thorzdad at 1:38 PM on February 2, 2015
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You'd be incorrect. Here's Ella doing One Note Samba.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:18 AM on February 2, 2015