Swing

I came to jazz fairly late in life.  I appreciate all but the smoothest genres of jazz,  but I have focused my own playing on classic standards.  This is largely a consequence of the gradual introduction of swing dancing within contra dance circles.  In the 1980s it became increasingly common to include in a swing dance or two among the squares and contras.  Weekend-long dance workshops,  or week-long dance camps often had swing dance segments.

As you might guess,  then, the melody instrument I am most likely to accompany is the fiddle,  or violin, as it is more commonly referred to in the jazz context.  This in turn suggests that the tunes are usually rendered in the key of C or one of the sharp keys,  and occasionally F (one flat).  This is because most fiddle music is in those keys, which in turn is because there are more opportunities for open strings, thus stabilizing the intonation.

But I digress.  The repertoire works very well for weddings and other social gatherings,  it is recognizable to a broader audience than contra dance music,  and it is very much fun to play.  My current jazz partner is usually Carey Bluhm on violin,  and if the budget facilitates a larger sound,  we can add a bass player and percussion.

Listen

(click on a song title to get started)

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Sample Repertoire

After You’ve Gone
All of Me
Am I Blue
Autumn Leaves
Do You know What it Means, to Miss New Orleans
Don’t Get Around Much Anymore
Georgia
I Can’t Get Started
I Can’t Give You Anything But Love
I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Right Myself a Letter
Lady Be Good
Paper Moon
Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’ve Gone
Satin Doll
Sentimental Journey
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Sunny Side of the Street
Sweet Georgia Brown
Undecided