Swing Songs

See also general Jazz history. The primary music for lindy hop, balboa and other swing dances is big band swing jazz music from the 1930s and 1940s. Smaller combos from the same era was also performed in a similar style. Related in the same era we have other styles such as gypsy jazz, as well as traditional/dixieland jazz preceding the swing era and NOLA (New Orleans)-style bands. Swing dancers adapted to the changing music stylings of later eras such as rock and roll with varying degrees of success, including jump blues, rock and roll and even bebop. Coinciding with the swing revival era of the late 90s, we have "neo-swing" genre, and the coming full circle we now also have bands focused on recreating and/or innovating in the swing jazz styles of the 30s and 40s.

Popular Swing Songs

 * All the Cats Join In
 * Annie Laurie: based on a poem by William Douglas (~1672 - ~1748)
 * Bei Mir Bist Der Schön
 * Carioca
 * Castle Rock
 * Corner Pocket
 * Darktown Strutter's Ball
 * Exactly Like You
 * Flat Foot Floogie
 * Flying Home
 * Honeysuckle Rose
 * I Got Rhythm: Gershwin tune, famous among jazz musicians for it's 32 bar chord progression "Rhythm Changes",  commonly used in many other jazz tunes.
 * It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
 * Jumpin' at the Woodside
 * Lavendar Coffin
 * Lindy Hopper's Delight
 * Man from Mars
 * Minor Swing
 * Posin'
 * Rockin' in the Rhythm
 * Shiny Stockings
 * Sing, Sing, Sing
 * Splanky
 * Twenty-four Robbers
 * Woodchopper's Ball: Classic example of the "clave" rhythm

Lindy Focus
Lindy Focus is the largest swing dance event in North America, happening usually after Christmas all the way to New Year's. The evening dances are generally filled with live music to a big band comprised of some of the biggest names in swing jazz music. The past years the nights have been themed around some of the most important bandleaders of the swing era, paired with a transcription project and focused on recreating the exact charts for these popular and iconic versions of the songs. The transcription project has been paired with crowd-sourced fundraising campaigns where specific transcriptions can be "sponsored": Chick Webb(2016), Jimmie Lunceford(2017), Lionel Hampton(2018). This followed a pilot project that produced charts for Artie Shaw, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Count Basie.


 * Lindy Focus XVII
 * Lindy Focus XVII: Jimmie Lunceford Night:
 * Set 1: For Dancers Only; Shut Out; Twenty Four Robbers; Strictly Instrumental; Oh Boy; Rose Room; Pigeon Walk; Margie; Jay Gee; He Ain't Got Rhythm; Jazznocracy
 * Set 2: Harlem Shout; Stomp it Off; Hi Spook; Four or Five Times, Annie Laurie; Rhythm is Our Business; Le Jazz Hot; My Blue Heaven, Jeep Rhythm; Lunceford Special
 * Set 3: Blues in the Groove (no audio); ?; Wham (Re-bop-Boom-Bam); Swingin' on C; Well, Alright, Then!; Watcha Know Joe?; Ain't She Sweet; Posin'; White Heat; Tain't What You Do (Encore)
 * Lindy Focus XVII: Bennie Goodman Night
 * Set 1: Savoy; Loch Lomond; Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea; Big John Special; Jam Session; You Turn The Tables on Me; Blue Skies; The Glory of Love; Solo Flight; Swingtime in the Rockies
 * Set 2: Let's Dance (Intro); Don't Be That Way; Goody Goody; Take Another Guess; Roll'Em; Avalon; Why Don't You Do Right; Flying Home; Bei Mir Bist Der Schon; Ridin' High
 * Set 3: All the Cats Join In; Tea for Two; Did You Mean It; Honeysuckle Rose; St. Louis Blues; Good Night My Love; Sing Sing Sing; Part 2; Goodbye
 * Lindy Focus XVII: Chick Webb Night
 * Set 1: Who Ya' Hunchin; By Heck; Everybody Rock; Breakin' 'Em Down; Sugar Foot Stomp; Rock It For Me; Take It From The Top; You're Gonna Lose Your Gal; Blue Lou; Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie.
 * Set 2: Blue Minor; On The Sunny Side of the Street; The Dipsy Doodle; Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away); A-Tisket, A-Tasket; The Jubilee Swing; Undecided; In the Groove at the Grove; St. Louis Blues
 * Set 3: Go Harlem; Spinnin' the Webb; Betcha Nickel; When I get Low I Get High; Sing You Sinners; Little White Lies; Billy; Harlem Congo; Lindy Hopper's Delight (Encore)
 * Lindy Focus XVII: Lionel Hampton
 * Set 1: Buck's Idea; The Till Tom Special; No Love, No Nothin'; Down Home Jump; The Lamplighter; Giddy Up; Stompology; A Slip of the Lip Might Sink a Ship; Hamp's Boogie Woogie; Flying Home
 * Set 2 : Rockin' And Rhythm; The Mess is Here; Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby; I'm Mindin' My Business; Flying Home #2; Air Mail Special; Blow Top Blues; I'm A Slick Chick; Southern Echoes; In The Bag
 * Set 3: Overtime; Hey Ba-Ba Rebop; Cobb's Idea; Whoa, Babe!; Accentuate the Positive; Hamp's Got Duke; Arkansas; K Ration Hop; Evil Gal Blues; Loose Wig; Flying Home; Lavender Coffin
 * New Year's Eve
 * Lindy Focus XVI
 * Lindy Focus XVI: Artie Shaw Night
 * Set 1: When the Quail Come Back To San Quentin; Carioca
 * Set 2: Nightmare; Nonstop Flight; Little Jazz; Jumpin’ On The Merry Go Round; Let’s Walk; Special Delivery Stomp; Moonray; Begin The Beguine; My Blue Heaven; Lady Be Good
 * Set 3: One Night Stand; Comin’ On; Back Bay Shuffle; Day In Day Out; Everything Is Jumpin’; Diga Diga Doo; Comes Love; Cross Your Heart; Man From Mars; Traffic Jam (Encore)
 * Lindy Focus XVI: Chick Webb Night
 * Set 1 : Who Ya Hunchin'; By Heck; Blue Lou; Everybody Rock; Sugar Foot Stomp; Rock It for Me; Strictly Jive; You're Gonna Lose Your Gal; Undecided; Don't Be That Way
 * Set 2: Let's Get Together; Blue Minor; Tain't what you do; Sing Me a Swing Song and Let Me Dance; Dipsy Doodle; Sing You Sinners; Take It from the Top; A-Tisket, A-Tasket; In the Groove at the Grove; When I Get Low I Get High; Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie.
 * Set 3: Go Harlem; Little White Lies; Betcha Nickel; Breakin' 'Em Down; Stompin' At the Savoy; Sugar Blues; Spinnin' the Webb; Everybody Step; Billy; Harlem Congo; Lisa (Encore); Lindyhopper's Delight (2nd encore)
 * Lindy Focus XVI: Duke Ellington Night
 * Set 1: Royal Garden Blues; Feet Bone; Blue Ramble; Stompy Jones; C Jam Blues; I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good; Perdido; Riding On A Blue Note; Main Stem
 * Set 2: Take The “A” Train; Blue Cellophane; Bojangles; St.louis Blues; Old King Dooji; The Mooche; Bli-Blip; Jump For Joy; Cotton Tail
 * Set 3: It Don't Mean Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing; Jumpin' Punkins; Rocks In My Bed; The Gal From Joe's; Harlem Airshaft; Jack The Bear; The Chocolate Shake; Rockin' In Rhythm; Love You Madly (Encore)
 * Lindy Focus XVI: Jimmie Lunceford Night
 * Set 1 (some A/V issues): For Dancers Only; Shut Out; Twenty Four Robbers; Strictly Instrumental; Oh Boy; Rose Room; Pigeon Walk; Margie; Jay Gee; He Ain’t Got Rhythm; Jazznocracy
 * Set 2: Harlem Shout; Stomp It Off; Hi Spook; Four Or Five Times; Annie Laurie; Rhythm Is Our Business; Le Jazz Hot; My Blue Heaven; It’s Time To Jump And Shout; Jeep Rhythm; Lunceford Special
 * Set 3: Avalon; Organ Grinder’s Swing; Wham(Re-Bop-Boom-Bam); Blues In The Groove; Well, Alright, Then!; Whatcha Know, Joe?; Posin’'; Uptown Blues; Ain’t She Sweet?; Swingin’ On C; White Heat (Encore); Tain't What You Do (Second Encore)
 * Lindy Focus XVI: New Year's Eve "Kitchen Sink Night"
 * Set 1: The Flash (Harry James); St. Louis Blues (Benny Goodman); The Bolero at the Savoy (Count Basie); Harvard Blues (Count Basie, Jimmie Rushing); Royal Flush (Count Basie); Truckin'; You Turn The Tables On Me; Sent For You Yesterday, And Here You Come Today (Count Basie); Sing Me a Swing Song And Let Me Dance (Benny Goodman); Jamaica Jam (Teddy Powell)
 * Set 2: Board Meeting (Les Hite); Jumptown (Harry James); Dark Rapture (Count Basie); Blow Top (Count Basie); Going to Chicago Blues; Moonlight Serenade; Why Don't You Do Right (Benny Goodman); Boogie Woogie (I May Be Wrong) (Count Basie); Alreet (Gene Krupa, Anita O'Day); Dark Eyes
 * Set 3: Auld Lang Syne; Stardust (Benny Goodman, Charlie Christian); Dress Hop (Gene Krupa); Blue Skies (Fletcher Henderson); 720 in the Books (Jan Savitt); All the Cats Join In; Honeysuckle Rose (Benny Goodman); Good Morning Blues (Count Basie, Jimmie Rushing); Lindy Focus (Massachusetts); Good Night My Love (Benny Goodman); The All-Star Jump (Metronome All-Stars); Flying Home (Lionel Hampton); Sing, Sing, Sing (Benny Goodman, Encore); Sing, Sing, Sing Part 2 (Benny Goodman, Encore 2)
 * Lindy Focus XV
 * Lindy Focus XV: Benny Goodman Live Stream Part 1 Part 2 (Content Blocked)
 * Lindy Focus XV: Chick Webb Live Stream
 * Set 1: Who Ya Hunchin'; By Heck; Blue Lou; The Dipsy Doodle; Sugar Foot Stomp (sound skip); Rock It for Me (missed intro, skip); Strictly Jive (skip); You're Gonna Lose Your Gal; Billy; Don't Be That Way
 * Set 2: Go Harlem; Blue Minor; Tain't What You Do; Swing Me A Swing Song; Everybody Rock; Stompin' at the Savoy; Take It From the Top; A-Tisket, A Tasket; Breakin' 'Em Down; When I Get Low, I Get High'; Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie;
 * Set 3: Let's Get Together; Little White Lies; In the Groove at the Grove; Sing You Sinners; Sugar Blues; Spinnin' the Webb; Everybody Step; Undecided; Harlem Congo; Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away) (Encore); Lindyhopper's Delight (2nd Encore)
 * Lindy Focus XIV
 * Lindy Focus XIV: Artie Shaw Night Highlights
 * Lindy Focus XIV: "Auld Lang Syne" and "I'm Confessin" (New Year's Eve)
 * Lindy Focus XIV: Count Basie Night Highlights
 * Lindy Focus XIV: Duke Ellington Night Highlights
 * Lindy Focus XIV: "Sing, Sing, Sing" (Benny Goodman Night)
 * Lindy Focus XIII
 * Lindy Focus XIII: Artie Shaw Night Jonathan Stout Orchestra
 * Lindy Focus XIII: Slim Gaillard Tribute Falty & the Defects
 * Lindy Focus XIII: Benny Goodman Night Jonathan Stout Orchestra
 * Lindy Focus XIII: Count Basie Night Jonathan Stout Orchestra
 * Lindy Focus XII
 * Paul Consentino and His Swingin' Fives
 * Paul Consentino and His Swingin' Sevens
 * Ben Polcer and his NOLA
 * Lindy Focus XI: Glenn Crytzer and His Syncopaters

DCLX

 * DCLX 2013: Triple Treat by retrorhythmz
 * Craig Gildner Big Band Debut (Feb 2013) by retrorhythmz
 * DCLX 2012: Battle of the Bands by retrorhythmz
 * DCLX 2011: Battle of the Bands by retrorhythmz

Beantown

 * Beantown Swing Orchestra
 * Man From Mars (2017)
 * Tippin' In (2017)
 * All the Cats Join In (2017)
 * Dipsy Doodle (2016)

Snowball

 * Snowball 2018
 * Snowball 2018 Monday Dec 31st 2018
 * Snowball 2018 Sunday Dec 30th 2018. With the Hot Sugar Band
 * Snowball 2018 Saturday Dec 29th 2018
 * Snowball 2018 Friday Dec 28th 2018
 * Snowball 2018 Thursday Dec 27th 2018 Part 1 Part 2
 * Snowball 2018 Wednesday Dec 26th 2018


 * Snowball 2017
 * Snowball 2017 Thursday Dec 28th 2017
 * Luck of the Draw Open Finals (Stockholm Swing All-Stars): ??? (All-Skate), I Had a New Baby (Spotlight 1 and Spotlight 2),
 * Snowball 2017 New Year's Eve:
 * Set 1 (Gordon Webster Band): Moonglow; Charlie's Prelude; Blue Moon; 'Deed I Do; Buckin' The Dice; Tishomingo Blues; Night Train; Take A Picture Of The Moon; Cole Slaw; Lover Come Back To Me; Almost Like Being In Love; Shorty's Got To Go; Who Threw The Whiskey In Well; Roll'Em Pete
 * Set 2 (Gordon Webster Band): New Year's Countdown; Auld Lang Syne 2:00:49; Unknown Song; Kansas City
 * Set 3 (Gordon Webster Band): I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me; Stompin' at the Savoy; Tain't What You Do; Lavendar Coffin; Baby Oh Where Can You Be; Unknown Song; Twenty-four Robbers; Lord Help Me Now; Moon River; No Moon At All; I Like Pie
 * Set 4 (Naomi and Her Handsome Devils): Unknown Song; I Could Write a Book; Two Times; I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart; Till Tom Special; I Know How To Do It; Delta Bound; How Could You; Mood Indigo; More Than You Know; Air Mail Special
 * Set 5 (Naomi and Her Handsome Devils): Soft Winds; Love Walked In; Blues in B flat; Big Butter and Egg Man; I Never Knew; Guilty; Sweet Sue; Wham Rebop Boom Bam
 * Set 6 (Naomi and Her Handsome Devils): Royal Garden Blues (Benny Goodman); Blue Turning Grey Over You; Swinging At the Daisy Chain (Count Basie); I'll Never Be The Same; At The Fat Man's (Charlie Shaver); I'm in the Mood for Love; Honeysuckle Rose; Take It Easy Greasy (encore)

Essentially Ellington

 * Jazz at the Lincoln Center

Radio

 * Big Blue Swing

Podcasts

 * Hey Mr. Jesse Spotify playlist
 * Trading Fours

Other Spotify Playlists

 * Andreas Olsson: SSS Balboa playlist
 * Cat's Corner École de Danse Swing playlists:
 * Slow Swing: 84-100 BPM
 * Medium Swing: 104-152 BPM
 * Medium Up Swing: 160-200 BPM
 * Up Swing: 208-252 BPM
 * Our Beginner Playlist
 * Josh Collazo: Swing and Jazz playlist
 * Warren Cheung: "Platinum"-series playlists (sorted)
 * Lindy Hop 100-139 BPM 140-159 BPM 160-179 BPM 180-199 BPM 200+ BPM
 * Blues

External Resources

 * Big Band Library: by Christopher Popa
 * Bandleader Theme Songs
 * Discogs: Online Discography
 * DJ Chrisbe's Song of the Week. Series by Christian Bossert.
 * Shuffleprojects (archives)
 * Spotify Playlist
 * Heritage Sounds: Exact transcriptions of classic Big Band jazz tunes, focusing on reproducing specific recordings rather than adaptations/arrangements.  Chick Webb (2016) and Jimmie Lunceford (2017), with Lionel Hampton coming soon!  This is project that is doing the yearly, artist-themed transcription projects that releases at Lindy Focus. See also Michael Gamble, Jonathan Stout, Laura Windley.
 * Internet Archive
 * The Bennie Moten Collection
 * David W. Niven Collection of Early Jazz Legends: Digital archive of ~650 tapes, comprising recordings selected by David Niven for archival. Includes commentary and many rare recordings.
 * Free 20s Jazz Collection
 * One Night Stand (program by Armed Forces Radio Service)
 * Jazz Rhythm: Information on artists and music of early jazz, from 1900-1950
 * JazzStandards.com: History and chart information for the top 1000 jazz standards, ranked by rate of inclusion on "currently" issued jazz CDs.
 * Lindy Hop DJ Corner: You Should DJ Big Band Music on the Frankie Manning Foundation Webpage
 * Music recommendations by Michael Gamble, DJ and bandleader.
 * Savory Collection: Live radio broadcasts from the swing era, recorded by Bill Savory. Recordings from this archive are now for the first time being released.
 * Swingin' Songs But, You need to think about: Nalla Kim has compiled a list of potentially problematic songs and reasons why you may hesitate to play them at a dance.
 * Vintage Jazz Buffet (also parts 2, 3, 4, 5) listing of 100 songs by 100 artists by Craig Sparks (All the Cats Join In blog).