Our Lindy 3 and 4 teachers this block are a rotating cast of teachers from the Amsterdam-based collective The BackBeat. Just like two years ago when we had Julia and Peter (also sometimes known as DJ Syncopeter) they will share an album of the week (approximately) every week by artists they care about, including some historical context and fun trivia. This made us really enthusiastic about learning more about the cultural background and music, so we thought we’d share the love by putting all of them on our website.
This week’s album pick “At Fargo 1940 (Special 60th Anniversary Edition)”:
Listen to the album on Spotify
Listen to the album on YouTube
When you’ve been listening to swing music for a while, it’s sometimes refreshing to go straight back to big-band basics, and Duke Ellington always does it for me.
This album was recorded at an actual dancefloor in 1940, right as the Ellington orchestra was at its peak: powerful swing propulsion, gorgeous colors, and that rare mix of polish and heat that made the band legendary. Two dedicated fans, Jack Towers and Dick Burris, got permission to record the evening on a portable disc cutter placed practically next to Duke’s piano, which is exactly why the whole thing feels so alive — like you’ve stepped onto the dance floor.
The lineup is simply ridiculous: Duke Ellington (piano) with Johnny Hodges and Otto Hardwick (alto sax), Ben Webster (tenor), Harry Carney (baritone), Barney Bigard (clarinet), Rex Stewart (cornet), Ray Nance and Wallace Jones (trumpets), Tricky Sam Nanton, Juan Tizol, and Lawrence Brown (trombones), plus Jimmy Blanton (bass), Fred Guy (guitar), Sonny Greer (drums), and vocals by Ivie Anderson and Herb Jeffries.
For dancers, it’s a goldmine: the set ranges from hard-swinging burners to silky feature numbers. If you want recommendations, try “Rockin’ in Rhythm,” “Cotton Tail,” “Stompy Jones,” and “Wham.”
Thank you very much for sharing this with us Juan!
