When we think of swing music, visions of big bands from the 1930s and ’40s usually come to mind. Although most of the big bands are gone, the musical style is still very much in vogue. This week we’ll listen to swing, and it’s relative boogie woogie, in many settings old and new, including Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys, The Boswell Sisters, Ry Cooder, The Boulder Acoustic Society, and the David Grisman Sextet. It’s swing time … this week on The Sing Out! Radio Magazine.

LISTEN:

Artist / “Title” / CD / Label

Pete Seeger / “If I Had A Hammer” (excerpt) / Songs of Hope and Struggle /
              Smithsonian Folkways
Joe Venuti / “Raggin’ The Scale” / Violin Jazz 1927-1934 / Yazoo
The David Grisman Sextet / “Horn Pipe Dream” / The David Grisman Sextet / Acoustic Disc
Hotcha! / “Fois Dras (Dance of the Fatted Ducks)” / Dust Bowl Roots / Self Produced
Cafe Accordion Orchestra / “Crazy Rhythm” / On Holiday / Self Produced

Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys / “Beaumont Rag” / Take Me Back to Beaumont / Rounder
The Delmore Brothers / “Freight Train Boogie” / Freight Train Boogie / Ace
The Boswell Sisters / “Shuffle Off to Buffalo” / That’s How Rhythm was Born / Columbia
Meade “Lux” Lewis / “Honky Tonk Train Blues” / Anthology of Boogie Woogie Piano / Primo
Joe Venuti / “Wild Cat” / Violin Jazz 1927-1934 / Yazoo

Boulder Acoustic Society / “Does It Really Matter” / Now / Self Produced
Ry Cooder / “Big Bad Bill is Sweet William Now” / Jazz / Warner Brothers
Sultans of String / “Kitchen Party” / Luna / Self Produced
Hank Snow / “The Golden Rocket” / The Very Best of Hank Snow / BMG

Asleep at the Wheel / “House of Blue Lights” / Swing Time / Sony
Merle Haggard / “Right or Wrong” / The Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World (Or, My Salute
              to Bob Wills) / Capitol
The Western Flyers / “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter” / Wild Blue
              Yonder / Versa-Tone
Pete Seeger / “If I Had A Hammer” (excerpt) / Songs of Hope and Struggle /
              Smithsonian Folkways