Hal Takier: 1917 – 2012
Hal Takier passed away recently after an extended illness. He was the greatest swing dancer of all time. And I mean that in the generic sense of the word, not in the specific niche of what he danced, which he called "Swing" to differentiate it from "Balboa" or "pure Bal." Hal was just the man. No other dancer danced longer, harder, or faster. No one in Lindy Hop, no one in pure Balboa, no one. And perhaps the best thing about him is that he did it for all the right reasons. Hal was never a professional dancer like Dean Collins or Frankie Manning. He worked all his life in a rubber factory down in the southern part of LA, driving up to Hollywood to compete in the weekly cutting contests, which he won regularly (much to Dean Collins's dismay). An amateur who danced as a hobby and schooled pro dancers wherever he went, he didn't do it for money or fame, he did it because he loved the music and loved dancing to it.
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“Jump” Music
The name:
The name “jump” may derive from the pronounced rhythmic bounce which characterizes the music. “Jump” is most often known as “Jump Blues,” but that’s a misnomer, as Jump bands play compositions that are both blues (12 bar) and American popular music form (32 bar), and some are predominantly Jump Swing bands.
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The Worth of a Good Swing DJ
A couple back to back questions about DJs on Bug's Question of the Day created quite the stir recently. One was about who your favorite DJs are, the other about how events compensate DJs, specifically the fact that some events don't. As you might imagine the later proved more controversial. You could read the whole thing if you've got hours to waste, but I'll sum it up for you based on the time I personally wasted skimming though it all.
Side 1: A couple trolls on one side say fuck the DJ, they aren't worth shit and the few who actually do command some compensation are pretentious assholes. Side 2: A few defensive DJs on the other side fight back by saying they're artists who spend gobs of time and money adding to their collections and honing their craft, and as such should be duly compensated. Personally I think both sides are being quite silly about the matter (though you can probably tell I side a bit more with my fellow DJs based on how I described the trolls' point of view) because really there's a happy little median between the two views.
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What is Lindy Hop?
What is Lindy Hop? You want answers? I got answers. And I'm not talking Potter Stewart-style community standards either.
It's not a list of moves, though moves are VITALLY important.
It's not a pattern of steps, though steps are VITALLY important.
It's not a set of technique, though technique is VITALLY important.
It's not even how you look when you dance, though that is VITALLY important.
All these things are necessary but insufficient. As a wise old hand puppet once said, "There is another."
Lindy Hop is a dance, the dancers of which have a shared attitude expressed and shaped by swing music.
I can hear you rolling your eyes from here. "What is swing music, then?" you cry defiantly. Screw you, if you don't know what swing music is by now, you're not worth talking to. Let's talk about the attitude.
There was a period of time when lindy hoppers routinely danced to, say, Peel Me A Grape by Diana Krall. Great song. I love it to death. Sexy as hell. Doesn't express Lindy Hop. Dance to it all you like, you're not doing Lindy Hop. Why ? Because if you are really relating your movement to the song, your movement is not expressing the completely definable Lindy Hop attitude.
So Julius, how about defining it?
Sure. I'll do that in shouted sentences. Pretend I'm sweaty and out of breath after a dance.
"Top that."
"Look at me!"
"That's how you do it."
"Holy crap this is fun!"
"AGAIN! AGAIN!"
"Now that was a wild ride!"
Some people, when I watch them dance, possess an uncontrollable joyful, all-consuming energy like a pile of ignited thermite. And deep down inside, they and I share a secret. We know what Lindy Hop is.
Lindy Hop is giddiness, cockiness, wildness, competitiveness; it generates glee, exuberance, bounce, spirit, joie de vivre; it is frenetic, energetic, copacetic, peripatetic; and -- the answer you seek -- it is the highest, purest, and best physical manifestation of swing music.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May your dance shoes always wear out.
Book Review: “Rhythm-a-ning: Jazz Traditions and Innovation” -Gary Giddins
The Loon, a.k.a. Allen Hall, has put this review in both “Fruit o’ the Loon” and “News and Views from the Hall LindyJazzMobile” because it is about jazz, and thus allows the Loon to air, to a wider audience, some huzzahs as well as some grievances and prejudices building to a dangerous head of pressure. So, if you get both periodicals, don’t puzzle over a bewildering feeling of déjà Loon.
The book is a compilation of 66 pieces found in various publications, and all are about jazz. Giddins is a premier student of music and an admired critic of jazz, even though Giddins oft annoys the Loon. Giddins lives and works in NYC, which affords benefit and absurdity. The benefit is that NYC is at the pointy end of the world jazz spear and many of the best jazz musicians reside in NYC or stray through, and, perchance, gather some valuable Giddins ink. The absurdity is that the pointy end of the jazz spear can be so damned avant garde it might not even be Jazz. The Loon will freely point out the absurdities, but, otherwise, he will try to be fair. To wit
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A ULHS 2011 Preview: The Venues
From it's very beginning, Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown was designed to be a different kind of event. Pure and simple. Birthed of Amy Johnson's mind, with the input of close friends, it has been that since year one, 2002. It has also consistently evolved, and I can't think of any other event that has changed so much over the years. This year's event marks the 10th anniversary, and having been at every last one I could write about any number of things related to my ULHS experiences, at least, the one's I remember. Instead I thought I'd focus on just one item in particular: venues.
Lots of dance events base themselves at a hotel. Everyone stays at that hotel, and all the goings on are in that hotel's ballroom. It's like going to an industry conference, but instead it's fun because you're partying and dancing in a singular space. It works, I dig it. Then there are events that scatter themselves a bit around a city, giving you an actual taste of the area, imparting some variety to your dance weekend. It's fun because it gets you out of the hotel, and you feel more like you're on vacation instead of at an industry conference. It works, I dig it.
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Editorial Comments Aplenty: “The Grump” Opines
1. Thoughts on Jazz Quotes:
“Jazz attracted me because in it I found a formal perfection and instrumental precision that I admire in classical music, but which popular music doesn't have.” – Django Reinhardt
“The Grump” believes that no written music is perfect, and all can be improved upon or embellished by the talented improvisationalist. The trick is not to destroy the original with excursions into the entirely personal, self-serving avant garde. If you don’t like the damned tune that much, then, for crying out loud, don’t play it, and go ahead and write your own damned tune.
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We got it good these days
I'm not sure anybody would have known what to do with this kind of music, circa 1998.
Book Review: “Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong” -Terry Teachout
This hefty 674 page paperback biography of Louis Armstrong should stand as the best, and perhaps the last complete story of his life. The book is scrupulously researched and detailed to a fault. That said, the high quality of Mr. Teachout’s writing breathes life into “Pops,” and keeps the biographical narrative moving like a juggernaut. Further, unlike all the other biographers of Armstrong, Terry Teachout is a musician, and that skill is evident in the many interesting music particulars found in the book.
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Is this Chick Webb?
Is this Chick Webb on drums?!
Skip to 1:50 for a closeup.
I don't know of ANY footage of Chick playing.