The music and dancing of the pre- rock era are back full swing! That’s right, swing is in, with the Brian Setzer Orchestra, The W’s and Squirrel Nut Zippers reviving a sound that was hot in the 1940s and ’50s.
How big is swing? At last month’s Grammy Awards, two of Setzer’s songs won awards (“Jump, Jive an’ Wail” captured Best Bop Performance by a Duo or Group, and “Sleepwalk” won Best Pop Instrumental). And Tony Bennett was nominated for The Playground, a kids’ album of jazz-tinged swing music!
How did swing come back?
Clubs in Los Angeles and San Francisco began featuring swing in the late 1980s. The 1996 movie “Swingers” also helped fuel the comeback. So did the Gap khakis TV ad that features a 1930s dance, the Lindy Hop (named after flying ace Charles Lindbergh). Today’s swing revival blends music from ska to Dixieland jazz. It’s often called “neo-swing.” It’s happy music for people weary of grunge and gangsta rap.
“Perhaps kids are sick of feeling bad about themselves,” said Tom Maxwell of Squirrel Nut Zippers. “The message of a lot of music is `I’m stupid, I’m worthless.’ “
Kal Rudman, editor of the radio magazine Friday Morning Quarterback, is a swing fan. “When you hear the Squirrel Nut Zippers on the air, it grabs you by the collar, makes you holler. When it comes out of the speakers in stereo, it’s a wow.”
Swing also has a fun, dress-up element. At swing dances, many guys wear zoot suits with boxy shoulders and wide lapels, skinny rayon ties and black hats like Frank Sinatra wore. Girls sport short bobby socks, billowing flared skirts, shoulder-length ‘dos and bright red lipstick.
But not all swing bands want their music associated with fashion. Maxwell refuses to wear a zoot suit and hopes people enjoy Squirrel Nut Zippers music for its sound alone.
Swing dates to the 1940s, when large concert bands experimented with African-American jazz and blues. Before TV, audiences listened to swing on the radio and in movies. Band leaders Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and Tommy Dorsey were swing-era stars. Swing faded partly because big bands had many members and cost a lot to hire.
Swing lingo: Daddy: A guy. Money: Cool-looking or smooth-talking. Guido: A slimy guy who invades a girl’s space. Bunny: Unsuspecting girl who’s the target of a guido. Skidillydoo: Scram. Get outta here. Traffic cop: A dancer who stands in one spot and fakes his moves.
“There once was a daddy
who thought he money.
He was really a guido after a bunny.
She took a look and said, `Skidillydoo, traffic cop.’ “
(see swing lingo)
NO EASY FEET!
Swing dancing has bolstered the current swing revival. But mastering the moves takes a little more skill than, say, jumping into a mosh pit.
Dances such as the jitterbug are intricate and usually require several lessons to learn. The University of Illinois at Chicago/Rush Swing Society offers workshops and private lessons. E-mail them at swing@uic.edu. Meanwhile, mark your calendar for the “Big Night Out” (6-11 p.m. April 11 at Navy Pier’s Grand Ballroom). “It will feature Chicago’s first-ever teen swing dance contest,” says Nicolle Wood, president of the Chicago Swing Half-Breeds.
The Half-Breeds include teens who go to high schools and run dance classes and workshops. They also present a program on American history and dance from the 1920s-50s. Call 312-409-0039 for more info.
Older relatives also may be able to teach you how to swing dance. Consider it a bonding experience.
SWING SOUNDS!
TONY BENNETT
Album: The Playground.
especially for kids.
SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS
Album: Perennial Favorites. The Zippers mix everything from Dixieland jazz to Eastern European folk music.
THE W’S
Album: Fourth From the Last. Youthful, humorous ska-flavored swing.
BRIAN SETZER ORCHESTRA
Album: The Dirty Boogie. The former Stray Cats frontman combines rockabilly guitar with a 16-piece orchestra.
LOUIS PRIMA
Album: Zooma Zooma: The Best of Louis Prima.
Swing’s original clown prince. His “Jump, Jive an’ Wail” is Setzer’s big hit.
