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Sugarfoot
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Joined: 29 Mar 2009
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Location: New Forest
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 Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 12:28 pm Post subject: Music for West Coast Swing |
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Use this topic to discuss music for West Coast Swing
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Last edited by Sugarfoot on Sun Apr 05, 2009 10:56 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Sugarfoot
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Joined: 29 Mar 2009
Posts: 143
Location: New Forest
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 12:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | DJ Andy: A question for you about the music - is it all slow, funky modern R&B music now for WCS, or does some more retro style R'n'B still get played?
I only ask 'cos I really struggle to LIKE modern R&B! (and I really only enjoy dancing if I like the music) |
In the US they traditionally tend to use a much wider selection of music (they love retro R?n?B). There input tends to come from the Swing/Lindy & the Country & Western world. In the UK the biggest feed into WCS comes from the MJ/Ceroc world and as such are used to a more pronounced beat especially as beginners. WCS in the UK tends to attract a younger dancer (generalising) who naturally feel comfortable with pop R&B that happens to have a pronounced beat. Slower music is played to give beginners a chance to get the footwork right. Beyond that, anything is possible.
The problem is the same as in the MJ world. Peps learn to a certain tempo and style of music and then only feel comfortable with the limitation. This is were teachers & DJs need to be brave and recognise that although they need to mostly please the dancers in what they want, they also have a responsibility to give what the need as a gentle education to give them more possibilities and freedom. It is a very fine balance. If dancers get too into their comfort zone they will resist most attempts to expand their tastes and abilities.
Some quick example of tracks you might like:
The Itch - Keb' Mo'
Wade In The Water - Kathy Mattea
Harlem Shuffle -The Rolling Stones
It's 2 A.M. - Shemekia Copeland
Start It Up - Robben Ford
She Said That Evil Was Her Name - Popa Chubby
Blues Hotel - Koko Taylor
Oak Tree - Elisa Fiorillo
Sadie - Son Seals
Cheatin' On You - Taj Mahal
Little By Little - Susan Tedeschi
Do I Have To Go That Far? - Kenny Neal
Can't seem to make a list like a table with BMP on here?
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DJ Andy
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Joined: 03 Jan 2009
Posts: 198
Location: Portsmouth
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| Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 8:00 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for posting those tunes Sugarfoot.
I love 'Start It Up' by Robben Ford and play it occasionally.
The Taj Mahal tune, I used to play years ago.
The Popa Chubby tune I'm familiar with, but I'll have to check out all the others.
I'm puzzled that anyone would struggle to 'find' the beat with retro R'n'B - it just seems so obvious,and made for triple steps, to me, and it 'swings'.
Whereas modern/urban R&B feels clunky and staccato to me and rarely(if ever) 'swings'.
Hope this makes sense.  |
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Sugarfoot
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Joined: 29 Mar 2009
Posts: 143
Location: New Forest
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| Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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| DJ Andy wrote: | | I'm puzzled that anyone would struggle to 'find' the beat with retro R'n'B - it just seems so obvious,and made for triple steps, to me, and it 'swings'. |
Makes sense to me Andy. The trick in modern R&B is to dance more lyrically playing on the vocals to add contrast to the dance. It really makes a big difference and gives a totally different take on a track. But I do accept that if a certain type of music does not float your boat there is not much you can about it.
I don’t think dancers struggle with retro R’n’B, I think that beginners find the pauses & breaks a bit daunting until they develop the skills to be more musical. The younger dancers in the UK at least tend to prefer modern R&B exclusively. We try to introduce dancers to a wide range of music from the outset.
We ran a WCS freestyle and had quite a few London dancers come down. Every time I played something outside of the familiar modern R&B genre they tended to pause for a while and look at me quizzically…then started to dance and gradually got into it. Latter, they asked me to write down the tracks for them. They told me that they are not really into retro R’n’B or classic blues so much as they get a lot of it in the Blues room at weekenders.
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