November 2023 Workshop Resources

In November 2023, we had our first post-COVID workshop weekend, featuring Kofi and Liz from Ottawa.

Kofi provided a fantastic list of resources, listed below.

Music

Significant Jazz musicians with birthdays the week of Nov. 25th

 

Hoagy Carmichael
Tommy Dorsey
Coleman Hawkins
Willie “The_Lion” Smith
Teddy Wilson
Scott Joplin

 

Playlists

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/09EwYUqHjQTH2eCCqbaNcU?si=1e587c7e193d4cc4

 

If you want to geek out on Jazz Music, check out:

https://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions/index.htm

 

Inspirational videos

A class in swing – Artie Shaw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCNlOfD56k8
The Spirit Moves – Shim Sham https://youtu.be/yHf4tBmAlpI?si=rnPUmAqFueSTG3xw&t=1174
Texas Tommy / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EljmkQSf7s
After Seben https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cyQHEqOp84
California Routine (spirit moves) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j43rpgGN-eE

Books and blogs

https://www.frankiemanning.com/book.php

“Swinging at the Savoy”  by Norma Miller
” Rooted Jazz Dance: Africanist Aesthetics and Equity in the Twenty-First Century”  by Lindsay Guarino (Editor), Carlos R. A. Jones (Editor), Wendy Oliver (Editor)

“America Dancing: From the Cakewalk to the Moonwalk”

by Pugh, Megan

“Blues People” by Amiri Baraka

“Lady Sings the Blues” Billie Holiday / William Dufty

Swungover – Bobby White – https://swungover.wordpress.com/

Takeaways

  • Feel the music, dance to the music
  • Repetition is good
  • “Commit to the bit” – Billie via Greg
  • Repetition is good
  • Keep your feet underneath you
  • Your moves are yours, do them like you own them
  • The Elders are a source of inspiration seek them out (their videos) and learn
  • Make it a daily habit to dance at least one song
  • Repetition is good!