Bienvenidos, mi amigos! Mucho gusto. Encantado!
Tonight's show started as song in search of reason to be played. Swing Shift Radio's musical director Bobby Marlette and I were sitting in the rehearsal room of the Meridian Night Club and Lounge and we were honestly bemoaning what could we do for the live show when my cell phone rang (don't judge me - I may live like it's 1949, but I know it's 2011). Bobby started to laugh at my choice of ringtone. Its from one of my all time favorite neo-swing bands, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. With that song -we had a theme and it required a whole new dance routine for the chorus girls.
Mambo Swing was the tune, and being here in the heat of summer - we decided to go for the Latin American/Caribbean beat influence on American swing/jazz.
It started in the late 30’s – really took off in the 50’s, and again in the 90’s and early in the years of the 21st century every genre of music was trying to copy it a little. Even swing music embraced these strange intoxicating rhythms. From Mambo to Rhumba to Salsa to Tango to Bossa Nova, from Brazil to Argentina to Cuba and all points from the Caribbean to South of the equator. The Latin and Caribbean beats became part of the language of American music.
We decided to go from classic to modern bands who performed songs directly influenced by these Latin beats
Here are the songs from tonight's musical selection:
- Mambo Swing – Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
- A Night in Havana – Blue Plate Special
- The Rhumba Jumps – Glenn Miller w/ Mary Hutton and Tex Beneke vocals
- Congo Conga – Cab Callaway
- Miami Beach Rhumba - Freddy Martin
- Caramba, it’s the Samba - Peggy Lee
- Drinking Rum and Coca Cola - The Andrews Sisters
- Mambo Inn – George Gee and His Jump Jivin’ Wailers
- Chicka, Chicka, Boom Chick – Carmen Miranda
- Tampico – Stan Getz and June Christy
- Adios Senorita – Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney
- I Wanna Be Like You – Louis Prima (from Jungle Book)
- Cuban Pete – Jim Carrey (from The Mask)
Our "It's Martini Time!" segment come courtesy of guest mixologist Christopher Kelly from the Mie and Yu bar in Georgetown / Washington DC. A tropically inspired drink perfect for the summer time with a hint of mango and mint, the Taj Mohito.
If you have a drink or bartender you want highlighted on the show, just drop me an e-mail here on the show - TommyCage[at]SwingShiftRadio[dot]com.
See you next week on The Swing Shift!
Tommy Cage
Listen to us Saturdays @ 2pm and Sundays @ 7pm on WGUN 1010 AM Atlanta, or on TuneIn.com, search for WGUN and click connect!
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