New York DJ

Whatever the event, if there's a dinner component to it, clients usually want the energy of the music to be lowered a bit so they don’t need to "fight the songs" to have a conversation. At a corporate event, clients tend to request tunes that are light and playful; at weddings, we often get requests for more sentimental and romantic songs; at private parties the music during dinner depends on the reason for the celebration, but often it's a mixture of both aforementioned styles. And while we get requests for the softer side of many different genres of music, everyone almost always wants to hear a few jazz vocals.

Of course, being in New York City for your event naturally brings out a desire in many clients to hear some Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday or Frank Sinatra (for my previous post about our favorite Sinatra tunes, go here). But, since the dinner part of an event is less about particular songs being played than establishing a specific kind of lively but gentle atmosphere, we like to mix in jazz vocal songs that aren't as familiar as the first tier of famous male and female jazz vocalists. Sometimes we play some newer jazz vocalists, like Madeleine Peyroux or the vintage-sounding, loungey electronic jazz of Koop, but sometimes we spin lesser-known vocalists from the mid-century heydays of Sinatra and Ella.

One of my favorites of these artists is a jazz vocalist named June Christy. Popular in the mid-'50s to mid-'60s, Christy shares the clean, crisp, slightly husky vocal style of Keely Smith or Ella Fitzgerald. But in Christy’s more swingin’ and playful songs – such as the two sampled here, “Sing Something Simple” and “You’re Making Me Crazy” – her vocals come across not as smoky or sultry like these other great female voices often do, but instead as simply warm and sweet.

It’s as if when Christy sings these songs, you can imagine her walking down a city street or a country road as colorful animated birds flying around her – like she’s singing nursery rhymes for adults. Yet since she doesn’t have a high or a tiny voice, things never feel too precious or “cutesy.” Because of the touch of huskiness and depth to her vocals, the sweetness of these songs take on a rich, lush quality that’s rather lovely and unique. And, of course, goes great with whatever you’re having for dinner.

Download 04 Sing Something Simple.m4a (4316.8K) Download 04 You're Making Me Crazy.m4a (2336.7K)

At many events where we perform, especially weddings, clients who hire us mention they’d like to hear some swing music at some point during the night. However, because there are many kinds of swing music out there, we often make sure to ask a few questions about what specific style of swing they’d like if a client is not quite sure.

The three kinds of swing we usually find clients want are either 1) mellow, very famous swing, such as Glenn Miller’s classic “In the Mood,” 2) swing that’s a bit faster but still pretty famous, like Louis Prima’s “Jump, Jive & Wail,” and 3) swing from the ‘90s revival of the wilder side of the genre, a good example of this being Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s “You & Me & the Bottle Makes 3.” (Below you can listen to all three of these songs.)

How to know which one is the best for your guests? Well, if you’re including swing music as a pleasant reminder of your older guests’ youth for early night dancing, I’d suggest the first kind, since it’s the most accessible and mellow – and it even often will result in younger people who know how to swing dance joining the older couples. If you know you’ve got more than a few swing fans or swing dancers – both old or young – on your guest list, the first and second type would be appropriate – the more famous, gentler swing leads very nicely into the speedier tempos of songs like “Jump, Jive & Wail” but still does not inspire the lightning-quick, flip-the-girl off-your back, all-pro Lindy Hop swing dancer moves like those seen in the 1996 film Swingers, which went a long way to popularize the ‘90s swing revival. However, speaking of this very intense, more rockin’ type of swing, this may be perfect to include in your event if you’ve got a bunch of younger people attending who know how to swing dance well. Though we find people with these skills aren’t everywhere, we have seen a few really impressive swing dancers blaze through the wilder songs of the swing revival, like Brian Setzer’s boomin’ version of “Jump Jive & Wail,” or "You & Me & the Bottles Makes 3."

So go, daddy-o, and have a listen: