Product Description
Putumayo gets the whole world swinging with this collection of 12 jazzy numbers that will bring everybody to their feet, dancing and swaying to the infectious beats of artists from an interesting variety of countries and cultures. Proceeds from the sale of this be-bopping, show-stopping CD will benefit the non-profit National Dance Institute, an organization that brings innovative dance and music programs into New York City public schools and affiliated educational organizations around the country.
Swing music took the world by storm after its initial craze in the United States during the 1930s and 40s. Artists in places as far-flung as southern Africa, France and Hawaii blended swing and jazz into their own local music to create unique expressions. Jacob Edgar, Vice President of A&R at Putumayo World Music, had a lot of fun finding tracks for Swing Around the World. "Swing is such an accessible kind of music. Anyone can enjoy it. Like reggae, its been adopted and arranged by artists everywhere." Edgar notes the wide variety of interpretations on Swing Around the World, from the African inflections of the Cool Crooners of Bulawayo (Zimbabwe), the bayou flavors of the Jambalaya Cajun Band to the minor key gypsy style tribute to Django Reinhardt served up by the Children of the Revolution. "Swing was the rock and roll of its time, and it still engages people today. Its just good-time, feel-good party music," says Edgar. Of course, American bands like the Squirrel Nut Zippers, the New Orleans Jazz Vipers and Duke Heitger and his Swing Band all embody the swing spirit and keep audiences jitterbugging and lindy-hopping all over the country.
The CD will include artist and cultural information, color photographs, and liner notes in English, Spanish and French.
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Swing is a jazzy, dance-oriented style that emerged in the USA during the 1930s and 40s. Its catchy refrains and inventive rhythms provided an uplifting, resolutely escapist soundtrack for the Depression and World War Two. During his ongoing search for world music that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, Putumayo producer Jacob Edgar located an engaging assortment of modern-day practitioners. Some are based in expected locales (New Orleans and elsewhere in the USA; others most definitely are not (Zimbabwe, Italy, Mauritius). The combos are fairly small and exuberantly extroverted. Each speaks the swing lingo fluently but many have an enchanting accent. That some tracks so strongly resemble the loopy, subversively giddy scores of classic Warner Brothers and Popeye cartoons will certainly help draw in the kiddies. And a portion of the proceeds will benefit former New York City Ballet star Jacques D'Amboise's non-profit National Dance Institute, which helps make dance and music programs accessible to schoolchildren around the world. --Christina Roden
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