Calling All Jitterbugs

Calling All Jitterbugs!

The Bill Elliott Orchestra
Wayland Records, Pacific Palisades, CA 1997

I really didn't know this CD when I bought it, but I like at least a couple of tracks on it and my friends in California thought well of the band. My favorite track is Mildred, Won't You Behave?, a slightly fast song that has a hilarious story if you bother to listen to it. The first song, Streamliner, is a classic big band piece, what I would expect of a good big band in one of those dinner clubs from the 40's. Track 3 is good but not particularly remarkable. There is a good "big band" cha-cha on track 4; I kinda like it. Twelve Cylinders (track 5) is pretty good once it gets going. Bill's Bounce is high energy lindy while The Guy I Met This Evening is smooth swing.

One thing I noticed: it seems like they piled all the better songs at the beginning. I'll listen to the songs I like at the beginning but I won't remember listening to the second half of the CD before I notice that the stereo has already well into the next CD. The dancing tunes are at the beginning and the listening stuff is at the end. Do I like it? Yep, I'm glad I bought it.

This CD is available at Hepcat Records on the web and locally through Wanna Dance Records.


TrackTitle Length BPM suggested danceBP
1Streamliner 3:50154swingA-
2Mildred, won't you behave? 3:43193lindyA
3I'm beginning to like it 3:02132swingB+
4Sportsman's Mambo 3:09133cha-chaA
5Twelve Cylinders 3:38187swing/quickstepB+
6I dreamed about you 3:32n/aschmoozeB-
7Bill's Bounce 3:03223lindy/balboaA-
8The Guy I Met This Evening 3:26130swingA-
9Whisper Amor 2:58130cha-cha?B-
10On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe 2:46177swing?B-
11Tonight I'm goin' out with you 3:24n/afoxtrotC
12We tried to reach for the moon 1:45n/an/aC
13Oh, Vicky! 1:41n/an/aC
14My baby said she'd marry me 1:38n/aone-stepC

Updated September 23, 1998

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