Designed for Dancing: How Midcentury Records Taught America to Dance: “Outtakes” — Vol. 1

December 5th, 2022

.

.

Designed for Dancing: How Midcentury Records Taught America to Dance [MIT Press]

by Janet Borgerson and Jonathan Schroeder

 

…..Designed for Dancing: How Midcentury Records Taught America to Dance reveals an untold story of US identity through the vibrant covers of midcentury records. The book presents a compelling, colorful catalog of the music, dances, and entertainers on record that inspired postwar America. In the process of writing and research, we amassed hundreds of relevant records that we thought were worth including. Easily, 450 albums. We ended up writing about many more than we could fit in the “official version.” Forced to winnow our selections down to a manageable 300 covers, numerous “outtakes” have awaited release, several of which will periodically appear in ensuing issues of Jerry Jazz Musician.  Here, we share three wonderful examples that didn’t quite make the final cut in our book.

-Janet Borgerson and Jonathan Schroeder

.

(Click here to view the book’s website)

 

.

.

___

.

.

Maynard Ferguson Plays Jazz for Dancing

Forum SF 9035; 1959

.

…..Maynard Ferguson Plays Jazz for Dancing finds the virtuoso trumpet player with lips pursed, fingers poised on the valves, playing for a lone pair of dancers in the background. Look closely and you’ll see a fun reflection of him in the horn’s bell. He’s dressed conservatively, in checked suit and tie, which reflects the musical style of the LP – the cool tones of the cover signal the cool jazz of the record within. Jazz for Dancing harkens back to the swing sound that held sway when Ferguson began his career with the big bands of Charlie Barnet, Jimmy Dorsey, and Stan Kenton. The ahistorical liner notes – jazz is closely associated with dancing – express the urge to reclaim jazz for dancing: “Jazz is not just a listening matter. It’s not always music that requires your undivided attention and serious concentration. Jazz is many things and, as Maynard Ferguson and his orchestra so ably demonstrate in this album, jazz can be fun…jazz can be a dancing matter!”

…..Originally released on Roulette, this version of Maynard Ferguson Plays Jazz for Dancing is on Forum, a budget label that specialized in re-issues, distributed through grocery stores and department stores rather than record shops. The LP includes such standards as Chick Webb’s signature “Stompin’ at the Savoy,” Rogers and Hammerstein’s “It Might as Well Be Spring,” and “Round Midnight” by Thelonious Monk (which is listed as “’Round About Midnight” in the notes). Ferguson, known for his powerful high notes, enjoyed a long career in the spotlight, and continued to release records into the 2000s. He had a hit with his version of “Gonna Fly Now” (the at times insipid, but inspiring nonetheless, Theme from Rocky) in 1977. His trumpet can be heard on Perez Prado’s classic album Havana 3 A.M., as well as over forty film soundtracks such as Rear Window, The Man With The Golden Arm, and The Ten Commandments. (You can hear Maynard Ferguson’s searing trumpet solo from his guest performance with the New York Philharmonic, performing William Russo’s Symphony No. 2 in D major “Titans,” under the direction of Leonard Bernstein on the New York Philharmonic website .  The liner notes conclude: “He has taken jazz out of its usual locale – the smoke filled nightclubs, the open air festivals, the cross country tours–and found for it still another place…the dance floor!”

.

.

Carlos Molina and His Orchestra

Latin Touch

Coronet CX-270; 1965

.

…..Given the masculine milieu of Latin American drumming, Sheila E notwithstanding, it seems fairly clear that the blond model on the cover did not play percussion for Carlos Molina and his Orchestra’s Latin Touch. In this glamour shot, with her hair almost washed out by the harsh studio lighting, making her white skin even lighter, she poses amidst a diverse collection of drums, some “primitive,” including timbaus, with their animal-skin heads, and some “modern” – a hi hat and kettle drums, with their shiny steel hardware. Wearing armless black bodysuit and tights – one knee coyly lifted, the better to show off her satin heel – she poses provocatively, mallet perched playfully on her pectoral, seducing the prospective LP purchaser. The songs are listed in alternating green and white typography, resembling a set list or perhaps a dance card, with white boxes to check off for each dance.

…..Born in Puerto Rico, Molina was a pioneer in introducing Latin music to the US in the 1930s and 1940s, but, like many other bandleaders, he was overshadowed by Perez Prado in the 1950s. His music can be heard in several films, including Cha Cha Cha Boom, from 1956. Latin Touch includes a set of Latin dance classics, including a fairly frantic version of the Brazilian choro “Tico Tico” (with swirling trumpets and unintelligible, made-up vocals by the enigmatic Charlita, a B-movie actress and singer, noted for her role as Princess Nona in Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla), “Mambo # 5,” and Perez Prado’s “Al Compas Del Mambo.” Overall, the album provides a range of dancing opportunities: “In night clubs, theaters and dance halls throughout the county and on the air, Carlos Molina and his ‘Music of the Americas’ is tremendously popular, because it represents a combination of swing, jive and Latin rhythms.”

.

.

 

Chauncey Gray and His Orchestra

Dance Time!

Judson L 3001; 1957

(produced by Bill Grauer; engineer Sam Morse; cover design by Paul Bacon; photo by Paul Weller)

.

 …..Dance Time! from Chauncey Gray and his Orchestra features twenty Gershwin tunes in an uninterrupted flow. As with so many of our dance records, Dance Time! makes explicit the tension between going out to dance and staying in the comfort of home. On one hand, the liner notes highlight the band’s prominent bookings: “Chauncey Gray’s music has been delighting dancers for almost two decades now, first at the famous El Morocco, and now at the Embassy Club of the Hotel Ambassador.” On the other, they suggest “one function of this album is to provide you with a more convenient (and more economical) alternative to trying to brave that crowd. Just put this record on the hi-fi set, dim the lights, and take hold of your dancing partner.” Chauncey Gray may have “played at the top spots from Hollywood to Florida, and at more debut parties and proms than he can remember…but right now, he’s ready to play for your dancing pleasure.”

…..The cover, designed by the team of Paul Weller and Paul Bacon, shows a close-up of a dancing couple’s legs, her wide blue skirt and white lace petticoats providing a charming background for the title’s cheerful typography. His dark pants and shoes in the background, her shiny gold pumps forward, appear reflected, upside down, at the bottom of the cover. A few party streamers curl around the dancers, lending a festive air to the shot. Gray, whose 1920s smash “Bye Bye Blues” was famously covered by Les Paul and Mary Ford in 1952, followed Dance Time! with Dance Time in Paris, also released as C’est Magnifique!: Dance Time in Paris, one of his last albums.

.

.

___

.

.

 

photo by Ria Tafani

Janet Borgerson and Jonathan Schroeder, authors of Designed For Dancing: How Midcentury Records Taught America to Dance [MIT Press]

.

Ms. Borgerson is Wicklander Fellow at DePaul University.  Mr. Schroeder is William A. Kern Professor in the School of Communication, Rochester Institute of Technology.  They are the authors of Designed for Hi-Fi Living: The Vinyl LP in Midcentury America  (MIT Press), named a best book of 2017 by the  Financial Times  and a best music book of 2017 by Vinyl Factory.

 

 

Click here to visit the book’s website

Click here to read the Jerry Jazz Musician interview with Janet Borgerson and Jonathan Schroeder

.

.

___

.

.

Click here to subscribe to the Jerry Jazz Musician quarterly newsletter

Click here to help support Jerry Jazz Musician

.

.

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share this:

Comment on this article:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

A Letter From the Publisher

An appeal for contributions to support the ongoing publishing efforts of Jerry Jazz Musician

In This Issue

The Modern Jazz Quintet by Everett Spruill
A Collection of Jazz Poetry — Summer, 2023 Edition

A wide range of topics are found in this collection. Tributes are paid to Tony Bennett and Ahmad Jamal and to the abstract worlds of musicians like Ornette Coleman and Pharoah Sanders; the complex lives of Chet Baker and Nina Simone are considered; devotions to Ellington and Basie are revealed; and personal solace is found in the music of Tommy Flanagan and Quartet West. These are poems of peace, reflection, time, venue and humor – all with jazz at their core. (Featuring the art of Everett Spruill)

The Sunday Poem

“Mirabella,” by Samuel Lind
“Queen” by Emily Jon Tobias

Poetry

The poet Connie Johnson in 1981
In a Place of Dreams: Connie Johnson’s album of jazz poetry, music, and life stories...A collection of the remarkable poet's work is woven among her audio readings, a personal narrative of her journey and music she considers significant to it, providing readers the chance to experience the full value of her gifts.

Community

Nominations for the Pushcart Prize XLVIII

Interview

photo courtesy of Henry Threadgill
Interview with Brent Hayes Edwards, co-author (with Henry Threadgill) of Easily Slip Into Another World: A Life in Music...The author discusses his work co-written with Threadgill, the composer and multi-instrumentalist widely recognized as one of the most original and innovative voices in contemporary music, and the winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Music.

Poetry

"Jazz Diva" by Marsha Hammel
A brief collection of poetry devoted to jazz…and love...Seven poets combine the music of jazz with an act of love…

Poetry

photo of Bill Evans by Veryl Oakland
Six poets, six poems on Bill Evans...A poetic appreciation for the work of the legendary pianist

Feature

Joel Lewis
True Jazz Stories: “Well You Needn’t: My Life as a Jazz Fan” by Joel Lewis...The journalist and poet Joel Lewis shares his immensely colorful story of falling in love with jazz, and living with it and reporting on it during his younger days in New Jersey and New York

Poetry

"The Dancer" by Elaine Croce Happnie
“The Dancer” – a poem by Zoya Gargova

Playlist

photo by William Gottlieb/Library of Congress
“A Baker’s Dozen Playlist of Ella Fitzgerald Specialties from Five Decades,” as selected by Ella biographer Judith Tick...Chosen from Ella’s entire repertoire, Ms. Tick’s intriguing playlist (with brief commentary) is a mix of studio recordings, live dates, and video, all available for listening here.

Poetry

painting by Henry Denander
A collection of jazz haiku...This collection, featuring 22 poets, is an example of how much love, humor, sentimentality, reverence, joy and sorrow poets can fit into their haiku devoted to jazz.

Community

Nominations for the Pushcart Prize XLVIII...Announcing the six writers nominated for the Pushcart Prize v. XLVIII, whose work was published in Jerry Jazz Musician during 2023.

Poetry

photo of Sarah Vaughan by William Gottlieb/Library of Congress
”Sarah” – a poem by Connie Johnson

Short Fiction

photo vi Wallpaper Flare
Short Fiction Contest-winning story #63 — “Company” by Anastasia Jill...Twenty-year-old Priscilla Habel lives with her wannabe flapper mother who remains stuck in the jazz age 40 years later. Life is monotonous and sad until Cil meets Willie Flasterstain, a beatnik lesbian who offers an escape from her mother's ever-imposing shadow.

Photography

photo of Anthony Braxton by Giovanni Piesco
The Photographs of Giovanni Piesco: Anthony Braxton...Beginning in 1990, the noted photographer Giovanni Piesco began taking backstage photographs of many of the great musicians who played in Amsterdam’s Bimhuis, that city’s main jazz venue which is considered one of the finest in the world. Jerry Jazz Musician will occasionally publish portraits of jazz musicians that Giovanni has taken over the years. This edition is of the saxophonist Anthony Braxton, taken in January, 2015.

Interview

Chick Webb/photographer unknown
Interview with Stephanie Stein Crease, author of Rhythm Man: Chick Webb and the Beat That Changed America...The author talks about her book and Chick Webb, once at the center of America’s popular music, and among the most influential musicians in jazz history.

Poetry

photo by Ric Brooks Knoxville, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
“Four Sides Live” – a poem by Justin Hare

Community

FOTO:FORTEPAN / Kölcsey Ferenc Dunakeszi Városi Könyvtár / Petanovics fényképek, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
.“Community Bookshelf, #1"...a twice-yearly space where writers who have been published on Jerry Jazz Musician can share news about their recently authored books. This edition includes information about books published within the last six months or so…

Poetry

photo of Cab Calloway by William Gottlieb/Library of Congress
“Zoot Suit Times (Rhythms From the Past)” – a poem by Oliver Lake

Poetry

Trading Fours, with Douglas Cole, No. 17: “All I know about music is not many people ever really hear it”

Short Fiction

photo via joogleberry.com
“A Song and Dance Proposition” – a short story by Richard Moore...Because of his childhood experiences, the story’s narrator loses his singing voice and as an adult neither sings nor dances. But when his marriage falls apart he meets a ‘song and dance man’ who turns out to be Iris, a woman with multiple sclerosis. With her help, he comes to grip with his inhibitions.

Playlist

photo by Bob Hecht
This 28-song Spotify playlist, curated by Jerry Jazz Musician contributing writer Bob Hecht, features great tunes performed by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Bill Evans, Lester Young, Stan Getz, and…well, you get the idea.

Jazz History Quiz #168

photo of Coleman Hawkins by William Gottlieb/Library of Congress
Jazz History Quiz #168...In addition to being a top bassist between 1945 – 1960, he was the first major jazz soloist on the cello. He also played on Coleman Hawkins’ 1943 recording of “The Man I Love,” and appeared with Hawkins and Howard McGhee in the film The Crimson Canary. Who is he?

Short Fiction

Tents at Nuseirat, southern Palestine, UNRRA's biggest camp for Greek refugees/via United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
“Remember to Forget” – a short story by Amadea Tanner...Ms. Tanner's story, a finalist in the recently concluded 63rd Short Fiction Contest, is about a war correspondent's haunting revelations after she comes across musicians in a refugee camp.

Interview

photo by William Gottlieb/Library of Congress
Interview with Alyn Shipton, author of The Gerry Mulligan 1950’s Quartets...Long regarded as jazz music’s most eminent baritone saxophonist, Gerry Mulligan was a central figure in “cool” jazz whose contributions to it also included his important work as a composer and arranger. Noted jazz scholar Alyn Shipton, author of The Gerry Mulligan 1950s Quartets, and Jerry Jazz Musician contributing writer Bob Hecht discuss Mulligan’s unique contributions to modern jazz.

Photography

photo by Giovanni Piesco
Giovanni Piesco’s photographs of Tristan Honsinger

Short Fiction

Mary Pickford, 1918/trialsanderrors, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
“Bashert” – a short story by Diane Lederman...This story, a finalist in the 63rd Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest, looks at the hopes one man has that a woman he meets the night before he leaves for Camp Devens will keep him alive during World War I so he can return and take her out for dinner

Book Excerpt

“Chick” Webb was one of the first virtuoso drummers in jazz and an innovative bandleader dubbed the “Savoy King,” who reigned at Harlem’s world-famous Savoy Ballroom. Stephanie Stein Crease is the first to fully tell Webb’s story in her biography, Rhythm Man: Chick Webb and the Beat that Changed America…The book’s entire introduction is excerpted here.

Feature

Hans Christian Hagedorn, professor for German and Comparative Literature at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Ciudad Real (Spain) reveals the remarkable presence of Miguel de Cervantes’ classic Don Quixote in the history of jazz.

Short Fiction

“In the Church Library” – a short story by Zary Fekete

Book Excerpt

Book excerpt from Easily Slip Into Another World: A Life in Music, by Henry Threadgill and Brent Hayes Edwards

Contributing Writers

Click the image to view the writers, poets and artists whose work has been published on Jerry Jazz Musician, and find links to their work

Interview

photo of Sonny Rollins by Brian McMillen
Interview with Aidan Levy, author of Saxophone Colossus: The Life and Music of Sonny Rollins...The author discusses his book about the iconic tenor saxophonist who is one of the greatest jazz improvisers of all time – a lasting link to the golden age of jazz

Art

Designed for Dancing: How Midcentury Records Taught America to Dance: “Outtakes” — Vol. 2...In this edition, the authors Janet Borgerson and Jonathan Schroeder share examples of Cha Cha Cha record album covers that didn't make the final cut in their book

Pressed for All Time

“Pressed For All Time,” Vol. 17 — producer Joel Dorn on Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s 1967 album, The Inflated Tear

Coming Soon

An interview with Judith Tick, author of Becoming Ella Fitzgerald: The Jazz Singer Who Transformed American Song;...An interview with Gary Carner, author of Pepper Adams: Saxophone Trailblazer; A new collection of jazz poetry; a collection of jazz haiku; a new Jazz History Quiz; short fiction; poetry; photography; interviews; playlists; and lots more in the works…

Interview Archive

Eubie Blake
Click to view the complete 22 year archive of Jerry Jazz Musician interviews, including those recently published with Richard Carlin and Ken Bloom on Eubie Blake (pictured); Richard Brent Turner on jazz and Islam; Alyn Shipton on the art of jazz; Shawn Levy on the original queens of standup comedy; Travis Atria on the expatriate trumpeter Arthur Briggs; Kitt Shapiro on her life with her mother, Eartha Kitt; Will Friedwald on Nat King Cole; Wayne Enstice on the drummer Dottie Dodgion; the drummer Joe La Barbera on Bill Evans; Philip Clark on Dave Brubeck; Nicholas Buccola on James Baldwin and William F. Buckley; Ricky Riccardi on Louis Armstrong; Dan Morgenstern and Christian Sands on Erroll Garner; Maria Golia on Ornette Coleman.

Site Archive