My big band leader has discovered Artie Shaw, with a little encouragement from me, and has acquired a couple of classic Shaw charts, including <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/i0xM8YRMmyA" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/i0xM8YRMmyA</a>, and plans to start working them next time we rehearse.

At this point, he's really in love with the way Rich plays and sounds on this tune, and that presents a challenge for me.  Obviously, what was recorded with the equipment of the time isn't necessarily the sound that a live audience heard.  And I'm not enamored with the idea of trying to set up 1939 style cymbals, especially hats, just for one song.

Also, I'd like to see how the song sounds played with a more modern approach if I can.  So I'm thinking about it now, and how I might play the various sections, and decided that this would be a good forum from which to get suggestions.

So what do you think?  How would you play that chart?  Would you play it just like Buddy did 68 years ago?  Or would you play it like you might an arrangement by Gordon Goodwin?  Something in between?  Brushes for part of it?

Of course I reserve the right to ignore all suggestions, no matter how reasonable, but am interested in your thoughts.

Thanks in advance.

Point taken.  Sorry.  I meant no offense.

When ever I try to copy some one directly I always feel uninspired. I think as drummers we have the greatest advantage because we can play other peoples songs in our own way without drastically changing the song. To me, if I don't find some way to make the chart some what original, I'll feel very board with it. But this might because one of my biggest fears is being the same as everyone else. I even have dreams ware I'm in assembly line with a bar code on my neck getting the same clothes and hair cut as the person in front and behind me.

yes, that 4_on_Floor is too much for that song... my approach would be heavy HH on 2 & 4 with ride ostinato... and bass only for accents... and maybe a small fill on floor toms ala Krupa style...

I'm no big band drummer, nor do I have more than a cursory knowledge of the tune in question.
I thought Mr A's answer was spot on however.



Yes, I've had difficulty deciding what to play on 1960's pop style material.
They primarily miced the drums with a couple of overheads, or a single mic and the spill of the drums went into other mics for the orchestra or vocalist. Hence, the snare and cymbals are the most audible drum sounds on those old recordings.
If you play a similar part with a modern, focused bass drum, it can sound terrible wrong. The alternative is to play no bass drum at all, which also seems wrong.
In the end, I try to play a modern-ish part with a very light bass drum touch.
Sorry for the tangent.........

I think the floor on the floor had a lot to do with the fact that it was dance music and performed without sound reinforcement. The one thing sure to carry throughout a large hall is the kick. Remember the bass was acoustic! The most striking aspect of period swing is the strong quarter note pulse. (pun intended  ) Sound reinforcement frees us artisticly but at the same time puts the engineer in control of the mix.