Jazz For DJ's - Stuff to mix in for fun

[judydoggie]

When I mix dance stuff together (amateur... do it on ProTools or SoundForge; can't do the on-the-fly thing, nor pretend to, with all respect to you pro's) I just love to add little bits of stuff in the background (SFX if you will) to add interest. Just got through finishing my Jazz Ten and realized that I use lots of this stuff when I do mixes -- wonder if anyone else has any thoughts:

1. Rosemary Clooney "Mambo Italiano" - Chock full of snippets, whether the retro-'60s harpsichord solos or Rosie squealing "Shake-it baby shake-it 'cause I lovva when you take-a me"
2. Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. "Me and My Shadow" - They talk to each other during and at the end of the record. You can make Frank say "Waddaya want, Sam?" and have Sammy respond, "Take it, Frank! Take it, Take it!"
3. Eartha Kitt - "Back in Business" (album - DRG) Oh, the mayhem that'll come from the one-and-only voice of Ms. Kitt purring the intro to "Let's Misbehave" -- includes :45 of spoken introduction filled with double-entendre. There's others, too; including the (sung) "I wanna be evil"

Any more takers?

[JussiK]

But of course - been doing that for ages, laying danceable 60's jazz grooves over instrumentals with heavy bass. Ramsey Lewis: Jade East is a big fave, a catchy piano&bongos affair with exotic percussion that sounds perfect with a bit of extra boost. The problem with stuff like that is that there are inevitable changes in bpms so you have to be quick with the pitch if you plan to run the tracks together. Many of the original cuts work on their own too, with no overlaying of beats. One such crowdpleaser is ZoiZoi by France Gall, a fast wriggling beat samba with infectious giggling sounds and incredible drive. The Serge Gainsbourg jazz tunes get fab reactions as well.