Persephone's recommendations for
SWING CDs
Having trouble finding discs with more than one or two tracks you can dance to?  Here are some of my favorite swing cds, with the track numbers and approximate beats per minute of their swing-dance-able tunes.  I like bouncy, happy songs more than mellow, improvisational jazz, so in case your taste differs from mine try to listen to these before you buy them.  (list updated 3/00)
 
Vintage 
Current
Andrews Sisters 
Collector's Series  (Capitol) 
1=152, 3=156, 4=168, 9=168, 11=144, 12=158, 13=168, 14=192, 15=184, 18=144		 *Big Time Operator 
High Altitude Swing 
1=128, 2=152, 3=192, 4=162, 8=120, 10=164, 12=200, 13=140
Bill Haley and his Comets
From the Original Master Tapes (MCA)
1=184, 2=164, 3=168, 4=136, 5=178, 6=144, 7=176, 10=176, 12=184, 15=156, 16=152, 19=196, 20=168		 *Bill Elliott 
Swingin' the Century  (Wayland) 
1=184, 2=168, 3=224, 4=160, 5=136, 6=188, 8=184, 9=144, 10=196, 13=160, 15=208
*Cab Calloway 
Are You Hep to the Jive? (Columbia/Legacy) 
1=192, 2=160, 3=124, 4=152, 5=162, 6=180,7=168, 8=172,9=184,14=148,15=132,16=136,18=162,22=176		 *Eddie Reed's Big Band 
Hollywood Jump 
1=160, 2=198, 3=152, 6=152, 7=208, 8=176, 9=132, 10=168, 12=176
Doris Day & Les Brown 
Best of the Big Bands  (Columbia) 
2=144, 4=140, 5=116, 7=128, 9=136, 10=140, 11=156, 12=144, 13=142, 15=152		 *Indigo Swing 
All Aboard  (Time Bomb) 
2=120, 3=128, 4=196, 5=184, 6=192, 8=132, 10=144, 13=128
*Frankie Manning's  
Really Swingin'  (Sony Music/Columbia) 
1=138, 3=132, 4=164, 5=140, 6=160, 7=190,8=150, 10=188, 11=168, 12=144, 13=160, 14=165,15=170		 *Indigo Swing 
Indigo Swing  (Welt & Placket) 
1=178, 2=168, 4=188, 5=114, 7=120, 8=200, 9=130, 10=204, 12=196
*Jimmie Lunceford 
Swingsation (GRP) 
1=154, 4=182, 6=176, 7=160, 10=124, 11=184, 12=220, 16=214, 17=212, 18=204		 *Mighty Blue Kings 
Meet Me In Uptown  (R-Jay) 
1=220, 2=172, 5=172, 6=140, 7=120, 8=182, 11=150, 12=186, 13=176
Louis Jordan 
Best of Louis Jordan  (MCA) 
1=168, 3=146, 4=176, 6=172, 7=118, 9=192, 14=218, 17=204, 19=192		 Pete Jacobs  and his Wartime Radio Review
Would You Like to Dance? (Whitestone)
1=164, 2=114, 3=112, 5=192, 6=140, 7=152, 8=140, 9=160, 10=196, 11=140
*Louis Prima 
Collector's Series (Capitol) 
1=124, 2=224, 4=196, 6=144, 7=164, 8=200, 9=136, 11=232, 14=184, 18=208, 20=170, 21=208		 Royal Crown Revue 
Mugsy's Move  (Warner Bros.) 
2=176, 4=112, 5=164, 6=126, 8=172, 9=128
*Wynonie Harris 
Bloodshot Eyes (Rhino) 
1=152, 2=160, 3=152, 4=147, 6=153, 7=146, 9=172, 10=173,11=160,13=148,15=192,16=180,17=144,18=152		 Steve Lucky & the Rhumba Bums 
Come Out Swingin'  (Rumpus) 
1=212, 2=168, 4=136, 6=188, 8=168, 10=158, 11=150
 
 
Michael's recommendations for
SWING CDs
I prefer  many of the Big Bands of the 1930s and 1940s such as Benny Goodman,  and  the early  "Jump Swing"  music as exemplified by Wynonie Harris.  In addition to the ones asterisked (*) in Persephone's table, here are some more options for your swing dance CD collection.  The list of Current music generally includes bands that cover the songs in the Vintage list.  The sound quality is typically much superior in the Current music. 
 
Vintage
Current
Jazz Archives No. 6 
Swinging at the Savoy 1937/1945 
3=172, 5=172, 7=142, 10=140, 13=152, 14=168, 17=180, 18=152, 19=140, 24=132		 King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys 
Live at Ronnie Scott's Birmingham 
(Big Bear) 
1=158,2=134,3=184,6=152,7=172, 8=150,10=144, 11=168, 12=168, 13=160,15=188, 16=132,17=176
Capitol Jazz 
Oscillatin' Rhythm 
 2=164, 3=154, 4=152, 5=184, 6=128, 9=176, 10=116, 11=162, 12=166, 13=120, 15=168		 King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys 
This is It! (Big Bear) 
1=160, 2=172, 3=176, 4=168, 6=172, 7=180, 9=116, 10=158, 11=116, 12=136, 13=172, 14=140
Woody Herman 
Golden Favorites (MCA Records) 
 1=180, 3=124, 4=140, 6=180, 8=142		 Various Artists (mix of vintage & current) 
Swing Kids Soundtrack (Hollywood) 
1=224, 3=228, 4=252, 6=168, 8=228, 9=268, 11=220, 14=152-192
Lucky Millinder 
Ram Bunk-Shush (Charly) 
1=180, 2=112, 4=188, 6=148, 9=138, 10=160, 11=130, 12=162, 14=124, 16=162,18=158,20=172
Johnny Hodges 
Passion Flower 1940-46 (Bluebird) 
2=164, 3=164, 5=144, 9=160, 10=112, 12=136, 17=168
                     
Michael and Persephone
www.zootsuitswank.com