Tomorrow, my wife, kids, and I will be going to a family reunion for my Grandma Hill's side of the family, the Browns. My grandma was not only the Best Grandma Ever (sorry if you think YOUR Grandma is/was – she's not), she was also my best friend when I was younger. She passed away in January of 1992, and a part of me has been lost ever since. The last time we had a Brown Family Reunion was only a year or two after my grandma passed. In her younger and even older years, she had been a huge fan of Big Band music. She loved to dance to it as long as she was able to. In memory of my Grandma Hill, here's a collection of some of the finest Big Band and Swing music ever produced. Enjoy! ~ JH
1) Glenn Miller Orchestra ~ “In The Mood”
2) Benny Goodman ~ “Sing, Sing, Sing”
3) Artie Shaw ~ “Begin The Beguine”
4) Harry James ~ “Green Onions”
5) Count Basie ~ “One O’Clock Jump”
6) Woody Herman & His Swingin’ Herd ~ “Woodchopper’s Ball”
7) Duke Ellington ~ “It Don’t Mean A Thing”
8) Gene Krupa & Buddy Rich ~ “The Drum Battle” (Wow, this is fairly epic! Who do YOU think won the battle?)
9) Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra ~ “Song Of India”
10) Louis Armstrong ~ “A Kiss To Build A Dream On”
11) Dizzy Gillespie ~ “Salt Peanuts”
12) Bob Crosby And His Orchestra ~ “Big Noise From Winnetka”
13) Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra ~ “Tangerine”
14) Earl “Fatha” Hines ~ “Memories Of You”
15) Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five ~ “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby?”
16) Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians ~ “Sioux City Sue”
17) Kay Kyser & His Orchestra ~ “Like The Fella Once Said”
18) Lawrence Welk ~ “Muskrat Ramble”
19) Hoagy Carmichael ~ “The Monkey Song”
20) Shep Fields And His Rippling Rhythm ~ “Breathless”
21) Billy Eckstine ~ “Prisoner Of Love”
22) Louis Prima ~ “Just A Gigolo / I Ain’t Got Nobody”
23) Cab Calloway ~ “Minnie The Moocher”
24) Les Brown And His Band Of Renown ~ “Leapfrog”
25) Lionel Hampton ~ “Flying Home”
