Glenn Crytzer: On Programming an Album of Original Swing Music

This autumn I successfully funded an ambitious double CD project with the Glenn Crytzer Orchestra through Kickstarter. Disc one will be of classic Swing Era tunes; disc two will be all originals. Previously I’ve released two studio albums of original swing music, and one EP of originals, and while I could (and maybe will at some point) write a good deal about the craft of songwriting in vintage styles or the craft of performing or recording the music, I wanted to share with you some of the complexities of programming an album of original vintage swing music. Basics, Lots of Basics First I should define what I mean by programming. Programming, as used here, means selecting what songs to record and what order to put them in. If you were programming a CD of classics you would need to make sure the disc had: a mix of tempos and lots of tunes in the sweet spot for dancers a balance of vocals and instrumentals a variety of topics to the lyrics a balance of “pop tunes” (like “All of Me”) and “riff tunes” (like “Flyin’ Home”) and through composed instrumentals (like “Original Dixieland One Step” or “Downtown Slump”) a balance of major key tunes vs. minor key tunes a variety of keys (a record all in C major/A minor would be super boring.) a selection of grooves (hard driving, laid back, sultry, silly, etc) a selection of different vibes and techniques in