'Back in the day' - late 50's to early 80's - with the band in NY, we primarily played for weddings and dinner dances ... we had a couple of medleys of mostly 1940s tunes that we would play in the last half hour of the gig - we called them "The Money Set" because they would really get the crowd jumping and far more often than not resulted in an hour OT ... $$$$ ...


... of course in the 80s the songs often were 50s/60s RnR and disco ...

Can't wait to hear your medley, Donny ...

When I do the really old songs, people look at me like "that guy must be really old". Of course it all depends on the audience.
There are modern bands doing great swing music, but I think the audience is mostly dance clubs and older people. If you listened to 40's music as a teenager, you are most likely getting too old to dance to it now! Not to say you don't enjoy hearing it though. I enjoy it myself and I'm just a kid.
I love Stray Cats! Even that little short guy that played at the Super Bowl, can't think of his name, does some stuff similar to swing.

... that would be Bruno Mars ...?!?
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/31/arts/music/bruno-mars-says-hes-ready-for-his-big-stage.html?_r=0

Stray Cats, Big Bad VooDoo Daddy, Royal Crown Revue, Cherry Poppin Daddies ... all good stuff ...

Yeah Bruno, some of his stuff ain't bad.

Yeah...and the first song in the set would be "The Saints!"

Goodness.......does THAT bring back memories......hadn't thought about that in years.

Then there was to scientifically "time" that last break perfectly to give you that exact amount of time you needed, when you got back on the bandstand, to work the crowd into a frenzy and the closer you got to the finish line, the more intense the music got.....and you made sure you didn't end that last medley until at least 11:10 pm.

Fact is......I forgot there even WAS such a thing as overtime. But in those days, it was "understood" that the first 4 hours of the gig was just "warmup" and make sure you save the "money making" songs for the last hour.

And remember when...."remembering to bring your tuxedo was as important as remembering to bring your instrument!"

And.......Satin Doll, Hello, Dolly and New York, NY. Three songs I got so tired of playing I would break out in a rash whenever we did them.

All that really brings back memories I hadn't thought of in years. Hard to believe days like that even existed......it's so different now!

They still exist. You're just hanging out in the wrong honky-tonks!

A lot of songs from that era really play on the emotions...one of my favorites, "A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square" is very powerful, and even drew positive comments from the younger crowd.

One of the best written songs ever, in my opinion, and right up there with "Somewhere Over The Rainbow".

Ian

I'm always hard pressed to pick an all time favorite song, but if I HAD to it would be "All The Things You Are" ...

Mark ... you are so right about the timing, because when you got the OT you had to continue playing for a while at least ... but we were never 'clock watchers'... if the crowd was having a good time we were also ...we took breaks when we felt is was appropriate - to give the crowd and US a breather ... and I remember '4 hour gigs' that lasted 6 - 7 hours ... made more in OT than the first 4 hours ...

And it was while the dance floor was jumping like crazy that one of the guys in the band would approach the host and say something like "we only have 5 - 10 minutes left - don't you think you want your guest to continue having a great time?"

Played a gig in Long Island NY on property right next door to Billy Joel's house ... the groom was a beer importer ... outdoor wedding, huge tent ...
I would never wear my tux shirt and jacket to the gig because I would sweat so much getting set up ... we finish setting up and I got my tux shirt and tie but don't see my jacket ...I thought the guys were busting my chops, but sure enough I had left it at home ... the groom's uncle, who owned the house, had played with Guy Lombardo's band for years and fortunately, he was a pretty big guy also ... I was taken to a closet in the house where there were tux jackets of every color ... picked out a nice black one, and my day was saved ...