Music and dance form popularized in the United States in the early-mid twentieth century, largely from big band-type of music, mingling with jazz. It is very high tempo, and the associated dance styles are quite physical.

Reborn in the retro-crazed nineties thanks to the media: Movies such as Swing Kids and Jon Favreau's Swingers, as well as trendy Gap ads (and the spoof by Jordan's Furniture in the Boston area).

Try Benny Goodman Orchestra's "Sing Sing Sing" from the Carnegie Hall performance. This defines Swing.

You'll know swing music when you hear it. Count Basie's "Shout and Feel it", Benny Goodman's "Sing, Sing, Sing (with a Swing)", and Dinah Washington's duet with Brook Benton, "You've Got What It Takes" are all good songs to swing dance to. Of course there are bands still around that perform swing music. Good examples are Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums, Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, and The Swing Session Band. After the swing revival of the 1990's came and went, the core swing music fans still persisted and dance and listen to swing music every week. San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City are good bets if you want to find a hoppin' local swing scene.

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