Big Blue Swing

Big Blue Swing is an Internet-only stream, but, strangely, the people behind it (whoever they are) don't do very much to make people aware of it -- even on the Internet. Their web page, hosted on MySpace, is pretty bad. They do have their own domain, apparently: www.bigblueswing.com. But as of this writing, that domain simply redirects to the MySpace page. I don't think I would have ever discovered it if not for the fact that it was programmed into the vTuner database, which my particular Internet radio device uses.

This is all too bad, because Big Blue Swing's stream is high quality and consists of one of the best mixes of big band, swing and blues music that I have ever heard. The artists and records seem to span from the 1940s to the present, with an emphasis on the "swing" in everything that is played. You think you have heard this genre before, but Big Blue Swing gives a unique twist to it that is hard to pin down. Imagine music that is nostalgic and yet completely up-to-date and hip, if you can.

Since it's an Internet-only stream, there are few interruptions to the music. Every several songs, a recorded announcer comes on admonishing you to get up and dance, even if you're at work. Other than that it's song after song.

My only (minor) complaint is that the station's playlist can start to sound repetitive if you listen for hours on end. In fact, if you listen every day you will hear many songs more than once (or twice, or three times ... etc.). Thankfully, the order of songs is not repetitive, so you'll be continually surprised to hear what comes next. And assuming you like this kind of music to begin with, you'll come to love so many of the songs played on Big  Blue Swing that you'll look forward to them rolling around once more.