Specializing in finding juke joint jumping obscurities from the 40s-50s, Atomicat Records has come up with a new series of “jive”, calling them “A-Rama” to signify that the music is for hep cats only. The single discs are collections of 78 rpm tunes that were heavy on swing, on fun and dancing, categorized here under “Swing”, “Boogie”, “Burlesque” and “Duet”, although many of the songs could be interchanged easily. The bottom line is that, if you want music for your party, this is the place to start.
Swing-A-Rama has 28 tunes custom made for the jitterbug in all of us, ranging from Cab Calloway’s famous “Minnie The Moocher” to Frankie-boy Sinatra on a sweet “You Make Me Feel So Young”. There’s tons of boogie woogie as with Louis Armstrong & The Mills Brothers on “Flat Foot Floogie” and 
Slim & Slam jiving on “Jump Session” and even Woody Herman gets into the act with a wailing take of “Caldonia”. Big names like Duke Ellington pop up with “Perdido” and even Glenn Miller shows some muscle on “King Porter Stomp” while more obscure artists like “Blue Lu Barker (“A Little Bird Told Me” and Butch Stone (“Baby Face”) will make you start searching Youtube for more of the same. Grab a partner!
Few styles of music have aged as well as Boogie Woogie (anyone really want to Twist today?), and this 28 song collection from 1944-55 is a relentless series of fist pounding joy. It’s not just Kansas City blues shouters such as Joe Turner (“I Want My Baby”) or but you get a bunch of hillbillies that created the irresistible Western Swing, such as Jimmy Widener having a hoot with “Padlock On The Door” and Max “Blues” Baily hitting it hard on “Rockin’ The Blues”. The West Coast is featured by Johnny Otis (“The Love Bug Boogie”), and the jump blueser Roy Milton ”Milton’s Boogie” with almost every song featuring a big beefy tenor saxist growling for a meal. Tasty!
What is labeled as Burlesque on the 28 tune anthology is simply standard R&B from 1948-62, straddling the worlds of jumping jive and early rock and roll. Sam Butera is hep two the jive on the searing take of “Fever” and a twanging guitarist Duane Eddy goes dark on “Stalking”. Nina Simone shows a different side of her liberated self on “The Gal From Joes” while Kansas City gent Sammy Price h it’s the ivories for a BBQ’d “Rib Joint”. Chitlin’ Circuit legend Otis Rush grinds out “Keep On Loving Me” and Bill Haley rocks around the clock on “Hawk”. Where’s Hail Storm?
Most diverse is the series of Duets from 1950-60, unified by a pair of singers with sounds ranging form jazz to jive and Nashville. There are a ton of Elvis impersonators here, such as The Cochran Brothers on “Tired and Sleepy” while the wake of the Everly Brothers is evident much of the time as well, as on “Rock Everybody” by Leon and Carlos. Doo wop is produced by Bob and Earl of the Hollwood Flames on “ You Made A Boo Boo” and a trip to the Grand Ol’ Opry will take you to hear Johnnie and Jack on the hoot of “I’ve Seen This Movie Before”. Lots of rootsy tunes are around as well, as on “(My Gal Is) Red Hot by the rocking “Carrol Brothers” and “Real Lovin’ Mama” by Floyd Dixon and Mari Jones. Everyone pairs up well here.