Jumping back into the real music

Contemporary swing is fun, but little more than a pale imitationof the original.

And a lot of music, most notably jump blues, gets lumped intothe swing craze. Jump is a descendant of swing, but not swing, justlike Benny Goodman ain't Louis Prima.

Be that as it may, here's a by-no-means-definitive-best-ofsampling of the new and old. THE NEW "Caught in the Act," Royal Crown Revue (Surfdog Records). RCR waspre-sold by their stint in "The Mask," where their "Hey, Pachuco!"was featured as Jim Carrey whipped Cameron Diaz around a nightclub.You'll see their "Mugzy's Move" on the shelves as well, but "Caught"is preferred. "The Dirty Boogie," Brian Setzer Orchestra (Interscope). Setzer,playing this swing thing since 1992, when nobody cared, is stillgoing strong. His brass section is tight as a drum, and therockabilly edge gives this swing some serious drive. "Hot," Squirrel Nut Zippers (Mammoth). This 1930s retro disc,commonly credited as one of the catalysts of the swing revival, hassome great moments on it. "Bad Businessman" will be impossible toremove from your mental soundtrack. "Zoot Suit Riot," Cherry Poppin' Daddies (Space Age Bachelor Pad).Current MTV darlings and Warped Tour draws, the Daddies don't do abad job at this hyper music that reflects their ska roots. "Meet Me in Uptown," Mighty Blue Kings (R-Jay Records). Jumpin'action from the Chicago favorites that can make the dead dance. THE OLD "At Fargo," Duke Ellington. It's available from sources such asthe Musical Heritage Society and Vintage Jazz Classics. But thisunbelievable live recording from 1940 is indispensable. "At Carnegie Hall," Benny Goodman (Columbia). Coming to you liveduring the peak of swing, this is one of the greatest jazz recordingsyou will hear. Think Gene Krupa and "Sing, Sing, Sing." "The Most Important Recordings," Lester Young (Official). This onemight be tough to find, but saxophonist Young is featured in settingswith pianists like Count Basie and Teddy Wilson, and no less a singerthan Billie Holiday. People who insist the Squirrel Nut Zippers arelame almost certainly have this disc. "The Best of . . .," Louis Jordan (MCA). This compilation is aptlytitled, a career documentation of the king. Kids think this music iscool, but Jordan was doing it almost six decades ago withincomparable style. "Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings" (Verve). Count Basie isessential for any swing collection, and this collaboration with theexquisite singer Joe Williams is among the Count's finest work.