Date Night w/ Alex Grant, N’East Style: The Great Gatsby

Before I begin, I’d like to quickly “say” something. I can’t even begin to describe how excited I am to begin collaborating with Christine (N’East Style) and Skip (Alex Grant) on their “Date Night” series. It’s truly an honor to partake in such an awesome fashion series they’ve created. A big thank you to both bloggers for the pleasure of working with them and allowing me to spread my musical wings just a bit farther.

Let’s get right to it, shall we? The Great Gatsby. By far one of my favorite novels of all-time. F. Scott Fitzgerald perfectly portrayed the materialistic endeavors of Americans, the last hurrah before the fall of our stock market. And the movie is just as good (the Robert Redford one, not the Paul Rudd one). The Prohibition Era was a time of unheralded prosperity, fueled by credit and greed. Organized crime grew by the day as bootlegging became a substantial means of income. Money wasn’t the only thing that flowed, however. The arts, fueled by a sense of rebellion and new technology, soared. How else do you think the period became known as the “Roaring 20′s?” That rebellion lead to the rise of Jazz, one of the first truly American musical genres to exist.

The playlist I’d like to share with you is reminiscent of one of the most exciting eras of our short history, not to mention inspired by the life and times of Gatsby. It’s packed with artists who would become some of the greatest Jazz musicians ever.

Christine and Skip are going to help you look great with their Gatsby-inspired fashions.

I’m here to help you set the mood.

So close your eyes, put your kit on, and let the music take you over. Grab your girl (or guy), your drink, and start to sway. It’s like you’re at Gatsby’s house, uninvited, but you’ve gone anyways…

“I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby’s house I was one of the few guests who had actually been invited. People were not invited–they went there.”

The Great Gatsby Playlist (Download has now closed. However, hit me up on Twitter if you’re still interested.)

1. Summertime – Gershwin

2. Rhapsody in Blue – Gershwin

3. They Can’t Take That Away From Me – Gershwin

4. Basin Street Blues – Louis Armstrong

5. Mahogany Hall Stomp – Louis Armstrong

6. High Society – Louis Armstrong

7. You Took Advantage of Me – Paul Whiteman Orchestra w/ Bix Biederbecke

8. Jubilee Stomp – Duke Ellington & his Orchestra (Cotton Club)

9. Cotton Club Stomp – Duke Ellington

10. Someday Sweetheart – King Oliver & his Dixie Syncopators

11. Farewell Blues – King Oliver & his Dixie Syncopators

12. Grandpa’s Spells – Jelly Roll Morton

13. The Pearls – Jelly Roll Morton