Music


St. Louis Shag is a highly rhythmic dance that can be danced to a variety of up-tempo jazz and swing styles. This playlist emphasizes music with a strong back-beat, which matches the shag basic well, but please note it is not exhaustive.

We also have a Spotify playlist available but please note that some of the songs listed below are not available on the Spotify platform.

  1. “Rock Daniel” Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Shout Sister Shout (150 BPM)
  2. “Jo Jo” Brooks Prumo Orchestra, This Year’s Kisses 2020 (160 BPM)
  3. “Rose Room” Charlie Shavers, Period’s Jazz Digest, 1957 (165 BPM)
  4. “Baubles, Bangles, and Beads” Jonah Jones, Capital Records Collection (165 BPM)
  5. “Charleston Twist” Red Prysock, Swingsation (170 BPM)
  6. “Ride Sammy Ride” Sam “The Man” Taylor, Swingsation (170 BPM)
  7. “Fox Paw” Jonathan Doyle Quintet, The Fed Hop 2015 (172 BPM)
  8. “99 ½ Won’t Do” Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Gospel Train (178 BPM)
  9. “Buster’s Tune” Buster Smith, The Legendary Buster Smith, 1959 (180 BPM)
  10. “Doggin’ with Doggett” Illinois Jacquet, Jazz Foundations 31, 1946 (180 BPM)
  11. “Good Jax Boogie” Dave Bartholomew, A Country Boy (185 BPM) [Not on Spotify]
  12. “Muskrat Ramble” Jack Teagarden, Jazz Icons from the Golden Era (185 BPM) [Not on Spotify]
  13. “Woodchopper’s Ball” by Woody Herman, Blowin’ Up A Storm 1945-1947 (188 BPM)
  14. “You Do Me Any Old Way” Big Bill Broonzy, Vol. 6 1937 (188 BPM)
  15. “Walkin’ and Swingin’” Mary Lou Williams, Queen of Jazz Piano (188 BPM)
  16. “Let’s Ride, Ride, Ride” Jack McVea, Saxophone Rhythm and Blues Greats (190 BPM)
  17. “Lillie Mae” Smiley Lewis, I Hear You Knocking (190 BPM)
  18. “Rose Room,” Bobby Hackett, Quadromania Vol. 2 (195 BPM)
  19. “Madame Dynamite,” Eddie Condon and his Orchestra (195 BPM)
  20. “From Bop to Swing” Candy Jacket Jazz Band, Self Titled Album (195 BPM)
  21. “O-Kay For Baby” Jack McVea, Saxophone Rhythm and Blues Greats, 1945 (200 BPM)
  22. “Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone” Sidney Bechet, Because of You (200 BPM)
  23. “Rosetta,” Muggsy Spanier and His Ragtimers, Pee Wee Russell Jazz Original 1944 (202 BPM)
  24. “Dinah” Brooks Prumo Orchestra, Pass the Bounce 2017 (205 BPM)
  25. “Walkin’ This Boogie” Roosevelt Sykes, Roosevelt Sykes Vol. 10 (205 BPM)
  26. “Little John Special” Lucky Millinder (Dizzy Gillespie), Jumpin’ Jive, 1942 (210 BPM)
  27. “Ory’s Boogie” Kid Ory, Jazz Foundations Vol. 49 (215 BPM)
  28. “Just Jivin’ Around” Sammy Price and his Texas Blusicians, Lester Young 1941-1944 (215 BPM)
  29. “Tab Steps Out” Tab Smith, I Don’t Want to Play in the Kitchen (215 BPM) [Not on Spotify]
  30. “Good Enough to Keep (Air Mail Special)” Charlie Christian, the Essential (219 BPM)
  31. “Mush Mouth” Buddy & Ella Johnson, A Family Affair (220 BPM)
  32. “Nursery Rhyme Jump” Tab Smith, Jump Time 1957 (220 BPM)
  33. “Royal Garden Blues” Count Basie, Blues by Basie (225 BPM)
  34. “Stompin’ at the Savoy” Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Orchestra (225 BPM) [Not on Spotify]35. “The Crawl” Henry Red Allen, Swing Out, 1946 (230 BPM)
  35. “Jammin’ The Blues” Jonathan Stout & His Campus Five, Jammin’ The Blues (240 BPM)
  36. “Clarinet Marmalade” Albert Burbank and His Creole Jazz Band, Sounds of New Orleans (230-250 BPM)
  37. “Jersey Jump Off” Coleman Hawkins, Cozy Cole, The Savoy Story (240 BPM)
  38. “Oo-Wee” Sam “The Man” Taylor, Swingsation (265 BPM)
  39. “Road Runner” Sam “The Man” Taylor, Swingsation (275 BPM)