I wanna DJ! How do I get started?

Here is a list of a few CDs I would suggest buying:

BASIC 16
Here are my 'basic' 16 recommendations; what I would suggest for someone starting to DJ that wants to appeal to a large variety of dancers and does not want to be too abstract. Some of these are repeats from our "favorites" list. That's because they are perennially good albums, not just based on my tastes.

COMPILATIONS (representing 1 CD each of Big Band Swing, Neo-Swing, Slow Smooth Swing, Jump Blues):
1. "Really Swingin’" –Frankie Manning’s favorite dance tunes. Obviously the man has impeccable taste. This is usually out of print, but you can look up the songs on the CD and get them from itunes. BEWARE: Do NOT download from Amazon.com. Read the third review here.
One more reason Amazon sucks.
2. "Got Swing". Ain't bad either; it's all retro-swingish and more boppy. Don't get the CD by the same name that the Erich Kunzel/Cincinnati Pops Orchestra made!
3. "Smoothies Vols 1-4" are all really good for slow/foxtrot-like swing. All tempos are like 104-120BPM. I use these in class a lot, but they are all hard to find.
4. "Jumpin' Jive" from Hippo Records (#40158) is good for medium tempo jump blues. I think there is more than 1 volume now. Individual Artists (all of these are great if you like medium-tempo music; 130-180BPM).

SMOOTHER SWING FOR MODERN DANCERS:
5. Post 1940s Count Basie: get some compilations, or go with the list above
6. "Swingin' Live" by George Gee is a favorite! Call 1-718-779-7865 to order. His other CDs are good too, but this is my favorite. Say 'hi' to him for me!
7. "Maxine Sullivan Sings: 1955-6" on “Fresh Sound” records (#fsr-cd178) will be hard to find; it's an import and may be out of print, but totally worth it if you can find it.
8. "On the Sunny Side of the Street" Ella Fitzgerold & Count Basie (Verve 3821 576-2). An all-time favorite!
9. "Lindy Hop Blues" by Paul Tillotson
10. "The Best of the Nat King Cole Trio" on Capital records (# 7243 8 33571 2 3) is great.

SWINGING BLUES:
11. "Compact Jazz Joe Williams and Count Basie" on Verve (#835 329-2) is great; Swingin' blues w/ great vocals
12. "The Legendary Lou Rawls" Fun, old-style bluesy R&B. Some classic 'Modern Lindy' stuff here.
13. "The Spoon Concerts" on the Fantasy label: FCD-24701-2, by Jimmy Witherspoon, but AKA "Rockin' with Spoon" on the Charley label (#CD BM 25). There is a 3rd version of this CD too. The concerts are from the Newport Jazz Festival in 1959. I love this CD!

JUMPIER STUFF FOR THE NEO-SWINGERS:
14. "Are you Hep to the Jive" Cab Calloway on Columbia/Legacy (#CK57645) -The best Calloway collection; tons of tunes; mostly swingin' jump blues -plus fun/funny lyrics.
15. "Louis Prima" another from the Capital collectors series (# CDP 7 940722)
16. "The Men from Uncle" by Ray Gelato (#DSCD 001) try www.raygelato.com for ordering. I've heard that all of his CDs are good, but this is my favorite. It's modern and a little fast, but good anyway.
As for classic/vintage swing, the best thing to do is go for big band compilations. The artists to look for are Count Basie (early stuff on the Decca label), Jimmy Lunceford, Chick Webb, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington. This is a good place to *start* …I would preview the artists online, then buy the CDs.