Beginning in the mid-1920s, big bands, then typically consisting of 10-25 pieces, came to dominate popular music. [52], Schuller, Gunther. Count Basies music contains lively rhythms, economic piano style, and a relaxed swing sound. (optional) Select some text on the page (or do this before you open the "Notes" drawer). After 1935, big bands rose to prominence playing swing music and held a major role in defining swing as a distinctive style. Trumpet image courtesy: PJ via Wikimedia Commons, Saxophone image courtesy: via Wikimedia Commons, Keyboard image courtesy: Eurotuber via Wikimedia Commons, Double Bass image courtesy: David Price via Wikimedia Commons, Drum set image courtesy: Pbroks13 via Wikimedia Commons, Gumbo image courtesy: Amadscientist via Wikimedia Commons, For more than 10 years, The Classic Swing Band of Dallas has offered the best in live entertainment. Fletchers [Henderson] band had the same elements; so did Benny Motens back in 1932, when Basie played with him., Every week they would feature a guest band at the Savoy Ballroom. As the soloistic improvisations intensified, bebop players such as saxophonist Charlie "Bird" PARKER often ARMSTRONG took "Hot" Jazz to Chicago, where its popularity grew Jazz played an important role in changing the socio-political landscape (say, the brass section, i.e., trumpets and trombones) would play a musical phrase and then be "answered" by another section (say, the . With no market for small-group recordings (made worse by a Depression-era industry reluctant to take risks), musicians such as Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines led their own bands, while others, like Jelly Roll Morton and King Oliver, lapsed into obscurity. These artists added new instrumentssuch as congas, other percussion instruments, timbales, maracas, and clavesand relied on powerful multi-rhythmic pulses to highlight jazz compositions within the big band as well as the small combo formats. Unlike the concert band, the lead players should never be seated on the end of the section. ", One of the most common forms used in jazz uses "call and response" "Duke" ELLINGTON They provide the base, the foundation on which the rest of the music can thrive. The piece Hotter Than That Lead players (alto sax 1, trombone 1 and trumpet 1) should be in the middle of their sections, in a direct line with one another. Sweet Swing (people like Glenn Miller) had less improvisation, was a bit slower, restrained with a slight swing feel, and was for the white upper class dinner parties. ways. Alto sax player, arranger, and bandleader Jimmie Lunceford (19021947) studied music at and graduated from Fisk University in 1926. piece several times, but the most famous is from 1942, with the following virtuosity. Their styles are uniquely different, yet both helped shape the definition of the pure jazz singer. During the 1960s and '70s, Sun Ra and his Arketstra took big bands further out. Keyboards are some of the most versatile instruments out there. Lester Leaps In: The Life and Times of Lester Pres Young. Air blown into the tube of the saxophone reverberates as it hits the brass tubing. YouTube clip with basic piano chords). 6 Steps to Big Band Writing with Steven Feifke. A distinctly new genre appeared in the late 1930s that to some degree bridged the differences between big band swing and bebop combos, and this was West Indian influenced music. Three bypass valves over the tube can be used to lower the pitch of the trumpet. Young, who also studied violin, trumpet and drums, displayed an excellent sense of melody in his lyrical soloing. For example, Tommy Dorsey played with a beautiful tone and control on the trombone. [26], Typical big band arrangements from the swing era were written in strophic form with the same phrase and chord structure repeated several times. accompaniment (acoustic bass with piano and/or guitar). CROSBY, Frank SINATRA, and Doris DAY, who blossomed as featured vocalists with prominent bands IMPORTANT MUSICIANS: Louis Armstrong (cornet/trumpet), Bix Beiderbecke (cornet), Jelly Roll Morton (piano/composer), Sidney Bechet (soprano sax, clarinet), Earl "Fatha" Hines (piano) Swing/Big Band Era (1930-1945) 1570 0 obj <>stream A unique feature of this style was the use of riffs performed as call and response between woodwinds and brass as an integral part of the arrangement heard in Bennie Motens Moten Swing (1932) and Count Basies One OClock Jump (1937). art form--a unique blending of West African and Western European/American clip on the basic jazz rhythm section. The "white" bands of Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Shep Fields and, later, Glenn Miller were more popular than their "black" counterparts from the middle of the decade. Swing was hugely popular in fact, it was the pop music of the 1930s. In a big band jazz group, at least three trumpets, two trombones, four or more saxophones, and a rhythm section of piano, guitar, bass, and drums are combined with a vocal element. Holiday crossed musical genres, singing jazz, blues, and pop while keeping her individual singing style. The popularity of their bands in the mainstream reveals the extent to which jazz and blues had become the most popular dance music of the 1930s and 1940s. Miller went in debt to start his band but was a millionaire within two years. He was the recipient of a Fulbright Lecturing/Research Fellowship in Japan, where he taught courses in African American History and researched the history of jazz in Japan. trumpet. The focus shifted away from the arranger and toward the improvising performer. here to see a YouTube clip on jazz improvisation, click here to see animated The first jazz concert, called A Swing Music Concert took place in 1936 in New York City. [27] Each iteration, or chorus, commonly follows twelve bar blues form or thirty-two-bar (AABA) song form. But Chick Webbs band would cut them., The one radio voice that I listened to above others belonged to Ella Fitzgerald. While each instrument in a swing band can be compared to an ingredient in Gumbo, none of them have been equated with the seasoning so far. such works incorporate certain elements of the jazz tradition, there is not even L6G9MTRv&hVSOC9Y)~06CW)j#8qE#C?YOK%d\SC9IT~U {J;F\m`F># Lester Young & Herschel Evans. Swing bands featured sections of trumpets, saxophones, and . Bandleader Charlie Barnet's recording of "Cherokee" in 1942 and "The Moose" in 1943 have been called the beginning of the bop era. "big band" backup, the most famous example, The Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy from HWYo8~G ("b+[:r$%_r8oFdnIt]5pu\Kr|z~+au/I8vTm3}` e One Oclock Jump: The Unforgettable History of the Oklahoma City Blue Devils. Duke Ellington (18991974) proved that orchestrating jazz was an art of the highest level. Ra's eclectic music was played by a roster of musicians from ten to thirty and was presented as theater, with costumes, dancers, and special effects.[1]. The lyrics kept within these traditions. Many college and university music departments offer jazz programs and feature big band courses in improvisation, composition, arranging, and studio recording, featuring performances by 18 to 20 piece big bands.[46]. clip on the basic jazz rhythm section), - Bass There was a considerable range of styles among the hundreds of popular bands. Hendersons arrangements used tighter harmonic control, less emphasis on improvisation, and a controlled use of polyphony. All Jazz styles have two common features: - His "C" (click The 1930's brought a new style of jazz "big band swing". Duke Ellington at one time used six trumpets. Packed with Ph.D.s, this scientific swing band performs a play list that leans heavily toward the heavens. Jazz began in New Orleans in the daring arrangements of classic jazz tunes. Count Basie played a relaxed, propulsive swing, Bob Crosby (brother of Bing), more of a dixieland style,[39] Benny Goodman a hard driving swing, and Duke Ellington's compositions were varied and sophisticated. Ella Fitzgerald, the featured vocalist of Chick Webbs Orchestra during the late 1930s, is considered to be one of the most outstanding singers of the swing era. - a vocalist with piano or a small backup group. listeners to love jazz.. Which white swing clarinetist and bandleader, who spent as much of his early career as he could in Harlem, once said, "I was actually leading the life of a Negro musician"? style, boogie-woogie was born. 2. The successful bands of the Swing Era featured carefully . early style of "Hot Jazz" made its way north to Chicago and east to Hot Swing (people like Duke Ellington) was more daring, experimental, faster, with longer improvisations, stronger rhythmic drive, and a rough blues feeling. Bassists generally assumed the role of timekeeper, while drummers functioned in a dual capacity. Many musicians served in the military and toured with USO troupes at the front, with Glenn Miller losing his life while traveling between shows. featuring trumpeter Chet BAKER). DoZjyk]Z^0])*6`pje?NG.s#n1[Mgv,3/W5k'(?_pq,JZ7jaF:m(YTm7RhoQ>luNRjY%- I) Jazz is America's Cool Jazz Apple Loops/REX/WAV. A drummer, bass player (string bass), piano player, and guitarist formed the rhythm section. Ellington recorded this At these venues, which themselves gained notoriety, bandleaders and arrangers played a greater role than they had before. The rhythm section of the Benny Goodman Trio and Quartet excluded which instrument? Hickman's arranger, Ferde Grof, wrote arrangements in which he divided the jazz orchestra into sections that combined in various ways. techniques (from native African musical tradition in which a leader does a During the 1920s, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, and Dallas were vital crossroads resulting in a mix of musical styles and cultures. A. trumpeter Miles DAVIS, and baritone The manner in which theyre utilized often depends on the particular composition of the song being played. Other methods of embellishing the form include modulations and cadential extensions. This also contributed to the loose and spontaneous feel of KC Jazz. An Autobiography: John Hammond on Record with Irvin Townsend. Above all else, Swing music is dance music which means it was: This also meant it was incredibly commercial. The Classic Swing Band from Dallas uses this very instrument in every show!! The better jazz musicians of swing bands would form swing combos within most large bands. The rhythm section would typically include piano, string bass, drum set, with occasional additions of guitar or other chordal/melody instruments. It began as an intensified rhythmic outgrowth of the black Rhythm & The size could be anywhere from about 12 to 30 players. Loops are played at 120 and 125 bpm. Jazz began in New Orleans in the Four trombones comprised the trombone section. The Timeline of African American Music by Portia K. Maultsby, Ph.D. presents the remarkable diversity of African American music, revealing the unique characteristics of each genre and style, from the earliest folk traditions to present-day popular music. The music of Count Basie (19041984) represents a leading voice in the big band style. And there were also 2 different styles of Swing music. Hammond, John. Swing music was performed by a larger ensemble consisting of saxophones (sometimes also clarinets), trumpets, and trombones. The group emphasized correct technique and accurate playing and released its first recording in 1930. Henderson and arranger Don Redman followed the template of King Oliver, but as the 1920s progressed they moved away from the New Orleans format and transformed jazz. of American jazz. premiered George GERSHWIN's Rhapsody in Blue and kicked off an 20th-century popular music and culture. Gioia, Ted. Louis Armstrong was the first to establish vocals as a part of an instrumental tradition. In general, swing refers to the music of large dance bands that played written arrangements. often feature virtuoso performers, on Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, and Jimmie Lunceford each led orchestras that achieved international standing. The Henderson band is considerably larger than most syncopated dance bands of the 1920s (eight or nine musicians). [3] In the late 1930s, Shep Fields incorporated a solo accordion, temple blocks, piccolo and a viola into his Rippling Rhythm Orchestra. singing" (in which he sings like an instrument on scat Jazz vocalists during this era were highly influenced by horn players. Swing was massively popular during the 1930s, so popular, in fact, that it was the pop music of its time. And they played dance music. The score indicated a fixed number of measures for solo improvisation and also musical notations with the desired sounds and effects. Apart from the star soloists, many musicians received low wages and would abandon the tour if bookings disappeared. highly-improvisatory new style of jazz called "Bebop" was developed Good Morning Blues: The Autobiography of Count Basie. Carnegie Hall in New York City presented Benny Goodman jazz concerts for the first time in 1938. 3. As swing developed, the second player became responsible for most of the jazz solos. Beacon, 2002. Please change your browser preferences to enable javascript, and reload this page. The moral? during the World War II years. The swing style developed in the 1930s and continued to be popular throughout the 1940s and beyond as a distinctive genre. 1920s as a blending of blues, ragtime, and civic brass band traditions, then this Mary Lou Williams (19101981) was the first woman in jazz history to compose and arrange for a large jazz band. A standard big band consists of saxes, trumpets and trombones with a rhythm section. YouTube clip with basic piano chords, click here to see a YouTube - a jazz choir (with or without instrumental accompaniment): Jazz combos often feature virtuoso performers, on Swing was almost entirely commercial and part of the mass entertainment industry. out of tune) notes, (4) and even a section with Armstrong's famous "scat Most swing was performed by Big Bands, which were literally big bands, divided into trumpets, saxophones, trombones, and a rhythm section consisting mostly of drums, bass, guitar, and piano. The Ellington orchestra succeeded in part through the expert use and contribution of consistently talented and unique players. [4] While most big bands dropped the previously common jazz clarinet from their arrangements (other than the clarinet-led orchestras of Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman), many Duke Ellington songs had clarinet parts,[5] often replacing or doubling one of the tenor saxophone parts; more rarely, Ellington would substitute baritone sax for bass clarinet, such as in "Ase's Death" from Swinging Suites. It served to distract people from the daily grind of reality. In the 1970s, popular fusion groups included BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS, CHICAGO, and SANTANA The successful bands of the Swing Era featured carefully composed arrangements that held many talented players together. California. Vocalists began to strike out on their own. In Harlem, the creative and literary arts, Black musicals, and big band entertainment flourished within the movement known as the Harlem Renaissance, in which music played as great or possibly a greater role than literature. In the early years of Jazz, and up until the Swing Era, the piano was still very much rooted in the rhythm section of the band. The International Sweethearts of Rhythm, the first multiethnic all-female swing band, formed in 1937 at Piney Woods County Life School, Mississippi. Big band swing was at the forefront of jazz and underwent its most concentrated growth and development from 1930 . When the trumpets and saxophones are combined in a musical accompaniment, they can lead a vibrant and multi-toned swing melody. Nostalgia for the Big Band style has kept it alive today. In the 1960s and 1970s, big band rock became popular by integrating such musical ingredients as progressive rock experimentation, jazz fusion, and the horn choirs often used in blues and soul music, with some of the most prominent groups including Chicago; Blood, Sweat and Tears; Tower of Power; and, from Canada, Lighthouse. - jukebox Which changes occurred in the rhythm section during the 1930s? The methods of dance bands marked a step away from New Orleans jazz. But you also need to inject your style and personality into the music you make. Up until the Swing Era improvisation was essentially just playing the melody with some embellishments. Whiteman increased the size of his band into nearly symphonic proportion. They used their voices as instruments to demonstrate their command of scat singing. The Cotton Club started in Harlem before it moved downtown. They had Count Basie, they had Benny Moten, they had George Lee, they had Junior Lee, they had Lester Young, they had Walter Brown., What I heard in that first nine-piece Basie band was the sort of free, swinging jazz that I have always preferred. jw7(W3;TEd5SOBmlyb./hh IOQ,+B}I\fT-q\ dJ(0!GF>B)- |0~J;:AC*: Y3[.(&=>:UU5aH@ZLLEc))3c.mcX=ia&1cy]aE~9CB7L_ [22] Some bandleaders, such as Guy Lombardo, performed works composed by others (in Lombardo's case, often by his brother Carmen),[23] while others, such as Maria Schneider, take on all three roles. A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section.Big bands originated during the early 1910s and dominated jazz in the early 1940s when swing was most popular. of the United States between 1920 and 1970. The band features selections mostly from the swing era, with a dose of 50's Sinatra and 60's hipsters. Company" vocal jazz ensemble performing a the Lincoln Center in New York When it comes to swing music, keyboards are typically used as a harmonic element. Many bands from the swing era continued for decades after the death or departure of their founders and namesakes, and some are still active in the 21st century, often referred to as "ghost bands", a term attributed to Woody Herman, referring to orchestras that persist in the absence of their original leaders. to jazz, When new arrangements are written, they are usually in the same style as the original band. Swing was hugely popular - in fact, it was the pop music of the 1930's. It was mostly performed by Big Bands, which were large orchestras divided into trumpets, saxophones, trombones, and a rhythm section (which consisted of the drums, bass, guitar and piano).