Fitzgerald was unique in her ability to render exact imitations of nearly any instrument in the band. The Timeline of African American Music has been made possible in part by a major grant from theNational Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.
can keep track of this form by counting to 4 twelve times ("1 2 3 4", "2 2 3 4", "3 2 3 4", "4 2 3 4", "5 2 3 4", etc. And they played dance music. [51] Fictionalized biographical films of Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa, and Benny Goodman were made in the 1950s. Ive listed someSwing Era Jazz musicians below. clip on the basic jazz rhythm section. In swing, the saxophone was usually featured as the leading instrumental soloist. Daniels, Douglas. The Great Depression, which started with the stock market crash in 1929, and WWII which ended in 1945. (optional) Select some text on the page (or do this before you open the "Notes" drawer). The Henderson band is considerably larger than most syncopated dance bands of the 1920s (eight or nine musicians). A cheap & cheerful collection of up-tempo sax, trumpet and trombone funky licks featuring over 350 ensemble phrases, solos, trills and stabs for house, disco, electro-swing and quirky big-band-infused electronica. "Duke" ELLINGTON Walter Page is often credited with developing the walking bass,[38] though earlier examples exist, such as Wellman Braud on Ellington's Washington Wabble from 1927. Two other musical characteristics of swing bands are a return to the use of a flat-four rhythm and the use of block chords (chords with many notes moving in parallel motion). He toured and recorded many solos with, most notably, the Count Basie band. [21] Bandleaders are typically performers who assemble musicians to form an ensemble of various sizes, select or create material for them, shape the musics dynamics, phrasing, and expression in rehearsals, and lead the group in performance often while playing alongside them. an improvisation: melody, harmony, and form. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
. sprouted up in different parts of the United States, and their uniquely Some listeners feel that all swing bands sound alike but bandleaders wanted to be distinguished. Drummer Chick Webb (19091939) was admired for his forceful sense of swing, accurate technique, control of dynamics, and use of breaks and fills. Which of the following changes occurred in the rhythm section during the 1930s? Four trombones comprised the trombone section. "C" Jam Blues (1942). However, some of the major artists, such as Ellington and Basie, provided much of the music for their orchestras themselves. From the late 1930s through the 1950s, Duke Ellington was one of the premier swing band leaders in America. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and dominated jazz in the early 1940s when swing was most popular. Beacon, 2002. of main line "crooners" such as Bing - When new arrangements are written, they are usually in the same style as the original band. Many of the better known bands reflected the individuality of the bandleader, the lead arranger, and the personnel. "12 2 3 4", then start the Her vocal command expanded to an unusual range of four octaves, and she is best known for her melodic approach to scatting. Many of the great swing bands broke up, as the times and tastes changed. saxophonist Gerry MULLIGAN (of the Gerry Mulligan Quartet The music of Count Basie (19041984) represents a leading voice in the big band style. [36]:p.31, Before 1910, social dance in America was dominated by steps such as the waltz and polka. Loops are played at 120 and 125 bpm. Swing was the predominant style of jazz music played from the late 1920s to mid-1940s. 3. The Glenn Miller Band worked the best jobs and recorded often. In the mid-1930s and early 1940s, Ella Fitzgerald contributed to the success of Webbs band in New York City. In 1927, he taught music at Manassas High School in Memphis and organized a student jazz band. Important New York figures of this time include Chick Webb, Jimmie Lunceford, and Duke Ellington. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. premiered George GERSHWIN's Rhapsody in Blue and kicked off an The first jazz concert, called A Swing Music Concert took place in 1936 in New York City. His "C" Pianist and vocalist Sarah Vaughan also influenced many singers. The trumpet section included four trumpets; the first was responsible for the highest notes. Until the political climate changes in Chile, Allende will write from her current home in Nostalgia for the Big Band style has kept it alive today. It is usually played by big band ensembles that use a rhythm section with drums, bass, sometimes a guitar, and almost always a piano, a brass section of trumpets and trombones, and a reed section of saxophones and clarinets. Swing bands featured orchestras with sections of trumpets, saxophones, and _________________. 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). In contrast to the typical jazz emphasis on improvisation, big bands relied on written compositions and arrangements. Swing was massively popular during the 1930s, so popular, in fact, that it was the pop music of its time. [1], Duke Ellington led his band at the Cotton Club in Harlem. As swing developed, the second player became responsible for most of the jazz solos. ways. sense means to merge styles together. 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_ Jazz Big Band Arrangements. an important catalyst in the socio-political and artistic transformation of Swing bands featured a large ensemble of woodwinds (saxophones, clarinets), brass (trumpets, trombones) and a back-up accompaniment (acoustic bass with piano and/or guitar). Hawkins made his first recording with Fletcher Henderson and he would go on to perform throughout England and Europe. began to emerge from the vocal blues 1920s as a blending of blues, ragtime, and civic brass band traditions, then this The saxophone section included two alto saxophones, two tenor saxophones, and one baritone saxophone. 1570 0 obj
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jazz-fusion (combining elements of jazz and rock musics). clarinetist Benny GOODMAN and This expansive eclecticism characterized much of jazz after World War II. performing at the same time. In the late 1960s, Jazz trumpeter Miles Bridging the gap to white audiences in the mid-1930s was the Casa Loma Orchestra and Benny Goodman's early band. ,r,el1)PrPer{mN,cq+W!yJn?@}gU-+GACIuyrPgnpQCZ76il9%0A9b
vr, Q&L Sc3oX *{{toV Swing is sandwiched between two huge historical events. rock . They danced to recordings and the radio and attended live concerts. Big bands of today are not all from an earlier era. D. in History from the University of California, Berkeley. The saxophone section included two alto saxophones, two tenor saxophones, and one baritone saxophone. woodwinds (saxophones, clarinets), brass (trumpets, trombones) and a back-up Orchestra. Many swing-era compositions were written by professional songwriters employed by song publishing companies. In Kansas City, Bennie Motens and Count Basies bands had begun developing a looser type of big band arrangement that allowed for freer styles of soloing, giving rise to a unique Kansas City swing style in the 1930s. A big band typically consists of approximately 12 to 25 musicians and contains saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Armstrong (nicknamed 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. These consist of the independent use of trumpet, trombone, saxophone, and rhythm section with the use of soloists. California. highly improvisatory style called Bebop, such works incorporate certain elements of the jazz tradition, there is not even While drum sets are typically used for this important task in swing music, single drums can also do the trick if theyre played with precision. In the late 1990s, there was a swing revival in the U.S. !/$v}5cliH_+B9W#PBY]C ::B) is called the "12-bar blues." The most prominent features of big band swing were the use of written arrangements and improvised solos, repetitive horn riffs, call and response between the brass and reed sections, and a rhythmic drive derived from walking and/or boogie-woogie type bass lines. Along this historical journey, jazz has been That makes them the shrimp or Andouille sausage in the Gumbo that is swing music. It began as an intensified rhythmic outgrowth of the black Rhythm & 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. 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) Jazz played an important role in changing the socio-political landscape From (, : This can be best described as "composing and Coleman Hawkins (19041969) was the first great saxophonist of jazz. bWkwf>JW'wJj_]6/?NxP]-0_wg"2;WjbuY5sujr7g/sueG>trp~ZBV7]M(//m!o/f[^fb]x>f]aX?UnAW|ng)]s? Up until that time, it was viewed with ridicule and looked upon as a curiosity. the late 1930s through the 1950s, Duke Ellington was one of the premier swing band In the This also contributed to the loose and spontaneous feel of KC Jazz. The better jazz musicians of swing bands would form swing combos within most large bands. A. Rolfe, Anna Mae Winburn, and Ina Ray Hutton.[35]. Boyd Raeburn drew from symphony orchestras by adding flute, French horn, strings, and timpani to his band. They gave a greater role to bandleaders, arrangers, and sections of instruments rather than soloists. [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. But on performance day, this band of Lab rats replaces the high-tech gizmos with trumpets, saxophones, trombones, drums and a piano. 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. - a vocalist with piano or a small backup group. As I said before, Swing music is played by Big Bands. black jazz musicians developed an. Steve Zegree; sax: Trent Kynaston; bass: Tom Knific; drums: Tim Froncek). And there were also 2 different styles of Swing music. emerged as piano was added to the rhythm section, and a stronger driving rhythm The dance duo Vernon and Irene Castle popularized the foxtrot while accompanied by the Europe Society Orchestra led by James Reese Europe. style promoted by Ornette COLEMAN and John COLTRANE), which has raised a continuing controversy about The lyrics kept within these traditions. Company" vocal jazz ensemble performing a the Lincoln Center in New York 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. From three to five plyers on each instrument might be used. With the exception of Jelly Roll Morton, who continued playing in the New Orleans style, bandleaders paid attention to the demand for dance music and created their own big bands. Traveling conditions and lodging were difficult, in part due to segregation in most parts of the United States, and the personnel often had to perform having had little sleep and food. Later, Congress repealed the Volstead Act, a law that prohibited the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages, in 1933. intricate fast rhythms and tremendous West Side Story. He received his BA in Political Science from the University of Chicago and an M.A. In the 1950s, Stan Kenton referred to his band's music as "progressive jazz", "modern", and "new music". a) Henderson's big band comprises five brass instruments (three trumpets and two trombones), four reed instruments (saxophones and clarinets), and a rhythm section consisting of piano, bass, During the next decades, ballrooms filled with people doing the jitterbug and Lindy Hop. As purely instrumental jazz of many things they must think about while they are playing. leaders in America. Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, and Jimmie Lunceford each led orchestras that achieved international standing. uses "call and response" KC Jazz marked the transition from the heavily structured, arranged and written out Big Band style of Swing to the more fluid and improvisation style of Bebop. However, jazz continued its artistic evolution as swing became established around 1929. The Classic Swing Band from Dallas uses this very instrument in every show!! Fletcher Henderson's career started when he was persuaded to audition for a job at Club Alabam in New York City, which eventually turned into a job as bandleader at the Roseland Ballroom. 0
"[34][35] Head arrangements were more common during the period of the 1930s because there was less turnover in personnel, giving the band members more time to rehearse. performing at the same time." of Company B (1941). Print, p. 226, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Ellingtonians salute swing era clarinets", Discography of American Historical Recordings: Charles Magnante's Accordion Quartette with guitar and string bass on uscb.edu, "Leone Jump; Swing Low, Sweet Chariot; The Jazz Me Blues; Nursery Rhymes", Discography of American Historical Recordings- John Serrapica (aka John Serry) as a member of the Charles Magnante Accordion Quartette with guitar and string bass on uscb.edu, "JazzTimes 10: Great Modern Big-Band Recordings", "Difference Between Music Composer & Arranger", "Composer Maria Schneider Returns, With A Reckoning, On 'Data Lords', "Billy Strayhorn's Lush Life Beyond Duke Ellington", "Big Band Arranging: for composers, orchestrators and arrangers: 16, Solos and Backgrounds", "Inside the Score in the 21st Century: Techniques for Contemporary Large Jazz Ensemble Composition", "1910s Pop Trend: The Ragtime Dance Craze", "George Robert Crosby Bandleader, Vocalist, Actor, Radio/TV Host", "Sounds of Hot Jazz Stay Warm: Harry James Band to Play at the Mission", "Chapter 11. ELLINGTON and William "Count" freedom vs. chaos. Critics and historians refer to these groups as ghost bands because of the absence of their leaders and new personnel. Western swing musicians also formed popular big bands during the same period. Social life changed and large ballrooms were needed for the thousands who wanted to dance every night and large bands seemed to be the answer to filling these dance halls with music. Unlike the concert band, the lead players should never be seated on the end of the section. Swing bands featured sections of trumpets, saxophones, and . Very important to the development of the Swing Bands were the role of the composer/arranger and the excellent stylizations of musicians. And they played dance music. A standard big band consists of saxes, trumpets and trombones with a rhythm section. Up until the Swing Era improvisation was essentially just playing the melody with some embellishments. Duke Ellington at one time used six trumpets. [47] In Kansas City and across the Southwest, an earthier, bluesier style was developed by such bandleaders as Bennie Moten and, later, by Jay McShann and Jesse Stone. 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. Along with clarinetist Goodman, this band included three trumpets, two trombones, four saxophones, and a four-man rhythm section with guitar and string bass instead of the heavier-sounding banjo and tuba of earlier bands. is a Professor Emeritus in the Departments of Black Studies and History, and former Chair of Black Studies and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. exemplifies many of the most innovative aspects of this new jazz style: (1) It Keyboards are some of the most versatile instruments out there. alto saxophone. (called a "chorus"). This Three bypass valves over the tube can be used to lower the pitch of the trumpet. But you also need to inject your style and personality into the music you make. 1554 0 obj
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performers such Louis ARMSTRONG completed the transition from of the most creative composers in the history of jazz, particularly renowned "walking bass" accompaniment, - Harmony art form--a unique blending of West African and Western European/American Blues tradition, then became popular with white listeners during the World War The project is also supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. John Coltrane's "hard bop" of Duke Ellington's . Singers Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald came to the popular forefront during the swing era. While bassists can use a bow to vibrate the strings, swing band bassists will frequently pluck the strings instead. The swing era took place during which two important historical events? * Since 1960, several newer types [52], Schuller, Gunther. Explain your opinion in a book review. In the 1970s, popular fusion groups included BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS, CHICAGO, and SANTANA violin--Ray Nance), (3) trumpet--Rex Stewart, (4) tenor saxBen Webster, Some of the Piano techniques employed during the Swing Era were: A good example of this is the Count Basie song Kansas City Keys. "Swing" feeling: The rhythmic phenomenon of "swing" feeling is His bebop collaborations with trumpeter Dizzy GILLESPIE are some of the greatest moments in music history. 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. 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. Swing did not always swing but rather involved jazz performers doing a jazz interpretation of pretty ballads. They refuse to look for new ideas and new outlets, so they fall by the waysideIm going to try to find out the new ideas before the others do., I stole everything I ever heard, but mostly I stole from the horns.. L6G9MTRv&hVSOC9Y)~06CW)j#8qE#C?YOK%d\SC9IT~U {J;F\m`F># [7][8], Jazz ensembles numbering eight (octet), nine (nonet) or ten (tentet) voices are sometimes called "little big bands". This is where one section (say, the brass section, i.e., trumpets and trombones) would play a musical phrase and then be "answered" by another section (say, the saxes); the first phrase is the call, the answer is the response (like a musical conversation). He was a pianist, accompanist, and music director for blues singers, dancers, and comedians. New York was an important geographic area for the developments leading toward the swing style of jazz. Tucker, Sherrie. The stage was set up with five saxophones, two altos, two tenors, and one baritone, stage front left with four trombones directly behind them, and three trumpets at the back, the electric guitar was in center stage with . BERNSTEIN also incorporated Cool Thats intentional; the individual style of each swing band is what makes the music unique, much as the seasoning used in a particular Gumbo can make it one of a kind. The rhythm section would typically include piano, string bass, drum set, with occasional additions of guitar or other chordal/melody instruments. You In the mid-1930s, he was the featured soloist in the Basie Orchestra. 1U^
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[25] Billy Strayhorn, for example, was a prolific composer and arranger, frequently collaborating with Duke Ellington, but rarely took on the role of bandleader, which was assumed by Ellington, who himself was a composer and arranger. 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. These ensembles typically featured three or more accordions accompanied by piano, guitar, bass, cello, percussion, and marimba with vibes and were popularized by recording artists such as Charles Magnante,[10][11] Joe Biviano[12][13] and John Serry. By 1937, the "sweet jazz band" saxophonist Shep Fields was also featured over the airways on the NBC radio network in his Rippling Rhythm Revue, which also showcased a young Bob Hope as the announcer. A general format emerged from the creation of a swing jazz arrangement. daring arrangements of classic jazz tunes. serene style of "cool jazz" became the rage on the west coast. 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. listeners to love jazz.. Other research interests include African popular music and the use of oral history and photography in the study of culture. Saxophones also feature a number of keys built into the main section of the tube; these keys can change the pitch or note being played. In Samplephonics Soulful Brass Constructions "Call and Response" was a common musical device. So band leaders used various arrangement techniques to keep the song interesting, such as: Tutti (all horns playing a melodic line in harmony), Soli (one section featured playing a melodic line in harmony), Shout Chorus (climatic tutti section at the end of the arrangement), Riffs (repeated short melodic and/or rhythmic pattern), Call and Response Riffs (often between the horns and the rhythm section), Solos (single person improvising usually behind a relatively simple harmonic background), Swing Music was smooth, easy-listening and simple. world. 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. Ellington allowed individuals to retain their own identities and to expand and explore their own directions. early style of "Hot Jazz" made its way north to Chicago and east to The Gloria Parker had a radio program on which she conducted the largest all-girl orchestra led by a female. The band severed ties with the school in 1941 to claim professional status. He would conduct his band from his drum set. Whether your event needs a small ensemble or a full big band sound, we have the professionalism and class needed for functions requiring real live music! Guiding Principals. Figure 2: Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis Yet, as woodwind-style instruments, they also feature a wide range of available notes and pitches. Benny GOODMAN (1909-1986): Sing, Sing, Sing! %%EOF
- jukebox Which changes occurred in the rhythm section during the 1930s? Fitzgerald recorded several standards that became hit songs. Fueled by the non-stop nightlife under political boss Tom Pendergast, Kansas City jam sessions went on well beyond sunrise, fostering a highly competitive atmosphere and a unique music culture, attracting many bands from the Southwest known as territory bands, such as Bennie Motens orchestra and the Oklahoma City Blue Devils. The focus shifted away from the arranger and toward the improvising performer. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Big_band&oldid=1142698476, This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 22:19. New York in the late 1920s. Casa Loma Stomp marked the first recording of this emerging style in 1930. And because of this, Swing had a greater emphasis on written-out composition and arrangements. A ballad is a simple song, usually romantic in nature, and uses the same melody for each stanza. Led by an African American woman, this 16-member band gained notoriety across the United States and in Europe, despite the challenge of imposed racial and gender restrictions. Other female bands were led by trumpeter B. Since theyre built of brass, saxophones tend to produce a trumpet-like buzzing sound. Henderson was a pianist and excellent arranger who wrote most of the musical arrangements that helped launch the success of Benny Goodmans orchestra. Since the 1920s, Jazz Check them out, though Im sure you would already recognise many of them. GILLESPIE: Koko (1945). And after years of economic depression, many Americans wanted to have fun. Above all else, Swing music is dance music which means it was: This also meant it was incredibly commercial. White teenagers and young adults were the principal fans of the big bands in the late 1930s and early 1940s. the jukebox The popular appeal of Benny Goodman's Trio and Quartet had a good deal to do with the extroverted energy of Lionel Hampton and Gene Krupa "call" and a group does some type of "response"), (2) it Tenor saxophonist Lester Young (19091959) had a different approach than Hawkins and used a lighter tone. The wind component of a big band consists of three sections: the saxophones (usually three to five players with various combinations of alto, tenor and baritone saxes and with some of the players doubling on flutes and clarinets); the trombones (typically three or four players, one of whom specializes on the bass trombone); and the trumpets . So lets quickly take a look at all three genres: Lets dive into these characteristics of Swing Music a little deeper:
the late 1930s through the 1950s, Duke Ellington was one of the premier swing band projected in the way the drums and bass express the beat, how the piano She led her Swingphony while playing marimba. His efforts helped make it possible for jazz musicians to earn a decent wage. "Fusion" in its strictest The successful bands of the Swing Era featured carefully composed arrangements that held many talented players together. Bandleaders dealt with these obstacles through rigid discipline (Glenn Miller) and canny psychology (Duke Ellington). 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. Q G("CH^T)daA]yg~zN^y>.g~01D%>7dj.|K+8'9 q*U!i|O1#"v\YOGtc_GD1JL. [33] During the 1930s, Count Basie's band often used head arrangements, as Basie said, "we just sort of start it off and the others fall in.