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The Swing Era

Big Band Takes Over!!! ( chapters 7 & 8 )

Rock Bottom & Bouncing Back

Ü  The Great Depression killed the Roaring 20’s Ü  15 million unemployed

Ü  Movies overtook nightclubs

Ü  Record sales dropped 96%

Ü  Getting back up Ü  Roosevelt’s New Deal, WPA

Ü  Prohibition repealed

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What is Swing Music?

Ü  America’s popular music in the 30s Ü  Fast, exciting dance music for teens

Ü  Big business

Ü  Raised the bar on musical skill

Ü  Ellington coined the term “Swing”

Ü  The dancing style came from The Savoy Ballroom Ü  The Lindy Hop: high-energy Swing dance

Types of Swing Bands

Ü  Sweet Bands Ü  Played “society” music

Ü  Dance Bands Ü  Commercial dance groups

Ü  Big Bands Ü  Exciting solos with danceable arrangements Ü  The Pop stars of the 30’s & 40’s

Ü  Territory Bands Ü  Less structured, highly artistic “Hot” bands

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Big Band Instruments

Ü  Reed Section Ü  5 Saxes

Ü  Brass Section Ü  4 Trumpets Ü  4 Trombones

Ü  Rhythm Section Ü  Piano Ü  Bass Ü  Drums Ü  Guitar

The Big Band Rhythm Section

Ü  Bass: “walking” notes on all beats

Ü  Drum Set Ü  The swing ride cymbal (or hi-hat) pattern Ü  4-on-the-floor: bass drum on all beats Ü  Fills: short, rhythmic solos by the drums

Ü  Piano Ü  Comping: compliment or accompany Ü  Usually simple and sparse

Ü  Guitar: 4-to-the-bar strums on all beats

Ü  “The All-American Four”, Basie’s rhythm section, is the pinnacle of this style

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Arrangements

Ü  Songs adapted for specific groups Ü  Bands hired “arrangers” to write charts

Ü  More structure, less solos

Ü  Soli: melodies in block harmonies by a section

Ü  Shout Choruses: full band harmonized melody

Ü  Call & response between sections

The Big Bands Kings of Swing

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Benny Goodman Ü  (1909 - 1986)

Ü  The “King of Swing” Ü  Clarinet virtuoso & most famous Big Band leader

Ü  John Hammond, manager in 1932 Ü  Legendary jazz promoter, civil rights advocate

Ü  1935: Rise to fame launches the Big Band Era Ü  Gig at the Palomar Club in LA is aired nationwide

Ü  An integrated band after 1939 Ü  1st integrated band to play a major stage

Dance Bands

Ü  Artie Shaw (1910 – 2005) Ü  Brilliant clarinetist, Goodman rival

Ü  A sex symbol and pop star

Ü  Into art over commercial success Ü  Quit in 1954 to escape the spotlight

Ü  Jimmie Lunceford (1902 – 1947) Ü  High-class, all Black band

Ü  Strong commercial style

Ü  Signature block-chord style

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Dance Bands

Ü  Glenn Miller (1904 – 1944) Ü  The biggest commercial band

Ü  Little improvising… “not a jazz band”

Ü  V-discs & USO shows for WWII troops

Ü  Cab Calloway (1907 – 1994) Ü  Colorful singer, strong scat style

Ü  Music about Harlem’s dark side Ü  Mobsters, drugs, sex

Ü  An eye for talent Ü  Launched many careers

Southern Swing The Count & the Duke

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Boogie Woogie

Ü  A high-energy style of Blues piano Ü  Uses ostinato: a repeated melodic pattern

Ü  Very popular and danceable Ü  One of the first R&B styles

Ü  The Big Names Ü  Clarence “Pine Top” Smith: father of Boogie Woogie Ü  “Big” Joe Turner: Rolling, baritone-voiced showman

Territory Bands Ü Niche bands that stayed in one region

Ü Widely varied in style

Ü Head chart: a simple arrangement of a standard (a commonly known tune) Ü  Bluesy Ü  Based on traditional forms (Blues, AABA…) Ü  Riff-based: short repeating melodies

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Kansas City Bands

Ü Thriving city, corrupt mayor

Ü Big Jam Session scene

Ü Main hub for territory bands

Ü The Big Names Ü Andy Kirk’s 12 Clouds of Joy

Ü  Mary Lou Williams: brilliant composer Ü  Bennie Moten

Ü  Perfected the Bluesy, riff-driven tune

William “Count” Basie

Ü  (1904 – 1984)

Ü  Pianist and band leader Ü  Sparse style, relaxed swing

Ü  Band Style: Ü  Head arrangements Ü  Hard, shuffling swing feel Ü  Lots of solos

Ü  John Hammond discovered Basie in 1936

Ü  Longest running big band, over 40 years

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Ellington in the Swing Era

Ü  After the Cotton Club… Ü  Ellington’s range truly emerged

Ü  Very prolific…more than 1000 compositions

Ü  A person, not just an instrument

Ü  A wide variety of composition types Ü  Jungle Music

Ü  Features

Ü  Large-scale symphonic works

Ü  Dance band hits

Ü  Mood pieces (“pastels”)

Billy Strayhorn

Ü  (1915 – 1967)

Ü  Ellington’s co-composer Ü  Joined in 1938

Ü  Respected for his openness and confidence Ü  An openly gay, civil rights activist

Ü  Wrote / co-wrote many of Ellington’s best works Ü  “Take the A Train” Ü  “Satin Doll” Ü  “Lush Life”