The Swing Era
1935-1945
"Ah, swing, well, we used to call it syncopation—then they called it ragtime, then blues—then jazz. Now, it's swing. White folks yo'all sho is a mess.
-Louis Armstrong
Early Jazz
Started in/around New Orleans
Outgrowth of the Blues
Followed a set form (similar to the blues)
Main characteristic was improvisation
The Soundtrack of the Great Depression
1929: Stock Market Crash Unemployment was common, but
musicians continued to create new music – especially in the field of jazz
Fewer records were being made, but…› recording technology was improving › and the size of the bands were getting
bigger Enter “the big band era”
Typical Instrumentation of the “Big Bands”
4-5 Saxophones› Different sizes for different sounds
4 Trombones 4 Trumpets Rhythm Section – Piano, Bass, Drumset
› Guitar adds in later on in time
Characteristics Call and response: one section calls and then
imitated by another section Dance-like feel Non-improvisational Music filled with hope and energy
Swing music wasn’t seen as an “accepted style” until the mid 1930’s
Achieved its highpoint in 1935› Benny Goodman’s performance at a
ballroom in Los Angeles
One of the first musical genres to NOT have racial undercurrents!
Typical Swing Tune Structure
Introduction A Section B Section Solo Section A section with a “Shout Chorus” Coda
Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller Trombone player
from Iowa Served in the Air
Force in WWII “In the Mood” Written in 1939 One of the most
popular of the time. 12 Bar Blues form
“In the Mood”
Benny Goodman The “King of Swing” Clarinet player from
Chicago Started playing pro at
the age of 16 “ Sing Sing Sing”
Written in 1936 Features Goodman on
clarinet Gene Krupa on drums https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhyhP_5VfKM
Duke Ellington April 29, 1899 – May
24, 1974 Played piano Gained fame leading
his band (or orchestra as he called it) at the Cotton Club in Harlem
Take the A- Train https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb2w2m1JmCY
Swing Dancing Example - 1941
Swing Music Draws to a Close
America enters World War II after the attack of Pearl Harbor in 1941
Musicians of fighting age were drafted - could not support the large numbers required
Glenn Miller – lost in an air battle› Possibly friendly fire?
Musician’s Strike of 1942
August 1, 1942: AFM called for a strike against recording companies over disagreements on royalty payments
Musicians could still perform …› Live concerts› Live radio broadcasts› Special military recordings
From 1942 – 1944: No new instrumental music was recorded for commercial use
Vocalists, (who were not part of the union at the time), continued to record, accompanied only by other singers
American military swing bands still existed
The strike ended up launching the career of one of the most famous singers in pop music…
Frank Sinatra
Ending the Strike
Some of the smaller record companies settled with the union by 1943.
The bigger companies finally settled in 1944
There was a new issue to deal with though…
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