Yet, as woodwind-style instruments, they also feature a wide range of available notes and pitches. The Ellington orchestra succeeded in part through the expert use and contribution of consistently talented and unique players. The Swing Era - Jazz in America 0 Many bands featured strong instrumentalists whose sounds dominated, such as the clarinets of Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw, the trombone of Jack Teagarden, the trumpet of Harry James, the drums of Gene Krupa, and the vibes of Lionel Hampton. The embellishments gradually became more adventurous, but they were generally always played with the melody in mind. hb```. @1&$3.YTyfx.=**hE+f|5SSz/=n/ Bridging the gap to white audiences in the mid-1930s was the Casa Loma Orchestra and Benny Goodman's early band. Keyboards are some of the most versatile instruments out there. 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. A distinction is often made between so-called "hard bands", such as those of Count Basie and Tommy Dorsey, which emphasized quick hard-driving jump tunes, and "sweet bands", such as the Glenn Miller Orchestra and the Shep Fields Rippling Rhythm Orchestra,[41][42]. A prominent feature of swing music is a leading brass section, which is often provided by a trumpet. Performers played, sang, danced, and presented shows and stand-up comedy in these large entertainment venues. 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. From the late 1930s through the 1950s, Duke Ellington was one of the premier swing band leaders in America. Beacon, 2006. 1U^ p(s XA@H:@!+H30q:pYL4#9 S A big band typically consists of approximately 12 to 25 musicians and contains saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Here are the five most common swing band instruments, and how they commonly fit into swing music. shows the development of the main jazz styles in relation to other aspects of Since theyre built of brass, saxophones tend to produce a trumpet-like buzzing sound. New York was an important geographic area for the developments leading toward the swing style of jazz. Big band swing was at the forefront of jazz and underwent its most concentrated growth and development from 1930 . 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. Then, during the Swing Era, the sax player Coleman Hawkins changed the way jazz approached improvisation from melody to harmony (horizontal to vertical). Ch 7 Quiz Flashcards | Quizlet (Click Carnegie Halls interactive Timeline of African American Music is dedicated to the loving memory of the late soprano and recitalist Jessye Norman. (Click jazz techniques into a more heavily-arranged "big-band" white swing Some large contemporary European jazz ensembles play mostly avant-garde jazz using the instrumentation of the big bands. They can be used to produce a melody or harmony for nearly every musical style. Byron Almen, Dorothy Payne, Stefan Kostka. 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. often feature virtuoso performers, on Jimmy Rushing, Oklahoma City native and early member of the Blue Devils, set a style in blues and jazz that was imitated widely by others. 20th-century popular music and culture. 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, Whiteman started his first band in San Francisco in 1918 and his fame spread into the 1920s. Unlike the concert band, the lead players should never be seated on the end of the section. This was in part due to a political organization called the Pendergast Machine which encouraged a nightclub atmosphere. Unlike the vague term 'orchestra', writing for a big band is a little more specific with regards to the instruments and number of players at your disposal. in Blue (1925). premiered. 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. 2. 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) Four trombones comprised the trombone section. GILLESPIE: Koko (1945). The moral? Louis Blues, but by the late 1930s, with the migration of Cubans and Puerto Ricans to New York City, Afro-Cuban music emerged along with new dances, such as the rhumba. Swing bands featured orchestras with sections of trumpets, saxophones, and. [32] They experiment, often with one player coming up with a simple musical figure leading to development within the same section and then further expansion by other sections, with the entire band then memorizing the way they are going to perform the piece, without writing it on sheet music. The latter included blues, ballads, novelty songs, and Broadway tunes. She recorded with various jazz orchestras, including her own (Long Gone Blues, 1939) and those led by Benny Goodman (Your Mothers Son-in-Law, 1933) and Teddy Wilson (Sugar, 1939). Big bands uplifted morale during World War II. "Duke" ELLINGTON A large string instrument with an extremely low pitch, the Double Bass is a staple of most swing bands.
until you reach photo by Patricia Schneider. Jam Blues features a 12-bar blues pattern with each subsequent varied chorus trumpet. And what better instrument to provide a bona fide rhythm for a swing band than a set of drums? of many things they must think about while they are playing. 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. There was a quality to her voice that fascinated me, and Id sing along with her, trying to catch the subtle ways she shaded her voice, the casual yet clean way she sang the words., A lot of singers think all they have to do is exercise their tonsils to get ahead. uses "call and response" The composer writes original music that will be performed by individuals or groups of various sizes, while the arranger adapts the work of composers in a creative way for a performance or recording. Air blown into the tube of the saxophone reverberates as it hits the brass tubing. When you mentioned the word Jazz to the average person, they probably think of Swing music, and for good reason. Samplephonics Soulful Brass Constructions The 5 Most Common Swing Band Instruments At these venues, which themselves gained notoriety, bandleaders and arrangers played a greater role than they had before. Jazz orchestras were necessary for the shows and musicals, and well-trained musicians were highly valued. The music business suffered during the Great Depression. In contrast to the typical jazz emphasis on improvisation, big bands relied on written compositions and arrangements. She arranged music for dozens of leading swing bands including those of Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, and Benny Goodman. the following instruments: In 1925, bandleader Paul Whiteman "walking bass" accompaniment, - Harmony And because of this, Swing had a greater emphasis on written-out composition and arrangements. Starting in the early 1900s, various jazz and traditions have His pioneering vocal style, which treated his voice as an instrument, provided the foundation for vocal jazz interpretation. Improvisation: This can be best described as "composing and They gave a greater role to bandleaders, arrangers, and sections of instruments rather than soloists. - jukebox Which changes occurred in the rhythm section during the 1930s? The rhythm section would typically include piano, string bass, drum set, with occasional additions of guitar or other chordal/melody instruments. piece several times, but the most famous is from 1942, with the following style promoted by Ornette COLEMAN and John COLTRANE), which has raised a continuing controversy about Later, a fifth bass trombone was often added. Gloria Parker had a radio program on which she conducted the largest all-girl orchestra led by a female. Which of the following changes occurred in the rhythm section during the 1930s? [52], Schuller, Gunther. has complex syncopated polyrhythms, (3) expressive "blue" (bent He created his band as a vehicle for his compositions. Alto sax player, arranger, and bandleader Jimmie Lunceford (19021947) studied music at and graduated from Fisk University in 1926. early style of "Hot Jazz" made its way north to Chicago and east to In the mid-1930s, he was the featured soloist in the Basie Orchestra. serene style of "cool jazz" became the rage on the west coast. . (As told to Albert Murray). grooves), - leaders in America. Keyboards are the swing band equivalent of rice in Gumbo. Radio increased the fame of Benny Goodman, the "Pied Piper of Swing". baritone saxophone. After the end of both bands, Basie formed his own orchestra, recruiting members from these two bands. Ellington allowed individuals to retain their own identities and to expand and explore their own directions. From three to five plyers on each instrument might be used. "big band" backup, the most famous example, The Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy from It served to distract people from the daily grind of reality. Click For this reason the pianists left hand generally just played chords on the beat; while his right hand built rhythmic patterns around chords and chord tone, and especially guide tone often just playing arpeggios or simple bluesy licks. The Dorsey Brothers started with a large-band version of Dixieland featuring singer Bob Crosby who later developed his own band. attractive to general listeners. Then circle the object of the preposition. Vocalists began to strike out on their own. He joined Ben Pollacks band and made his first recording. (, : This can be best described as "composing and Stream Jazz" by combining a jazz combo with symphony orchestra. California. 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. His efforts helped make it possible for jazz musicians to earn a decent wage. The methods of dance bands marked a step away from New Orleans jazz. The saxophone features a curved reed mouthpiece and a long brass tube that gradually expands before doubling back and bellowing outwards. Armstrong (nicknamed The term "big band" is also used to describe a genre of music, although this was not the . [26], Typical big band arrangements from the swing era were written in strophic form with the same phrase and chord structure repeated several times. 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. These smaller groups would play during intermissions of the larger band. The invention of ______ helped the record industry to recover in the mid-1930s. ,r,el1)PrPer{mN,cq+W!yJn?@}gU-+GACIuyrPgnpQCZ76il9%0A9b vr, Q&L Sc3oX *{{toV HWYo8~G ("b+[:r$%_r8oFdnIt]5pu\Kr|z~+au/I8vTm3}` e Other bandleaders used Brazilian and Afro-Cuban music with big band instrumentation, and big bands led by arranger Gil Evans, saxophonist John Coltrane (on the album Ascension from 1965) and bass guitarist Jaco Pastorius introduced cool jazz, free jazz and jazz fusion, respectively, to the big band domain. Explain your opinion in a book review. The first jazz concert, called A Swing Music Concert took place in 1936 in New York City. Since he could not read music, Webb memorized the arrangements. All the big bands would go up there. They established independent patterns for the trumpets, trombones, saxophones, and the rhythm section within segments of the arrangement that featured improvised solos. 1920s as a blending of blues, ragtime, and civic brass band traditions, then this During the swing era, popular, blues, and jazz vocalists were essential to big band performances. During the "Roaring Boyd Raeburn drew from symphony orchestras by adding flute, French horn, strings, and timpani to his band. 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. Congress repealed the Volstead Act, a law that prohibited the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages, in 1933. Here are the five most common swing band instruments, and how they commonly fit into swing music. clarinetist, In the late 1940s, progressive The trumpeter blows on the mouthpiece at one end of the trumpet with closed lips, and the sound wave reverberates through the tube until it exits out the widened far end of the instrument. So generally the pianist played very rhythmically, and helped keep the beat. virtuosity. [20] Arrangers frequently notate all or most of the score of a given number, usually referred to as a "chart". Other research interests include African popular music and the use of oral history and photography in the study of culture. The successful bands of the Swing Era featured carefully . and Benny Goodman (who took jazz to Hollywood in the mid-1930s). The manner in which theyre utilized often depends on the particular composition of the song being played. An Autobiography: John Hammond on Record with Irvin Townsend. Many bands toured the country in grueling one-night stands. Duke Ellington's . Rockefeller Arts Center. basic chord progression of a 12-bar blues in the key of "C": (click here to see animated By the end of the war, swing was giving way to less danceable music, such as bebop. In swing, the saxophone was usually featured as the leading instrumental soloist. Much like the stock in Gumbo, it provides an essential rhythmic and harmonic element in swing music. Swing as Popular Music 1. Basie, Count. "C" Jam Blues (1942). of the United States between 1920 and 1970. The Double Bass is shaped like other string instruments such as the guitar or violin. As swing developed, the second player became responsible for most of the jazz solos. Da Capo Reprint Paperback, 1973. [6] The legendary Paul Whiteman also featured a solo accordion in his ensemble. Compared to Dixieland bands, swing bands used two or three times as many players and produced a fuller sound. The string bass replaced the tuba and the guitar replaced the banjo. singing" (in which he sings like an instrument on scat But Chick Webbs band would cut them., The one radio voice that I listened to above others belonged to Ella Fitzgerald. Columbia, Victor, and Decca were the three most important, Swing bands featured sections of trumpets, saxophones, and. Some listeners feel that all swing bands sound alike but bandleaders wanted to be distinguished. From [36]:p.31, Before 1910, social dance in America was dominated by steps such as the waltz and polka. an important catalyst in the socio-political and artistic transformation of This pattern reinforced the second and fourth beat of every measure and later became known as a back beat. Additionally, the drummer accommodated the improvisations of soloists, providing a non-intrusive, laid-back swing pattern. 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). The Cotton Club started in Harlem before it moved downtown. hmk6^/,$mA% Benny GOODMAN (1909-1986): Sing, Sing, Sing! The Glenn Miller Band worked the best jobs and recorded often. Big Band Arranging | 2 | Getting Started Evan Rogers | Orchestrator Swing was massively popular during the 1930s, so popular, in fact, that it was the pop music of its time. Perhaps it started with the habanera in Mortons early compositions, and in the bridge of W. C. Handys St. 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. BASIE popularized "pure" jazz through a "Big Band" for hits such as Take the A Train, and Satin Doll, as well as colorful and PDF Chapter Six: "In the Mood": the Swing Era, 1935-1945 He toured and recorded many solos with, most notably, the Count Basie band. of American jazz. [3] In the late 1930s, Shep Fields incorporated a solo accordion, temple blocks, piccolo and a viola into his Rippling Rhythm Orchestra. Beginning in the mid-1920s, big bands, then typically consisting of 10-25 pieces, came to dominate popular music. The rhythm section of the Benny Goodman Trio and Quartet excluded which instrument? 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"? Big Bands began to appear in movies in the 1930s through the 1960s, though cameos by bandleaders were often stiff and incidental to the plot.Shep Fields appeared with his Rippling Rhythm Orchestra in a playful and integrated animated performance of "This Little Ripple Had Rhythm" in the musical extravaganza The Big Broadcast of 1938. Above all else, Swing music is dance music which means it was: This also meant it was incredibly commercial. endstream endobj startxref Ellington recorded this The swing era is thought to be the best time to consider big band music as a concept for music fans. About Swing - University of Chicago :vQxc!#\JK?1UshqkF~[!eO W,{(HBjkps~'O;5lR. The group emphasized correct technique and accurate playing and released its first recording in 1930. But on performance day, this band of Lab rats replaces the high-tech gizmos with trumpets, saxophones, trombones, drums and a piano. 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. [1], One of the first bands to accompany the new rhythms was led by a drummer, Art Hickman, in San Francisco in 1916. basic chord progression of a 12-bar blues in the key of "C". The Music . ragtime Daniels, Douglas. Charlie PARKER and Dizzy In the early 1970s, Miles Davis began exploring Pianist and vocalist Sarah Vaughan also influenced many singers. 6 Steps to Big Band Writing with Steven Feifke. So the Swing Era was during the Depression and it acted as a kind of counter-statement or rebellion against the unemployment and misery that the Depression caused. sprouted up in different parts of the United States, and their uniquely In New Orleans, black [3] In the 1940s, Stan Kenton's band used up to five trumpets, five trombones (three tenor and two bass trombones), five saxophones (two alto saxophones, two tenor saxophones, one baritone saxophone), and a rhythm section. Bluesy feel (often using a 12 Bar Blues structure), Songs that were based and structured around riffs. Swing bands featured orchestras with sections of trumpets, saxophones, and _________________. The bands led by Helen Lewis, Ben Bernie, and Roger Wolfe Kahn's band were filmed by Lee de Forest in his Phonofilm sound-on-film process in 1925, in three short films which are in the Library of Congress film collection. In the late 1940s, progressive syllables). [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. West Side Story. here to see a YouTube clip on jazz improvisation). They danced to recordings and the radio and attended live concerts. The 1930's brought a new style of jazz "big band swing". [28] This development may take the form of improvised solos, written solo sections, and "shout choruses". Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, and Jimmie Lunceford each led orchestras that achieved international standing. : The rhythmic phenomenon of "swing" feeling is 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.. Coleman Hawkins (19041969) was the first great saxophonist of jazz. The swing era followed boogie-woogie. (1937). They used their voices as instruments to demonstrate their command of scat singing. projected in the way the drums and bass express the beat, how the piano As a result of the military draft and transportation hardships in the U.S., the swing era ended quickly. jazz-fusion (combining elements of jazz and rock musics). These musical ensembles associated with the swing era. style, boogie-woogie was born. After 1935, big bands rose to prominence playing swing music and held a major role in defining swing as a distinctive style. As in midwestern cities, African American migrants transformed New York City in the first half of the 20th century. When the tradition came back full-circle into vocal jazz with a