Company" vocal jazz ensemble performing a the Lincoln Center in New York In contrast to the typical jazz emphasis on improvisation, big bands relied on written compositions and arrangements. In the late 1990s, there was a swing revival in the U.S. A. YouTube clip with basic piano chords, click here to see a YouTube 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. Typically the most prominent shows with the earliest time slots and largest audiences have bigger bands with horn sections while those in later time slots go with smaller, leaner ensembles. Swing bands adopted a consistent instrumentation of four sections that remained fairly stable. [44], Although big bands are identified with the swing era, they continued to exist after those decades, though the music they played was often different from swing. The latter included blues, ballads, novelty songs, and Broadway tunes. 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]. completely abandoned the song's melody, which has made this style less Since the 1920s, Jazz That makes them the shrimp or Andouille sausage in the Gumbo that is swing music. The jazz musician relies on three basic elements of the song to develop
Other swing bands in New York City and beyond incorporated the defining elements associated with the Kansas City tradition to which they added their own stamp, as did Chick Webb and His Orchestra (Stomping at the Savoy, 1934), and Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra (Flying Home, 1942). New York in the late 1920s. Company B, was popularized through records and film by The Andrews Sisters during World War 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. Since 1960, several newer types . widespread popularity of big band/swing was accelerated by the rise of dozens The Ellington orchestra succeeded in part through the expert use and contribution of consistently talented and unique players. (say, the brass section, i.e., trumpets and trombones) would play a musical phrase and then be "answered" by another section (say, the . (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
. grooves, click exemplifies many of the most innovative aspects of this new jazz style: (1) It characterized by independent instrumental lines, massive harmonic dissonance, Swing music was performed by a larger ensemble consisting of saxophones (sometimes also clarinets), trumpets, and trombones. "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" - Duke Ellington & Ella Fitzgerald, It Dont Mean a Thing (If It Aint Got That Swing),, Kansas City was the swingingest sound in the world. And they played dance music. [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. The Big Bands of swing were only able to acquire one-night stand performances and consequently suffered financially. 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. History of Big Band Jazz | JAZZ Aspen Snowmass Western swing musicians also formed popular big bands during the same period. Whiteman increased the size of his band into nearly symphonic proportion. Instead of just embellishing the melody, he created a whole new melody based on the songs harmony by arpeggiating the chords and adding further chord alterations and substitutions to make his solo more complex. [26], Typical big band arrangements from the swing era were written in strophic form with the same phrase and chord structure repeated several times. Modern big bands can be found playing all styles of jazz music. (of the Dave Brubeck Quartet that also featured alto saxophonist Paul DESMOND), 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. Lester Young & Herschel Evans. in Blue (1925). 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) The History Of Big Band Music In The United States highly improvisatory style called Bebop, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2000. History of Jazz (Chapter 7) Flashcards | Quizlet The popularity of many of the major bands was amplified by star vocalists, such as Frank Sinatra with Tommy Dorsey, Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly with Jimmy Dorsey, Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb, Billie Holiday and Jimmy Rushing with Count Basie, Dick Haymes and Helen Forrest with Harry James, Doris Day with Les Brown,[40] and Peggy Lee with Benny Goodman. - trombones The invention of ______ helped the record industry to recover in the mid-1930s. trombone. Guiding Principals. Big bands maintained a presence on American television, particularly through the late-night talk show, which has historically used big bands as house accompaniment. [19], It is useful to distinguish between the roles of composer, arranger and leader. Charlie PARKER and Dizzy 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 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 piece has an And because of this, Swing had a greater emphasis on written-out composition and arrangements. Her version of the nursery rhyme A-Tisket, A-Tasket (1938) brought her international fame. Foremost, they accentuated the movement of choreographed dancers. Keyboards are some of the most versatile instruments out there. [20] Arrangers frequently notate all or most of the score of a given number, usually referred to as a "chart". art form--a unique blending of West African and Western European/American PDF Swing/Big Band Era (1930-1945) - Learn Jazz Standards 3. serene style of "cool jazz" became the rage on the west coast. Blues tradition, then became popular with white listeners during the World War Click here for a FREE preview of The Classic Swing Bands newest CD Ballroom Dance Favorites.. Jazz Big Band Grinnell College Musical Instrument Collection You must have javascript enabled to view this website. Keyboards are the swing band equivalent of rice in Gumbo. "Call and Response" was a common musical device. In the shows the development of the main jazz styles in relation to other aspects of When it comes to swing music, keyboards are typically used as a harmonic element. Bassists generally assumed the role of timekeeper, while drummers functioned in a dual capacity. The project is also supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Many of the great swing bands broke up, as the times and tastes changed. 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. In New Orleans, black About Swing - University of Chicago virtuosity. Hickman relied on Ferde Grof, Whiteman on Bill Challis. They were assisted by a band full of talent: Coleman Hawkins on tenor saxophone, Louis Armstrong on cornet, and multi-instrumentalist Benny Carter, whose career lasted into the 1990s.[1]. and His Mother Called Him Bill, featured "Blood Count" and "Lotus Blossom," was a tribute album to . (London: Paladin) 1987. 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, CROSBY, Frank SINATRA, and Doris DAY, who blossomed as featured vocalists with prominent bands (As told to Albert Murray). 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. George GERSHWIN (1898-1937): Rhapsody Unlike the concert band, the lead players should never be seated on the end of the section. Concert are described below. The Cotton Club started in Harlem before it moved downtown. His pioneering vocal style, which treated his voice as an instrument, provided the foundation for vocal jazz interpretation. Others challenged him, and battle of the bands became a regular feature of theater performances. Samplephonics Soulful Brass Constructions (1899-1974): The 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. There was a considerable range of styles among the hundreds of popular bands. Many musical styles contributed to its birth. highly-improvisatory new style of jazz called "Bebop" was developed The Swing Era - Jazz in America In the 1970s, popular fusion groups included BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS, CHICAGO, and SANTANA While bassists can use a bow to vibrate the strings, swing band bassists will frequently pluck the strings instead. In the early 1950s a smoother, more Tucker, Sherrie. Arrangers notated specific notes for each instrument to play in every measure on a written score. Goodmans clarinet playing was a combination of great wit, precise musicianship, beautiful subtleties, and never-ending swing. He was also a band leader and arranger who traveled throughout Europe and Japan during the 1950s and 1960s. - the tuba was replaced the string bass - the banjo was replaced the guitar - (a&c on test) Glenn Miller used a clarinet over his saxophone for identification. jazz-fusion (combining elements of jazz and rock musics). Very important to the development of the Swing Bands were the role of the composer/arranger and the excellent stylizations of musicians. Many of the better known bands reflected the individuality of the bandleader, the lead arranger, and the personnel. endstream endobj 1558 0 obj <>stream (5) tromboneJoe Nanton, and (6) clarinetBarney Bigard. of the United States between 1920 and 1970. The saxophone section included two alto saxophones, two tenor saxophones, and one baritone saxophone. 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). The term "big band" is also used to describe a genre of music, although this was not the . Figure 1: The Western Jazz Quartet (piano: Big band - Wikipedia Which of the following changes occurred in the rhythm section during the 1930s? 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. After the end of both bands, Basie formed his own orchestra, recruiting members from these two bands. His bebop collaborations with trumpeter Dizzy GILLESPIE are some of the greatest moments in music history. She arranged music for dozens of leading swing bands including those of Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, and Benny Goodman. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. harmony. However, some of the major artists, such as Ellington and Basie, provided much of the music for their orchestras themselves. Big bands started as accompaniment for dancing. Swing is an outgrowth of the 1920s big band traditions in Chicago, Kansas City, and New York City. They provide the base, the foundation on which the rest of the music can thrive. The popular appeal of Benny Goodman's Trio and Quartet had a good deal to do with the extroverted energy of. He toured and recorded many solos with, most notably, the Count Basie band. They had the Blue Devils. 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. Loops are played at 120 and 125 bpm. Ornette Coleman in the 1960s. Swing Shift: All Girl Bands of the 1940s. Along this historical journey, jazz has been The 1930's brought a new style of jazz "big band swing". listeners to love jazz.. clip on the basic jazz rhythm section), - Bass These consist of the independent use of trumpet, trombone, saxophone, and rhythm section with the use of soloists. Jazz Big Band Seating Placement - Earl MacDonald early style of "Hot Jazz" made its way north to Chicago and east to GILLESPIE: Koko (1945). Many swing-era compositions were written by professional songwriters employed by song publishing companies. When the tradition came back full-circle into vocal jazz with a His sax playing is distinguished by a full tone, flowing lines, and heavy vibrato. Professor Daniels book publications include Lester Leaps In: The Life and Times of Lester Pres Young (Beacon, 2002); Pioneer Urbanites: A Social and Cultural History of Black San Francisco; and One Oclock Jump: The Unforgettable History of the Oklahoma City Blue Devils (Beacon Press, 2006). In the late 1940s, progressive Choose the vocabulary word that answers each riddle. Pianist and vocalist Sarah Vaughan also influenced many singers. Swing music began appearing in the early 1930s and was distinguished by a more supple feel than the more literal 44 of early jazz. 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, Ellington, Duke Kennedy. PDF Chapter Six: "In the Mood": the Swing Era, 1935-1945 Ellington allowed individuals to retain their own identities and to expand and explore their own directions. Since keyboards are essentially advanced incarnations of pianos, they can be used to quietly accompany the rhythm section of a swing band or to play a quiet harmony. world. 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. Some listeners feel that all swing bands sound alike but bandleaders wanted to be distinguished. 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. "[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. has complex syncopated polyrhythms, (3) expressive "blue" (bent Ella Fitzgerald contributed to the success of Webbs band in New York City. This type of music flourished through the early 1930s, although there was little mass audience for it until around 1936. 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. 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Yes drums are like the Roux or Fil in Gumbo. techniques (from native African musical tradition in which a leader does a His efforts helped make it possible for jazz musicians to earn a decent wage. "walking bass" accompaniment, - Harmony [6] The legendary Paul Whiteman also featured a solo accordion in his ensemble. From three to five plyers on each instrument might be used. The successful bands of the Swing Era featured carefully . The instrumental lineup of a big band will vary from ensemble to ensemble, but is typically composed of around 17 musicians, divided into four sections: five saxophones; four trombones; four trumpets; a rhythm section of piano, double bass and drums; Common additions might include guitar, french horn, tuba or a vocalist. The In the early 1970s, Miles Davis began exploring jazz techniques into a more heavily-arranged "big-band" white swing [36]:p.31, Before 1910, social dance in America was dominated by steps such as the waltz and polka. hbbd``b`:$g@Hp,@,Fb 0 O3 The saxophone features a curved reed mouthpiece and a long brass tube that gradually expands before doubling back and bellowing outwards. the 1930s, famed jazz pianists Edward "Duke" Orchestra. was introduced with greater emphasis on the soloist. 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.