NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Swing music

Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of jazz music that developed during the 1920s when people got togther and had solidified as a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States. Swing is distinguished primarily by a strong rhythm section, usually including double bass and drums, medium to fast tempo, and the distinctive swing time rhythm that is common to many forms of jazz. Look up swing, swinging in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Dixieland music is a style of jazz. ... Memorial to Charlie Parker at the American Jazz Museum at 18th and Highland in Kansas City Kansas City Jazz is a style of jazz that developed and flourished in Kansas City, Missouri and the surrounding Kansas City Metropolitan Area during the 1930s and marked the transition from the structured big... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... Two soprano clarinets: a Bâ™ clarinet (left, with capped mouthpiece) and an A clarinet (right, with no mouthpiece). ... The saxophone (colloquially referred to as sax) is a conical-bored instrument of the woodwind family. ... Trumpeter redirects here. ... The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. ... A short grand piano, with the lid up. ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ... For other uses, see Drum (disambiguation). ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... An electric guitar is a type of guitar with a solid or semi-solid body that utilizes electromagnetic pickup (music)s to convert the vibration of the steel-cored strings into electrical current. ... A genre is any of the traditional divisions of art forms from a single field of activity into various kinds according to criteria particular to that form. ... The Swing Revival was cultural phenomenon of the 1990s and early 2000s which featured renewed popular interest in music in the style of the swing period of the 1930s and 1940s. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... Rhythm section refers to the musicians whose primary jobs in a jazz or popular music band or ensemble is to establish the rhythm of a song or musical piece, often via repeated riffs or ostinati. ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Tempo (disambiguation). ... This article is about the film. ...

History

The dance form of jazz, popular during the 1920's and early 1930's (up until 1934), was characterized by a sweet and romantic melody and emphasized the use of strings. Orchestras tended to stick to the melody as it was written and vocals would be sung sweetly (often in a tenor voice) and in tune with the melody. Swing Music differed from what had previously been popular in a number of ways. The arrangements are simpler, more emphasis was placed on horn/wind type instruments and, most importantly, throughout the 1930's there was a complete lack of a string section. Moreover, there was an overriding tendency to improvise the melody. The music had more of an edge to it and vocals were sung in an improvised manner.

Swing, like several other styles of 20th Century popular music, has its origins in African rhythms. Traditional West African music brought to the USA and elsewhere by enslaved Africans hybridized with western music to eventually create a distinct style. The first recordings labeled swing style date from the 1920s, and come from both the United States and the United Kingdom. They are characterized by the swing rhythm already at that time common in jazz music, and a distinctive lively style which is harder to define. Although swing evolved out of the lively jazz experimentation that began in New Orleans and that developed further (and in varying forms) in Kansas City and New York City, what is now called swing diverged from other jazz music in ways that distinguished it as a form in its own right. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... For the music genre, see Pop music. ... Western Africa (UN subregion) Maghreb[1] West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ... It has been suggested that Swung note be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ... Nickname: Location in Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass Counties in the state of Missouri. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

Although swing was performed by small ensembles as well, the quintessential swing bands tended to be bigger and more crowded than other jazz bands, necessitating a slightly more detailed and organized type of composition and notation than was then the norm. Band leaders put more energy into developing arrangements, perhaps reducing the chaos that might result from as many as 12 or 16 musicians spontaneously improvising. But the best swing bands at the height of the era explored the full gamut of possibilities from spontaneous ensemble playing to highly orchestrated music in the vein of European art music. Musical composition is a phrase used in a number of contexts, the most commonly used being a piece of music. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... In popular music an arrangement is a setting of a piece of music, which may have been composed by the arranger or by someone else. ... Improvising is the art of organizing sound and/or motion during performance. ...

A typical song played in swing style would feature a strong, anchoring rhythm section in support of more loosely tied wind, brass, and later, in the 1940s, string and/or vocal sections. The level of improvisation that the audience might expect at any one time varied depending on the arrangement, the band, the song, and the band-leader. The most common style consisted of having a soloist take center stage, and improvise a solo within the framework of her or his bandmates playing support. As a song progressed, multiple soloists might be expected to take over and individually improvise their own part; however, it wasn’t unusual to have two or three band members improvising at any one time. Image File history File links BennyGoodmanStageDoorCanteen. ... Image File history File links BennyGoodmanStageDoorCanteen. ... Rhythm section refers to the musicians whose primary jobs in a jazz or popular music band or ensemble is to establish the rhythm of a song or musical piece, often via repeated riffs or ostinati. ... For other uses, see Wind (disambiguation). ... â€œBrazenâ€ redirects here. ... The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949. ... A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer (solo is an Italian word literally meaning alone). ...

Swing jazz began to be embraced by the public around 1935. Prior to that, it had had limited acceptance, mostly among African American audiences. As the music began to grow in popularity throughout the States--as with many new popular musical styles--it met with some resistance from the public, for its improvisation, fast erratic tempos, lack of strings, occasionally risqué lyrics, and other cultural associations such as the sometimes frenetic swing dancing that accompanied performances. Audiences who had become used to the romantic arrangements (and what was perceived as classier and more refined music), were taken aback by the often erratic and edginess of swing music. An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... Swing is a group of related street dances, that evolved from Lindy Hop. ...

Harsher conflicts arose when Swing spread to other countries; for example, in Germany it was forbidden by the Nazi regime on the basis of its connection to African and Jewish musicians (see Swing Kids). And, while jazz music was initially embraced during the early years of the Soviet Union, it was soon forbidden as a result of being deemed politically unacceptable. Nazism in history Nazi ideology Nazism and race Outside Germany Related subjects Lists Politics Portal Nazism or National Socialism (German: Nationalsozialismus), refers primarily to the ideology and practices of the Nazi Party (National Socialist German Workers Party, German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP) under Adolf Hitler. ... For the San Diego hardcore punk band, see Swing Kids (band). ...

In the U.S., By the late 1930s and early 1940s, swing had become the most popular musical style and remained so for several years, until it was supplanted in the late ‘40s by the pop standards sung by the crooners who grew out of the Big Band tradition that swing began. Bandleaders such as the Dorsey Brothers often helped launch the careers of vocalists who went on to popularity as solo artists, such as Frank Sinatra. The 1930s (years from 1930â€“1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known as the World Depression. ... The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949. ... The term pop standards refers to an American songwriting, arranging, and singing style that is widely considered as the high point of Western vocal popular music. ... A crooner is a singer (usually male) of a certain kind of popular music, often called Standards or American Standards. ... A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late 1940s, although there are many big-bands around nowadays. ... The Dorsey Brothers consisted of the dynamic duo Big Band musicians Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey who found fame in the 1940s playing with great Big Band favorites Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman among others. ... Sinatra redirects here. ...

Swing music began to decline in popularity during World War 2 because of several factors. Most importantly it became difficult to staff a "big band" because many musicians were overseas fighting in the war. Also, the cost of touring with a large ensemble became prohibitive because of wartime economics. These two factors made smaller 3 to 5 piece combos more profitable and manageable. A third reason is the recording bans of 1942 and 1948 because of musicians' union strikes. In 1948, there were no records legally made at all, although independent labels continued to bootleg records in small numbers. When the ban was over in January 1949, swing had evolved into new styles such as jump blues and bebop. On August 1, 1942, the American Federation of Musicians organized a strike against the major recording companies because of disagreements over royalty payments. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump blues is a type of up-tempo blues music influenced by big band sound. ... This article is about the genre of music, for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character see Bebop and Rocksteady. ...

Cross-genre swing

Many of the crooners who came to the fore after the swing era had their origins in swing bands. An example is Bing Crosby. Frank Sinatra used the swing-band approach to great effect in almost all of his recordings and kept this style of music popular even after the rock 'n' roll era. Harry Lillis Bing Crosby (May 3, 1903 â€“ October 14, 1977) was an American singer and actor whose career lasted from 1926 until his death in 1977. ... Sinatra redirects here. ... Rock and roll - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ...

In country music, artists such as Jimmie Rodgers, Moon Mullican and Bob Wills introduced many elements of swing along with blues to create a genre called western swing. Like Sinatra did, Moon Mullican went solo from the Cliff Bruner band, had a successful solo career that included many songs that maintained a swing structure. Artists like Willie Nelson and Jerry Lee Lewis have kept the swing elements of country music present into the rock 'n' roll era. country music, see Country music (disambiguation) Country music, the first half of Billboards country and western music category, is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. ... Jimmie Rodgers was the name of two singers: Jimmie Rodgers (country singer) Jimmie Rodgers (pop singer) Jimmie Rodgers (SPC Deputy Director General) Note that there was also a Jimmy Rogers (note the spelling), a blues singer born in 1924. ... Moon Mullican was an American country and western singer and pianist in the late 1940s and 1950s from Louisiana. ... James Robert (Bob) Wills (March 6, 1905 â€“ May 13, 1975) was an American country musician, songwriter, and big band leader. ... Blues music redirects here. ... Western swing is, first and foremost, a fusion of country music, several styles of jazz, pop music and blues aimed at dancers. ... Francis Albert Sinatra (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer who is considered one of the finest vocalists of all time, renowned for his impeccable phrasing and timing. ... Moon Mullican was an American country and western singer and pianist in the late 1940s and 1950s from Louisiana. ... Cliff Bruner (April 25, 1915 - August 25, 2000) was a fiddler and bandleader of the western swing era of the 1930s. ... Willie Nelson (born Willie Hugh Nelson, April 30, 1933) is an American entertainer and songwriter, born and raised in Abbott, Texas. ... Jerry Lee Lewis (born September 29, 1935), also known by the nickname The Killer, is an American rock and roll and country music singer, songwriter, and pianist. ...

Nat King Cole followed Sinatra into the pop music world bringing with him a similar combination of swing bands and ballads. Like Moon Mullican, he was important in bringing piano to the fore of popular music. Nathaniel Adams Coles, known professionally as Nat King Cole (March 17, 1919 â€“ February 15, 1965) was a popular American singer, songwriter, and jazz pianist. ... Francis Albert Sinatra (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer who is considered one of the finest vocalists of all time, renowned for his impeccable phrasing and timing. ... Moon Mullican was an American country and western singer and pianist in the late 1940s and 1950s from Louisiana. ... A short grand piano, with the lid up. ...

Rock 'n' roll era hitmakers like Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Gene Vincent and Elvis Presley also found time to include many swing-era standards into their repertoire. Presley's hit "Are you lonesome tonight" is an old swing standard and Lewis' "To make love sweeter for you" is a new song but in the old style. Rock and roll - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Jerry Lee Lewis (born September 29, 1935), also known by the nickname The Killer, is an American rock and roll and country music singer, songwriter, and pianist. ... Charles Edward Anderson Chuck Berry (born 18 October 1926, St. ... Gene Vincent, real name Vincent Eugene Craddock, (February 11, 1935 - October 12, 1971) was an American rocknroll pioneer musician, best known for his hit Be-Bop-A-Lula. // His parents, Ezekiah Jackson and Mary Louise Craddock, were shop owners in Norfolk, Virginia. ... â€œElvisâ€ redirects here. ...

Swing revival

Although ensembles like the Count Basie Orchestra and the Stan Kenton Orchestra survived for decades by incorporating new musical styles into their repertoire, they were no longer the hallmark of American popular music. In the late 1990s ('98 until about 2000) there was a short-lived Swing Revival movement, led by bands such as Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Royal Crown Revue, Squirrel Nut Zippers and Brian Setzer. The style also revived swing dancing, both in a traditional style, and in hybrid approaches which blended 1930s dancing with 2000-era dance styles. The Swing Revival was cultural phenomenon of the 1990s and early 2000s which featured renewed popular interest in music in the style of the swing period of the 1930s and 1940s. ... The Swing Revival was cultural phenomenon of the 1990s and early 2000s which featured renewed popular interest in music in the style of the swing period of the 1930s and 1940s. ... Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is a contemporary swing band from southern California. ... Cherry Poppin Daddies Cherry Poppin Daddies is an American band formed in 1989 in Eugene, Oregon. ... The Royal Crown Revue is a band formed in the early 1990s. ... The Squirrel Nut Zippers are a Chapel Hill, North Carolina based Jazz band formed in 1993, who applied punks DIY aesthetic to early 20th century American popular music. ... Brian Setzer (born April 10, 1959 in Massapequa, Long Island, New York) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. ... Swing is a group of related street dances, that evolved from Lindy Hop. ...

Samples

Begin the Beguine is a song written by Cole Porter and introduced by June Knight in the Broadway musical Jubilee (1934). ... Artie Shaw (May 23, 1910, New York, New York â€“ December 30, 2004, Thousand Oaks, California) is considered to be one of the best jazz musicians of his time. ... Two soprano clarinets: a Bâ™ clarinet (left, with capped mouthpiece) and an A clarinet (right, with no mouthpiece). ... William Count Basie (August 21, 1904 - April 26, 1984) was a jazz pianist, organist, and bandleader. ... Benny Goodman, born Benjamin David Goodman[1] , (May 30, 1909 â€“ June 13, 1986) was an American jazz musician and virtuoso clarinetist, known as King of Swing, Patriarch of the Clarinet, The Professor, and Swings Senior Statesman. // Goodman was born in Chicago, the ninth of twelve children of poor Jewish... Martha Tilton (born November 14, 1915 in Corpus Christi, Texas) is an American popular singer best-known for her 1939 recording of And the Angels Sing with Benny Goodman. ...

Famous swing musicians

Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, The Dorsey Brothers, Benny Goodman, Cab Calloway, Earl Hines, Artie Shaw, Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Glenn Miller, Chick Webb, Harry James. This article is about the American Jazz composer and performer. ... William Count Basie (August 21, 1904 â€“ April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. ... Fletcher Hamilton Henderson, Jr. ... The Dorsey Brothers consisted of the dynamic duo Big Band musicians Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey who found fame in the 1940s playing with great Big Band favorites Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman among others. ... Benny Goodman, born Benjamin David Goodman[1] , (May 30, 1909 â€“ June 13, 1986) was an American jazz musician and virtuoso clarinetist, known as King of Swing, Patriarch of the Clarinet, The Professor, and Swings Senior Statesman. // Goodman was born in Chicago, the ninth of twelve children of poor Jewish... Cab Calloway, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1933 Cab Calloway (December 25, 1907â€“November 18, 1994) was a famous American jazz singer and bandleader. ... Earl Kenneth Hines, universally known as Earl Fatha Hines, (28 December 1903[1] Duquesne, Pennsylvania â€“ 22 April 1983 in Oakland, California) was one of the most important pianists in the history of jazz. ... Artie Shaw (May 23, 1910, New York, New York â€“ December 30, 2004, Thousand Oaks, California) is considered to be one of the best jazz musicians of his time. ... Gene Krupa (January 15, 1909 â€“ October 16, 1973) was a famous and influential American jazz and big band drummer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style. ... Bernard Buddy Rich (September 30, 1917 Brooklyn, New York â€“ April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. ... This article is about the jazz musician. ... William Henry Webb, usually known as Chick Webb (February 10, 1909â€“June 16, 1939) was a jazz and swing music drummer as well as a band leader. ... Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 â€“ July 5, 1983) was a popular United States musician and band leader, and a well-known trumpet virtuoso. ...

Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw Benny Goodman, born Benjamin David Goodman[1] , (May 30, 1909 â€“ June 13, 1986) was an American jazz musician and virtuoso clarinetist, known as King of Swing, Patriarch of the Clarinet, The Professor, and Swings Senior Statesman. // Goodman was born in Chicago, the ninth of twelve children of poor Jewish... Artie Shaw (May 23, 1910, New York, New York â€“ December 30, 2004, Thousand Oaks, California) is considered to be one of the best jazz musicians of his time. ...

Coleman Hawkins, Johnny Hodges, Lester Young Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins, nicknamed Hawk and sometimes Bean, (November 21, 1901 or 1904 - May 19, 1969) was a prominent jazz tenor saxophone musician. ... Johnny Hodges in concert, Feb. ... Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 â€“ March 15, 1959), nicknamed Prez, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. ...

Louis Armstrong, Roy Eldridge, Harry Edison Louis[1] Armstrong[2] (4 August 1901[3] â€“ July 6, 1971), nicknamed Satchmo[4] and Pops, was an American jazz musician. ... Roy David Eldridge (January 30, 1911 â€“ February 6, 1989) was a jazz trumpet player in the Swing era. ... Harry (Sweets) Edison (1915–1999) was an American jazz trumpeter. ...

Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Earl Hines, Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Teddy Wilson, Jelly Roll Morton This article is about the American Jazz composer and performer. ... William Count Basie (August 21, 1904 â€“ April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. ... Earl Kenneth Hines, universally known as Earl Fatha Hines, (28 December 1903[1] Duquesne, Pennsylvania â€“ 22 April 1983 in Oakland, California) was one of the most important pianists in the history of jazz. ... Arthur Tatum Jr. ... Oscar Emmanuel Peterson, CC, CQ, O.Ont. ... Theodore Shaw Teddy Wilson (born November 24, 1912 in Austin, Texas-died July 31, 1986 in New Britain, Connecticut) was a United States jazz pianist. ... Morton in the 1920s Ferdinand Jelly Roll Morton September 20, 1890 - July 10, 1941) was an American virtuoso pianist, bandleader and composer who some call the first true composer of jazz music. ...

Encyclopedia > Swing music

Contents

History

Cross-genre swing

Swing revival

Samples

Famous swing musicians

See also

Further reading

External links