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…