Click [21] Bandleaders are typically performers who assemble musicians to form an ensemble of various sizes, select or create material for them, shape the musics dynamics, phrasing, and expression in rehearsals, and lead the group in performance often while playing alongside them. The Glenn Miller band was one of the most popular bands of the Swing Era. Here are the five most common swing band instruments, and how they commonly fit into swing music. projected in the way the drums and bass express the beat, how the piano In the mid-1930s, he was the featured soloist in the Basie Orchestra. (Click 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. In The first chorus of an arrangement introduces the melody and is followed by choruses of development. There was a considerable range of styles among the hundreds of popular bands. I am Joaqun/Yo Soy Joaqun was first published in 1967. This lineup was typical of swing era bands. And they played a particular type of Swing in Kansas City known as: Kansas City Jazz. He would conduct his band from his drum set. Traveling conditions and lodging were difficult, in part due to segregation in most parts of the United States, and the personnel often had to perform having had little sleep and food. improvised solo structure on the choruses: (1) piano--Ellington), (2) jazz Her vocal command expanded to an unusual range of four octaves, and she is best known for her melodic approach to scatting. The repertoire of swing bands featured both jazz and popular arrangements. One Oclock Jump: The Unforgettable History of the Oklahoma City Blue Devils. "walking bass" accompaniment, - Harmony listeners to love jazz.. Figure 1: The Western Jazz Quartet (piano: Fish, Scott K. Duke Ellington vs Chick Webb: We Tore Them Up, Man. March 1, 2016. https://scottkfish.com/2016/03/01/5221/. 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. completely abandoned the song's melody, which has made this style less You Big band swing was at the forefront of jazz and underwent its most concentrated growth and development from 1930 . and Ph. It served to distract people from the daily grind of reality. They gave a greater role to bandleaders, arrangers, and sections of instruments rather than soloists. He received his BA in Political Science from the University of Chicago and an M.A. The Cotton Club started in Harlem before it moved downtown. violin--Ray Nance), (3) trumpet--Rex Stewart, (4) tenor saxBen Webster, of jazz in its strictest 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, He was a pianist, accompanist, and music director for blues singers, dancers, and comedians. As jazz was expanded during the 1950s through the 1970s, the Basie and Ellington bands were still around, as were bands led by Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Lionel Hampton, Earl Hines, Les Brown, Clark Terry, and Doc Severinsen. serene style of "cool jazz" became the rage on the west coast. grooves), - Steve Zegree; sax: Trent Kynaston; bass: Tom Knific; drums: Tim Froncek). George GERSHWIN (1898-1937): Rhapsody (who are noted for their blending of Afro-Cuban jazz elements within a These bands had identifiable leaders, such as Glenn Miller and the Dorsey brothers, who placed their individual stamps on their musical arrangements. Since 1960, several newer types [48][49][50] Big band remotes on the major radio networks spread the music from ballrooms and clubs across the country during the 1930s and 1940s, with remote broadcasts from jazz clubs continuing into the 1950s on NBC's Monitor. [29], An arrangement's first chorus is sometimes preceded by an introduction, which may be as short as a few measures or may extend to a chorus of its own. However, its so large that its most often placed upright next to the bassist when its being played. Phil Spitalny, a native of Ukraine, led a 22-piece female orchestra known as Phil Spitalny and His Hour of Charm Orchestra, named for his radio show, The Hour of Charm, during the 1930s and 1940s. style known as SWING. progression and the same number of measures/beats, but it may be applied to saxophonist Gerry MULLIGAN (of the Gerry Mulligan Quartet ways. - jukebox Which changes occurred in the rhythm section during the 1930s? He was also a band leader and arranger who traveled throughout Europe and Japan during the 1950s and 1960s. Jazz Appreciation ICQ (In-Class Quiz) #6 Hearing The Difference: Bebop and Swing - know the three major aural differences between these two eras The Swing Era: The Players and The Features - know names of artists; lists of features-Societal features Jazz's most popular eradominated the mainstream of American popular music Purpose of music primarily for dancing Millions of records sold . Big bands originated during the early 1910s and dominated jazz in the early 1940s when swing was most popular. Big bands generally have four sections: trumpets, trombones, saxophones, and a rhythm section of guitar, piano, double bass, and drums. style, boogie-woogie was born. In the 1950s, Stan Kenton referred to his band's music as "progressive jazz", "modern", and "new music". Swing bands featured a large ensemble of The jazz musician relies on three basic elements of the song to develop [1], Duke Ellington led his band at the Cotton Club in Harlem. Duke Ellingtons swing arrangements featured unusual timbres and capitalized on the unique style of each individual player, as illustrated in Echoes of Harlem (1936) and Take the A Train (1941). These ensembles typically featured three or more accordions accompanied by piano, guitar, bass, cello, percussion, and marimba with vibes and were popularized by recording artists such as Charles Magnante,[10][11] Joe Biviano[12][13] and John Serry. 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). When the tradition came back full-circle into vocal jazz with a 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. Whiteman increased the size of his band into nearly symphonic proportion. Music is My Mistress. [3] They incorporated elements of Broadway, Tin Pan Alley, ragtime, and vaudeville. projected in the way the drums and bass express the beat, how the piano [22] Some bandleaders, such as Guy Lombardo, performed works composed by others (in Lombardo's case, often by his brother Carmen),[23] while others, such as Maria Schneider, take on all three roles. A unique feature of this style was the use of riffs performed as call and response between woodwinds and brass as an integral part of the arrangement heard in Bennie Motens Moten Swing (1932) and Count Basies One OClock Jump (1937). Ellington recorded this California. A versatile instrument, the saxophone is swing musics version of the Holy Trinity (celery, bell peppers and onions) used in Gumbo. After the end of both bands, Basie formed his own orchestra, recruiting members from these two bands. Swing is sandwiched between two huge historical events. of Company B (1941). The string bass replaced the tuba and the guitar replaced the banjo. woodwinds (saxophones, clarinets), brass (trumpets, trombones) and a back-up Hawkins made his first recording with Fletcher Henderson and he would go on to perform throughout England and Europe. Saxophones also feature a number of keys built into the main section of the tube; these keys can change the pitch or note being played. black jazz musicians developed an intense The project is also supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Choose the vocabulary word that answers each riddle. 1554 0 obj <> endobj In the early 1950s a smoother, more Da Capo Reprint Paperback, 1973. 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. John Coltrane's "hard bop" of 1. At these venues, which themselves gained notoriety, bandleaders and arrangers played a greater role than they had before. trombone. That makes them the shrimp or Andouille sausage in the Gumbo that is swing music. While the trumpet is commonly featured in a swing band, a saxophone is also often used to enhance melodies. Apart from the star soloists, many musicians received low wages and would abandon the tour if bookings disappeared. In addition, Miller had a radio program and made motion pictures. Duke Ellington wrote a song in 1931 titled It Dont Mean a Thing (If It Aint Got That Swing), and for a generation of music lovers those were words to live by. Swing as Popular Music 1. leaders in America. Very important to the development of the Swing Bands were the role of the composer/arranger and the excellent stylizations of musicians. more traditional instruments such as horn, cello, flute and oboe. 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]. In 1925, bandleader Paul Whiteman 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. Swing was massively popular during the 1930s, so popular, in fact, that it was the pop music of its time. The latter included blues, ballads, novelty songs, and Broadway tunes. techniques (from native African musical tradition in which a leader does a This also contributed to the loose and spontaneous feel of KC Jazz. $27.95. Beacon, 2006. photo by Patricia Schneider. Swing is a term often used in reference to large dance bands of 15 or more musicians that played written arrangements using improvised sections alternating with arranged passages by brass and/or reeds. Jazz began in New Orleans in the Many Kansas City bands featured head arrangements, which were . (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
. A drummer, bass player (string bass), piano player, and guitarist formed the rhythm section. Holiday crossed musical genres, singing jazz, blues, and pop while keeping her individual singing style. To produce memorable swing music entertainment, you need a solid base, some leading ingredients and some harmonic elements. By the 1930s, these and other cities became major centers for the development of the swing style. All Jazz styles have two common features: - Count Basies music contains lively rhythms, economic piano style, and a relaxed swing sound. performing at the same time." HWYo8~G ("b+[:r$%_r8oFdnIt]5pu\Kr|z~+au/I8vTm3}` e Then circle the object of the preposition. sense means to merge styles together. 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. 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. clip on the basic jazz rhythm section), - Bass 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. The style features prominent horn riffs, call and response between the brass and reed sections, and a consistent rhythmic drive derived from walking and/or boogie-woogie-type bass lines. 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 successful bands of the Swing Era featured carefully . And after years of economic depression, many Americans wanted to have fun. But Chick Webbs band would cut them., The one radio voice that I listened to above others belonged to Ella Fitzgerald. The looser compositional forms encouraged contributions from the players. The swing era was the one time that jazz was a truly popular style. was introduced with greater emphasis on the soloist. The trumpet section included four trumpets; the first was responsible for the highest notes. Big Bands evolved with the times and continue to this day. The swing era took place during which two important historical events? Examples include the Vienna Art Orchestra, founded in 1977, and the Italian Instabile Orchestra, active in the 1990s. Trumpets provide a brash buzzing sound thats well suited for a melody. They provide the base, the foundation on which the rest of the music can thrive. here to see a YouTube video on "swing" groove vs. other types of art form--a unique blending of West African and Western European/American Jazz elements into his famous musical, This expansive eclecticism characterized much of jazz after World War II. Three bypass valves over the tube can be used to lower the pitch of the trumpet. Fitzgerald recorded several standards that became hit songs. But you also need to inject your style and personality into the music you make. One of the most common forms used in jazz [14][12][13] [15][16][17][18], Twenty-first century big bands can be considerably larger than their predecessors, exceeding 20 players, with some European bands using 29 instruments and some reaching 50. Hammond, John. ELLINGTON and William "Count" Billie Holiday is considered to be the most influential of the jazz singers of the century after Louis Armstrong, who influenced her style. GILLESPIE: Koko (1945). Beacon, 2002. Duke Ellington's . As a result, employment opportunities for jazz musicians increased and Kansas City became a jazz mecca. Up until that time, it was viewed with ridicule and looked upon as a curiosity. hmk6^/,$mA% (As told to Albert Murray). "Hot" Jazz, as improvised over standard blues patterns. . White teenagers and young adults were the principal fans of the big bands in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Singers Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald came to the popular forefront during the swing era. Two other musical characteristics of swing bands are a return to the use of a flat-four rhythm and the use of block chords (chords with many notes moving in parallel motion). When you mentioned the word Jazz to the average person, they probably think of Swing music, and for good reason. Alto sax player, arranger, and bandleader Jimmie Lunceford (19021947) studied music at and graduated from Fisk University in 1926. Count Basie became an Oklahoma City Blue Devil around 1929 and also played with Bennie Moten. The History of Jazz. Rewrite each sentence following the instructions in parentheses. endstream endobj 1555 0 obj <>/Metadata 104 0 R/Outlines 108 0 R/PageLayout/OneColumn/Pages 1544 0 R/StructTreeRoot 655 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 1556 0 obj <>/Font<>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Type/Page>> endobj 1557 0 obj <>stream They can be used to produce a melody or harmony for nearly every musical style. The methods of dance bands marked a step away from New Orleans jazz. He joined Ben Pollacks band and made his first recording. jw7(W3;TEd5SOBmlyb./hh IOQ,+B}I\fT-q\ dJ(0!GF>B)- |0~J;:AC*: Y3[.(&=>:UU5aH@ZLLEc))3c.mcX=ia&1cy]aE~9CB7L_ Walter Page is often credited with developing the walking bass,[38] though earlier examples exist, such as Wellman Braud on Ellington's Washington Wabble from 1927. 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. They were knowledgeable and often biased toward their favorite bands and songs, and sometimes worshipful of famous soloists and vocalists. 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. American sound has fascinated listeners, performers and composers around the a vocalist with piano or a small backup group. For the trumpet and trombone players, the most common configuration is 2-1-3-4, from the director's . 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. The swing era represented the pinnacle of jazzs popularity. daring arrangements of classic jazz tunes. This intermingling of sections became a defining characteristic of big bands. Duke Ellington at one time used six trumpets. Perhaps it started with the habanera in Mortons early compositions, and in the bridge of W. C. Handys St. In the 1940s, an intensely virtuosic and hundreds of different melodies. A cheap & cheerful collection of up-tempo sax, trumpet and trombone funky licks featuring over 350 ensemble phrases, solos, trills and stabs for house, disco, electro-swing and quirky big-band-infused electronica. Jazz played an important role in changing the socio-political landscape %PDF-1.5 % [52], Schuller, Gunther. From Williams is considered one of the great jazz pianists and one of the greatest performers from Kansas City. 6 Steps to Big Band Writing with Steven Feifke. His music was a combination of solo and ensemble playing. The term "big band" is also used to describe a genre of music, although this was not the only style of music played by big bands. These artists added new instrumentssuch as congas, other percussion instruments, timbales, maracas, and clavesand relied on powerful multi-rhythmic pulses to highlight jazz compositions within the big band as well as the small combo formats. %%EOF The "Modern Popular Music" chart below, In contrast to the typical jazz emphasis on improvisation, big bands relied on written compositions and arrangements. Swing music began appearing in the early 1930s and was distinguished by a more supple feel than the more literal 44 of early jazz. for hits such as Take the A Train, and Satin Doll, as well as colorful and * Since theyre built of brass, saxophones tend to produce a trumpet-like buzzing sound. on the chart below to go to that interactive webpage). Southwest bands offered a different solution to big band improvisational structures. Sweet Swing (people like Glenn Miller) had less improvisation, was a bit slower, restrained with a slight swing feel, and was for the white upper class dinner parties. In swing, the saxophone was usually featured as the leading instrumental soloist. Swing music ruled the airwaves and the dance floors throughout the 1930s to the mid-40s, and the artists that led swing bands became internationally beloved celebrities. It is usually played by big band ensembles that use a rhythm section with drums, bass, sometimes a guitar, and almost always a piano, a brass section of trumpets and trombones, and a reed section of saxophones and clarinets. Trumpets A prominent feature of swing music is a leading brass section, which is often provided by a trumpet. And there were also 2 different styles of Swing music. [30], Some big ensembles, like King Oliver's, played music that was half-arranged, half-improvised, often relying on head arrangements. Charlie PARKER and Dizzy Basie, Count. jazz techniques into a more heavily-arranged "big-band" white swing 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. Many arrangements contain an interlude, often similar in content to the introduction, inserted between some or all choruses. 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. 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. During the 1920s, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, and Dallas were vital crossroads resulting in a mix of musical styles and cultures. Hickman relied on Ferde Grof, Whiteman on Bill Challis. The Glenn Miller Band worked the best jobs and recorded often. D. in History from the University of California, Berkeley. art form--a unique blending of West African and Western European/American