Music #38 - Swing Jazz

Swing Jazz 

(1934-1945)

The swing era: big bands (with more than 10 performers), in large ballrooms, for dancers and jitterbugs.  Swing provided an escape from those political and social pressures due to the Great Depression, triggered by the Wall Street Crash of 1929. 

Whilst you enjoy the following music, see if you could identify its arrangements and jive/mellow:

* the “jive” (hard jazz) swung hard

* the ballads (tender love songs) were “mellow”

Benny Goodman, the “King of Swing”

* Sing, Sing, Sing again 

* The Powers Girl   

The Benny Goodman Story (1956) is a very good movie, with a very good love story. I recommend it to you.

* In the movie Goodman also played the Mozart Clarinet Concerto

Duke Ellington

* C Jam Blues   

* Satin Doll   

* It don’t mean a thing   

* Take the "A" Train   

* I'm Beginning to See the Light

William “Count” Basie

* Count Basie Meets Clark Terry

* Blues Alley   

Lester “Pres” Young --- What do you think this nickname “Pres” stands for? Correct!

* Jammin' the Blues  with traces of Country and Western Dance? 

* Fine and Mellow  with singer Billie Holiday
* Back in Your Own Backyard  with singer Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday

* The Blues Are Brewin'  with Satchmo

* The Very Thought of You   

* Gloomy Sunday  --- The Hungarian Suicide Song

Ella Fitzgerald

* Summertime   

* Blue Moon 

* Misty   

* Mad about the Boy

Sarah Vaughan

* The Sassy One    

* Whatever Lola Wants     

* Lullaby of Birdland     

= = = = =

Notes:

A big-band (more than 10 performers) typically has 4 sections by instrument types:

* saxophone (or, sax) – 3 to 5 – players often double on clarinet or flute

* trombone – 3 to 4 – using mutes

* trumpet – 3 to 4 – using mutes

* rhythm – piano, string bass, drums, rhythm guitar

There are 3 big-band arrangements:

* tutti – all brass (trombone, trumpet) and reed (sax, clarinet) sections to plat together to create a unified texture

* soli – one section (e.g. saxes) playing together, accompanied only by the rhythm section

* shout chorus – integrates the soli activities at the climax

The most common arrangements:

* the saxes to state a melody while the trumpets play short rhythmic chords (shouts)

* the trombones either join the trumpets in the shouts, or supply a counter-melody to the saxes – usually near the end of an arrangement.

How the rhythm section swings