The Swing Era (1935-1945) Chapter 5: The Swing Era (Pgs 131-161) 1920-1933 Prohibition 1929 Great Depression begins (stock market crash, bank failures) 1935 Benny Goodman @ Palomar Ballroom, L.A. 1939 W.W.II begins 1941 U.S.A. enters W.W.II (after bombing of Pearl Harbor) 1942 Recording ban imposed by A.F.M. The Swing Era (1935-1945) big band swing music was the most popular music in the U.S. most historians believe that the Swing Era started with Benny Goodman's performance at the Palomar Ballroom on August 21, 1935, bringing the music to the rest of the country Fletcher Henderson (1897-1952) American jazz pianist, bandleader, arranger, composer Important in the development of swing/big band music 1
Fletcher Henderson (1897-1952) Prolific and influential orchestra with arrangements by Don Redman Influential band members included Coleman Hawkins, Louis Armstrong,... Also arranged for Benny Goodman 1. Down South Camp Meeting (9/12/34) A. Composer: Fletcher Henderson B. Performer: Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra 3 trps, 2 trbs cl, 2 cl/as, ts(ben Webster) gtr, pno(fletcher Henderson), bs, dr Listening to Down South Camp Meeting Tutti intro [A] Saxes melody w/ brass comments (with rhythm section) [B] Brass/Trp contrasting melody w/ww comments [A] Trpimprovised solo w/ wwbkgds Saxophone & trumpet call-and-response NEW wwmelody w/ brass comments NEW wwmelody BUT played by BRASS CLARINETS! 2
Mary Lou Williams (1910-1981) American jazz pianist Prolific composer and arranger Wrote for Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey,... One of the most important women in jazz history 2. "Mary's Idea" (12/6/38) A. Composer: Mary Lou Williams B. Performer: Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy 3 trps, 2 trbs 4 woodwinds (cl/as/bari, as/bari, as, ts) gtr, pno/arr(mary Lou Williams), bs, dr William "Count" Basie (1904-1984) American jazz pianist, bandleader, composer Led the Count Basie Orchestra for almost 50 years Notable members: Lester Young, Herschel Evans, Buck Clayton, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Influential rhythm section: Freddie Green, Count Basie, Walter Page, Jo Jones 3
William "Count" Basie (1904-1984) Notable songs: "One O'ClockJump" and "April in Paris" Notable collaborations: Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald,... Still performing and recording! 3. "Every Tub" (2/16/38) A. Composer: Eddie Durham & Count Basie B. Performer: Count Basie and His Orchestra 3 trps, 3 trbs 2 as, 2 ts gtr, pno, bs, dr Basie on YouTube 1937 HITS ARCHIVE: One O ClockJump -Count Basie (original Basie version) https://youtu.be/0hhe39sxiiq COUNT BASIE One O'ClockJump (movie 1943, HD) https://youtu.be/ufllq8xtizm Count Basie.. Corner Pocket http://youtu.be/dvcbis44ecy Every Day I have the Blues http://youtu.be/coucvemzrbo Benny Goodman (1909-1987) American jazz clarinetist and bandleader "King of Swing" His orchestra was one of the most popular musical groups in America in the 1930s Carnagie Hall concert (1/16/1938) Led one of the first racially-integrated musical groups -Teddy Wilson (pno) - Lionel Hampton (vibes) - Charlie Christian (gtr) Swing, Bebop, Classical 4
4. "Down South Camp Meeting" (8/13/1936) A. Composer: Fletcher Henderson B. Performer: Benny Goodman and His Orchestra 3 trps, 2 trbs 1 cl (Benny Goodman), 2 as, 2 ts gtr, pno, bs, dr(gene Krupa) Benny Goodman on YouTube Benny Goodman Orchestra Sing Sing Sing from Hollywood Hotel http://youtu.be/3mj4dpnal_k Benny Goodman - CBS Morning News http://youtu.be/ao8bxtttdq4 The Benny Goodman Quartet 1959-I Got Rhythm http://youtu.be/ntkogtk2gge ROSE ROOM (1939) by the Benny Goodman Sextet featuring Charlie Christian on guitar http://youtu.be/x4h7m2yfk0s Duke Ellington (1899-1974) American composer, pianist, big band leader 50+ year career Elevated the perception of jazz to an art form Duke Ellington (1899-1974) Composed over 1000 compositions ("American music") Popular songs that became jazz standards (In a Mellow Tone, In a Sentimental Mood) Frequently collaborated with other composers (Billy Strayhorn Take the A Train, Juan Tizol Caravan) Featured the special skills of his bandmembers: KoKo (BubberMiley), "Jeep's Blues" (Johnny Hodges), "Concerto for Cootie" (Cootie Williams), "The Mooche" (Tricky Sam Nanton) Large-scale/Extended works: "Black Brown and Beige" (three movement jazz symphony, Ellington: "a tone parallel to the history of the Negro in America") 5
5. "Ko-Ko" (3/6/1940) A. Composer: Duke Ellington B. Performer: Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra C: Musical Impression: 6 brass (2 trps, 1 cornet, 3 trbs) 5 woodwinds (2 as, cl/ts, ts, bari) Full rhythm section (gtr, pno, bs, dr) Ko-Ko observations Low baritone sax sounds Muted trumpets growling trumpet sound Use of low drums Minor chords/harmony, dissonances Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) Review: Satchmo cornet/trumpet/voice "West End Blues" Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) Swing Era fronting big bands Hollywood films (Going Places -1938, Cabin In The Sky -1942) famous recordings (Star Dust, When It's Sleepy Time Down South, Swing That Music, Jubilee) virtuosic trumpeter non-stop touring WWII and after Swing decline New Orleans revival (All-Stars) heart attack, declining health 6
6. "Swing That Music" (5/18/1936) HEMIOLA! A. Composer: Horace Gerlach& Louis Armstrong B. Performer: Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra 4 trps(louis Armstrong), 2 trbs 2 as, 2 ts gtr, pno, bs(pops Foster), dr Billie Holiday (1915-1959) American jazz singer and songwriter nickname "Lady Day" by Lester Young influential interpreter of music and lyrics tragic life, abused, raped, failed marriages, drug abuse, arrests, incarceration Strange Fruit, God Bless the Child, Lover Man Billie Holiday (1915-1959) "I don't think I'm singing. I feel like I am playing a horn. I try to improvise like Les Young, like Louis Armstrong, or someone else I admire. What comes out is what I feel. I hate straight singing. I have to change a tune to my own way of doing it. That's all I know." (Jazz Pg 189) 7
Billie Holiday (1915-1959) Born in Philadelphia, raised in Baltimore Father denied paternity until she became famous Mother left her in the care of abusive relatives Later moved to NYC to live with mother Arrested for prostitution Recorded with Benny Goodman before either were famous Famous recording sessions in 1935 with Teddy Wilson and other top jazz artists of the day Mostly sang in nightclubs Strange Fruit (1939) Suffered long public downfall due to drug addiction and husband who encouraged drug abuse Triumphant 1957 appearance on television broadcast The Sound of Jazz Died at age 44 Signature songs What a Little Moonlight Can Do Miss Brown to You Strange Fruit (1939) performed most famously by Billie Holiday Written by teacher Abel Meeropolas a poem (1937) protested American racism lyrics are an extended metaphor linking a tree s fruit with lynching victims Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame (1978) included in the list of Songs of the Century, by the Recording Industry of America and the National Endowment for the Arts 7. "Body and Soul" (2/29/1940) A. Composer: Johnny Green B. Performer: Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra Medium: 8-piece Big Band + vocal 1 trp(roy Eldridge) 2 as, 1 ts gtr, pno, bs, dr vcl 8
Ella Fitzgerald Sarah Vaughn Esperanza Spalding Body and Soul Coleman Hawkins (1904-1969) first to make the tenor saxophone respected jazz instrument "Hawk" played with Fletcher Henderson Orchestra (1924-34) improvisation style changed after Louis Armstrong joined orchestra Coleman Hawkins (1904-1969) piano knowledge influenced style harmonically (arpeggiation, chordsubstitution) Europe (1934-1939) acknowledged masterpiece: "Body and Soul" continued to perform and record with Bebop musicians succumbed to pneumonia 8. "Body and Soul" (10/11/1939) A. Composer: Johnny Green B. Performer: Coleman Hawkins & His Orchestra Medium: 9-piece Big Band -2 trps, 1 trb, 2 as, 1 ts, pno, bs, dr 9
Lester Young (1909-1959) nickname "Prez" by Billie Holiday influential tenor saxophonist contrasting style to Coleman Hawkins (lighter, less vibrato, more space) supposedly influenced by Trumbauer and Beiderbecke "Singin' the Blues" Count Basie Band 10
3. "Every Tub" (2/16/38) A. Composer: Eddie Durham & Count Basie B. Performer: Count Basie and His Orchestra 3 trps, 3 trbs 2 as, 2 ts gtr, pno, bs, dr Billie Holiday: Fine and Mellow (http://youtu.be/ztgubjn8ope) Chorus = 1x through 12-bar blues form 1. instrumental introduction 2. billie verse MY MAN DON T LOVE ME 3. ben webster (ts) solo 4. lester young (ts) solo 5. billie verse HE WEARS HIGH-TRIMMED PANTS" 6. vic dickinson (trb) solo 7. gerry mulligan (bari) solo 8. billie verse LOVE WILL MAKE YOU DRINK AND GAMBLE" 9. coleman hawkins (ts) solo 10. roy eldridge (trp) solo 11. billie verse TREAT ME RIGHT BABY" 12. billie verse LOVE IS LIKE A FAUCET" The Swing Era (1935-1945) Several factors led to the demise of the Swing Era: recording ban (1942-1944) World War II cabaret tax change in music taste rise of bebop 11