Jazz Notes VI

In our last jazz notes we concentrated on Dixieland, the earliest jazz form. Following this combo based early jazz style, comes the "Swing Era".
In this post I will try to make you acquainted with this highly popular (probably the most popular) jazz form that reigned between the years of 1930 and 1945.

Swing Era:

It might be a good introduction if we start with how swing jazz evolved. As with any new style or form, the changes versus its predecessor should be analyzed in two different aspects. First and maybe the most important, is the cultural impetus, and the second being the musical impetus (experimentation and searching for the next level).

In my opinion, no major stylistic change in any art form, especially in music, comes out of the blue. There is always a driving force behind change. Same rules apply for swing.

Think about the atmosphere in the late 1920s, especially in the USA. The birth of swing music took place during the years of Great Depression. Although this jazz style can easily be considered as the happiest jazz style, it is not possible to say the same thing for the period it was popular in. Throughout its life span (still not dead of course, but during its flashy years), the World first suffered from the Great Depression followed by the World War II. In addition to these two horrible events, America had its own problems about racial and gender inequality. There was no peace and harmony anywhere but swing was a safe harbor to get away from all these troubles and feel you were alive. Finally the people had found a music to easily listen to and to dance to which would lift their spirits up during hard times. It enabled them to picture a bright future, and so they embraced it. That's why it became one of the most popular musical styles of all time (maybe after Rock'n Roll). I have to confess there are many similarities between Benny Goodman and Elvis Presley as they are both authentic creators of new musical forms.

So that was the context when Swing came into life. Obviously it didn't happen overnight. There were many bands in the late 20s (when Dixieland was still the dominant style) experimenting the sound of a new style, later to be defined as swing (most probably with lesser band members & instruments).
However the generally accepted stylistic change took place in 1931 and onward. Bandleaders such as Duke Ellington and Fletcher Henderson began developing the new style by increasing the number of musicians in a band (keep in mind that there were many good players around without jobs) making it possible to utilize a high number of instruments (around 16) during performances. Another major change was the permanent introduction of upright bass and guitar as the main rhythm section instead of tuba and banjo. It gave way to change the time signature from 2/4 to 4/4 therefore giving possibility to the swing feel. Mostly the bands, called the "Big Bands" consisted of;

• five saxophones (two alto saxes, two tenor saxes, and one baritone sax) 
• four trumpets
• four trombones
• four "rhythm" instruments (piano, bass, drums, guitar)

Another feature of Swing was the usage of "Call and Response" formulation. Basically it is a method where one section (say, the brass section, i.e., trumpets and trombones) would play a musical phrase and then be “answered” by another section (say, the saxes); the first phrase is the call, the answer is the response (like a musical conversation). This was nothing new to the musical context as it was already being used from classical music to African music and later in America with the work songs and even with blues.

"Wrappin' It Up": a fine example of "Call & Response" by the Fletcher Henderson Band

At this point put yourselves in the shoes of the musicians of that period. There is poverty everywhere, the salaries are low (if you are lucky to receive one), a lot of competitive musicians around, travelling is not as easy and cheap as today especially for Big Bands. Not the perfect time for being a musician. However they never felt like that, they performed their music with great respect, pride and enthusiasm. That is the beauty and the uniting power of music...In my humble opinion, the Swing Era is one of the key elements that has helped America at least to acknowledge its racial tension. Until the swing era, the bands were almost either all white or all African-American. As more and more bands (like the Benny Goodman bands) initiated the racial integration during a time that the overall population had not accepted it, people automatically began to question themselves. How successful was it is an another discussion...

"Sing sing sing" by the Benny Goodman Big Band (obviously before the racial integration)

With the introduction of swing, the jazz music became a little more sophisticated (in my opinion not fully, since the style of swing did not allow too much improvisation, I believe much lesser than Dixieland) thanks to Big Bands and band members who were real virtuosos. On the other hand it began to cater for almost every taste and popularized the genre as the melodies were softer and mellifluous.As a consequence, jazz music started to become the symbol of America (there are still arguments even today implying that American jazz musicians, especially African-Americans know how to really swing).

Swing Era is really the most popular jazz period in the history of the genre. Jazz music after the swing form never achieved to reach so many people again (good or bad, can be discussed). Although it did not allow freedom in the form of improvisation (mostly the players adhered to the written music), there is no argument that many jazz performers that would shape the future of jazz, began their careers in these Big Bands or Sweet Bands (this term was used for Big Bands that performed with no improvisation at all, used less complex chord progressions etc. like the Glenn Miller Big Band).

Just to summarize the main stylistic differences from its predecessor Dixieland;

1. Music is played mostly from written scores
2. Little possibility of improvisation and in a solo manner rather than collective
3. Usage of eight notes very common in order to be able to swing
4. Tuba is replaced with upright bass and banjo is replaced with guitar
5. Bands are more crowded, generally consist of around 16 members 
6. Idea of band leader/conductor becomes highly important. All the bandleaders were also virtuoso instrumentalists and the band shaped around them (Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman,Artie Shaw,  Fletcher Henderson and Tommy Dorsey).

"It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing" by the Duke Ellington Orchestra

Swing was not only a new jazz form but it was also a life style, a fashion and even an ideology. It changed many things in the society from dancing to clothing. Even during such difficult years, people, especially young people from all walks of life,  who were attracted to swing, felt freedom and solidarity that helped them to overcome that unpleasant period. Dancing (mainly Jitterbug and Charleston) like crazy to loudest big bands with their stylish costumes made them feel well. As David Stowe mentions in his book called "Swing Changes", it was a musical response of America to increasing Fascism (more specifically against Hitler who had said that jazz was an ugly squeak of instruments to ears) in the world by out crying the concepts of ethnic and gender equality as well as democratic and civil rights. One can argue that it also planted the seeds of feminism through egalitarian dancing structure.

If we look at some great musicians of the swing era;

• Big Bands:
• Duke Ellington Orchestra
• Benny Goodman Big Band
• Fletcher Henderson
• Tommy Dorsey
• Count Basie Orchestra
• Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra
• Artie Shaw Band
• Glenn Miller Orchestra
• Woody Herman and His Orchestra
• Sax Players:
• Coleman Hawkins
• Lester Young
• Johnny Hodges
• Ben Webster
• Benny Carter
• Trumpet Players:
• Roy Eldridge
• Wilbur Clayton
• Oran Page
• Trombone Players:
• Jack Teagarden
• Tommy Dorsey
• Bill Harris
• Pianists:
• Art Tatum
• Earl Hines
• Teddy Wilson
• Count Basie
• Duke Ellington
• Guitarists:
• Django Reinhardt
• Charlie Christian
• Drummers:
• Chick Webb
• Gene Krupa
• Vocalists:
• Billie Holiday
• Ella Fitzgerald
• Anita O'Day
• Sarah Vaughan

"You will have to swing it Mr. Paganini" by Ella Fitzgerald & Chick Webb Orchestra

So what happened and the Swing Era came to an end in mid 1940s? I believe the first important reason was the World War. Many artists were drafted to serve their country, the government introduced a 20% tax on many things that the society was enjoying from (concerts, shows, live music venues etc), there was a curfew after midnight and the popularity of TV in the US households played a big role in the deterioration of this musical style. On the other hand people witnessed that swing could not fully achieve the idealistic principles it had been promising (mostly not Swing's fault but many other factors, especially political, intervened).

Today the Swing Era is still remembered as one of the most prominent jazz styles. We still hear revival bands making modernized versions of swing music. Do they appeal the listeners? Well I say not fully but listen to Cherry Poppin' Daddies and decide yourselves...

"Zoot Suit Riot" by Cherry Poppin' Daddies