Lyrics
by: Micheal Kunze Sung by: Suzan Erens as Sissi
I will not give up my own self Just to be with you I will not be glad just to do What I'm told to do I'm not meant to be your property No, I belong I me
If I want to reach for the stars You can't hold me back I want to take chances Far off from the beaten track Don't force me to be what I can't be I belong to me
If you try to tame me I will not obey I'd rather leave you alone If you try to change me I must break away To be what I am on my own
I'm
freezing, I'm burning I live without compromise I'm growing, I'm learning I'm ready to pay the price I know it's not easy to be free But I belong to me
I hate to be burdened With duties that I despise You know I can't stand To be watched by a thousand
eyes I flee from the crowd in agony I just belong to me
If you want to keep me Don't hold me so tight I can't give my life for your love If you want to break me I'll not even fight I'll just fly away like a dove
I'm here when you need me I live and I die with you I'll share all your troubles I'll
laugh and I'll cry with you You can blame me and bless me But you cannot possess me 'Cause I belong to me To me!
Background of the song
First of all I would like to explain about the background
of this song. It is from the 1992 Austrian musical: ' Elizabeth". It was
sung by Suzan Erens during the concerts in Vienna.The
musical is based on the life of Elisabeth, Empress of AustriaThe world premiere, directed by Harry Kupfer, took place on 3
September 1992 at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, where it ran until 25 April
1998. This production was revived on 3 October 2003, and commemorated by the
Austrian post office with a special stamp.
Explanation about the
figurative languages in the song
There are some figurative languages
which used in this song such as: Metaphor, paradox, Pars pro toto, and simile(The colors
will be the indicator to find out what I mean in every lines of the song).
Before I analyze about those literary elements, I would like to give some
explanation and the meaning of figurative languages itself. Figurative
language can be found in literature and poetry where the writing
appeals to the senses. It can do this by giving a word with a specific meaning,
by comparing two things in such a way that you find the comparison interesting
or by using words that have unusual constructions or sounds. According to the Oxford
dictionary, figurative language is language that uses words or expressions with a
meaning that is different from the literal interpretation. When a writer uses
literal language, he or she is simply stating the facts as they are. Figurative
language, in comparison, uses exaggerations or alterations to make a particular
linguistic point. Figurative language is very common in poetry, but is also
used in prose and nonfiction writing as well.
There are many different types of
figurative language. For example, it often includes the use of a specific type
of word or word meaning:
Simile:
A simile is a comparison that often uses the words like or as. One example
of a simile would be to say, “Jamie runs as fast as the wind.”
Metaphor:
A metaphor is a comparison made between things which are essentially not
alike. It is similar to a simile, but does not use like or as. One example
of a metaphor would be to say, “Nobody invites Edward to parties because
he is a wet blanket.”
Personification:
When something that is not human is given human-like qualities, this is
known as personification. An example of personification would be to say,
“The leaves danced in the wind on the cold October afternoon.”
Hyperbole:
Exaggerating, often in a humorous way, to make a particular point is known
as hyperbole. One of example of hyperbole would be to say, “My eyes
widened at the sight of the mile-high ice cream cones we were having for
dessert.”
Pars pro toto, Latin
for "a part (taken) for the whole", is a figure of speech where
the name of a portion of
an object, place or concept represents the entire object, place or concept.
A paradox
is a statement that apparently contradicts itself and yet might be true.
Most logical paradoxes are known to be invalid
arguments but are still valuable in promoting critical thinking
In addition to various types of
words relating to the word's meaning, figurative language also includes unusual
constructions or combinations of words that provide a new perspective on the
word. For example:
Onomatopoeia:
When you name an action by imitating the sound associated with it, this is
known as onomatopoeia. One example of onomatopoeia would be to say, “The
bees buzz angrily when their hive is disturbed.”
Idiom:
An idiom is an expression used by a particular group of people with a
meaning that is only known through common use. One example of an idiom
would be to say, “I’m just waiting for him to kick the bucket.” Many
idioms that are frequently used are also considered clichés.
Explication
Based
on my opinion, this song describes about the independence, I BELONG TO ME, it
has the metaphor meaning of I own myself and myself here can be as body or
soul, so I can conclude that I BELONG TO ME here means that I am who I am and who
I want to be, it is all depending to me, I am the captain of my own self or
body. There are also some tones which we can find in this song such as: firm,
positive, independent, confident and courageous.
I wrote this poem to make you good
Whereas you recalled your gout
Reminiscing again our scintillating adolescence
And also our barely finished future
And happily will we conquer
We are not alone and isolated with our fate
Because the problem is the Law of history life
Bittersweets, acid salts are not divine
Because it has been undergone by everyone
Life is not to lament and groaning
Life is how to make it progressing
Work flipping the ground
Break through the mystery of ocean and heavenward
And to Create and engrave the world
We hold the duty
Because the duty is a duty
Instead of by hell or heaven
But to the glory of man
To be honest, we are not the clay
Despite we have ramshackle, elderly and grey
We are what our personality
Our self-esteem depicts our honorary
Behold, what is behind us! To our past day
No one has the power to sweep it away
Look! How colorful in our past years
Stroked by our breath ninety years
It always rises in ninety years
Surpassing our past helter-skelter years
And remembering it well
How we were always smile
Facing the Heaven and earth, and also our fate
We smile not to play-act
Not because the smile is a mask
But the smile is an act
Our act to God, human beings and folk
The fate and the life
Look! Ninety years were so colorful
Reminiscing that we have declined to be a router
We become unsteady and un-useful Because seemingly the age is stronger than us, it’s
really tougher
But not because we have fell
I wrote this poem to make you good
Whereas you recalled your gout
Reminiscing it as always
We are challenged by one hundred gods
This poem is an adaptation of Rendra's poem which entitled “Sajak
Seorang Tua Untuk Isterinya" Originally translated by @oldryronald March 13th, 2014
Title: Marriage in Pride and Prejudice novel by Jane
Austen.
Thesis
Statement: Marriage, for any reasons is important.
Marriage (also called matrimony or wedlock) is a socially or ritually recognized union or legal
contract between spouses
that establishes rights and obligations between them, between them and their
children, and between them and their in-laws. The definition of marriage varies
according to different cultures, but it is principally an institution
in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged. In
some cultures, marriage is recommended or compulsory before pursuing any sexual
activity. When defined broadly, marriage is considered a cultural universal. People marry for many
reasons, including: legal, social, libidinal, emotional, financial, spiritual, and religious. Who
they marry may be influenced by socially
determined rules of incest, prescriptive
marriage rules, parental choice and individual desire. In many parts
of the world, marriages are arranged. This writing is mainly
going to explain more about marriage in Pride and Prejudice novel which is
written by Jane Austen.
There are four marriages that take place in the novel namely: Mr. Wickham and
Miss Lydia Bennet, Mr. Collins and Miss Charlotte Lucas, Mr. Bingley and Miss
Jane Bennet, Mr Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet. The reason why marriage is
important in those days because if a woman did not find a good husband, she
would not have any income and she would be a burden on her family. In the
Bennet's case, if Elizabeth and hersisters did not
marry well, and their father died, then the entire estate would have been
passed tothe closest male relation: Mr Collins. The
family would have been turned out onto the streets. In this novel, Jane Austen presents several
contrasting attitudes to marriage and there are four mainly attitudes to
marriage namely: the marriage for money, marriage for the satisfaction of
bodily desires, marriage based on the physical look and marriage for love. At
first, “marriage for money”, this attitude is presented through Mr. Collins and
Charlotte. Both men and women of Austen’s society have internalized the idea
that women are financially and socially dependent on men. It is very ridiculous
that in such a matter of marriage, he is considering only the “property” not his
own prudence whether the Bennet girl is fit for him or the marriage will be a
proper one. Lydia’s attitude to marriage is solely based on passion and
physical attraction. She elopes with Wickham. It is the basest among the
attitudes of the other characters. She is totally controlled by her bodily
desire and passion. As in the novel, Lydia and Wickham's marriage gradually
disintegrates. Lydia becomes a regular visitor at her two elder sisters’ home
and “her husband was gone to enjoy himself in London. Jane Bennet is the
eldest Bennet daughter; she is kind, considerate, intelligent, beautiful, good
with children, and, apparently, each parent's second favorite. Although she wants to marry Mr. Bennet for love, she realizes that, as the oldest daughter, it
is her responsibility to marry well, to secure the future of her younger
sisters. Not only does she think that there needs to be attraction on both
sides, she accounts for suitable temperaments as well. The relationship between
Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy in this novel is often cited as one of the
greatest love stories of all time because of the obstacles that the two have to
overcome in order to be together. When
Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth, he presumes that she is not in a position to
reject him, for his standing in society has made him quite an eligible husband.
Alternatively, Elizabeth clearly has a very different thought to him: “You
could not make me happy.” Actually it is Elizabeth through which Austen’s on
views on marriage are clearly expressed. As Elizabeth believes that the basis
for marriage should be happiness and love, not money. She is uncertain of the
lasting qualities of passionate love and convinced that it is not a strong
enough basis for marriage. It is based on mutual esteem, respect and gratitude,
and it arises from a clear sighted understanding of the other’s character. So,
she does not care about Collins’s wealth and thinks that their marriage would
be a bad one because they are not attracted to each other. From Darcy and
Elizabeth’s character we understand that this two people are very different,
and their relationships are “rationally founded”, based on “excellent
understanding” and “general similarity of feeling and taste.”
As we have known that marriage, for
any reason is importance. Everyone has their own reason for why they have got
married. Their reason can be possibly very different among the others. There are four different marriages in the
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. She
explains those marriages in an interesting way. We can see that each marriage
contains different story.
The first marriage which is shown in
the novel is between Mr. Collins and Charlotte Lucas. This marriage is very
fascinating because it represents non-ideal marriage. The marriage between Mr.
Collins and Charlotte Lucas represents two things, from Mr. Collins’ side and
Charlotte’s side. From Charlotte’s side, she accepts Mr. Collins just for
financial and social status purposes.
Those reasons for marrying can also
be seen in our environment nowadays. We sometime even often see woman decides
to get married with man whom she does not love at all but he has well financial
to gain. She is afraid of being hunger and suffer if she does not get enough
financial and she can’t satisfy her desires. And also she is afraid if she has
not good social status in her society that makes them embarrassed.
It is important to consider about
our financial future, but it is more important to get peaceful and happy life.
It is impossible to get peaceful life when we are live together with someone
whom we are not love. It is important to be with someone who can share love
with us. Because financial is not the only guarantee to get a peaceful life.
Different from Charlotte’s reasons,
Mr. Collins has his own reason. He decides to get married just because of advice
from his sponsor Lady Catherine de Bourgh. He does not have good reason for
getting married. He is an absurd person. He firstly interests to Jane, but when
he knows that Jane will soon engage he move his choice to Elizabeth. And when
Elizabeth declines his proposal he chooses Charlotte as there are no other
options. The most important thing for him is that he gets married no matter who
the girl is. It is very ridiculous because marriage should be based on love and
feeling.
What happen to Mr. Collins gives us
lesson which is we should find a right woman that we love to share with then
think careful to decide to get married. And the other lesson is from Charlotte
which is that financial is important but it is not the main or the only reason.
The next marriage is between Wickham
and Lidya. Their marriage also does not based on love. Wickham is marrying
Lidya because he is offered money from Mr. Darcy. Like Charlotte, he also gets
married because of money. And Lidya wants to get married because of sexual
desire. She is young and has little experiences. She does not have good
thought. She just wants to be with the charming man especially he is a military
soldier.
We also can see this kind of
marriage nowadays. Many girls are trapped in sexual desire. They can’t control
that feeling. It gives us advice that we as a young man must learn how to
respect ourselves and to protect us with knowledge and norms that rule the
society. Don’t let this sexual desire, especially for us as a young man
controls us because we have customs and norms that we must obey.
The other kind of marriage in this novel is the
marriage between Darcy and Elizabeth. This is the main idea that Jane Austen
wanted to share with the readers. Their relationship has passed through
struggle of pride versus prejudice, the pride of Darcy and the prejudice of
Elizabeth. Love is the only one reason how they developed their relationship
compared to the others relations on the novel. They have not married simply for
social acceptance, like Charlotte and Collins marriage or for sexual desire,
like Lydia and Wickham. They are truly in love with each other. This is
something that could never be replaced with other motives of marriage. While pleasure,
money, or sexual desire can simply disappear, love lasts forever. Marriage
should make both of couple feeling happy and loved, no other purposes including
for financial purposes.
Both Darcy and Elizabeth is a union of
different aspects of characters. Darcy with his proudness and Elizabeth with
her prejudice is a kind of different personal character, but the love has built
a bridge between their different characters. People often look for a partner
who has the same characteristic with their own. This practice was happened with
the marriage of Lydia and Wickham. They had the same purpose of marriage and
what happened to their marriage give a proof that sometime same-character
marriage does not really create happiness.
While the other relationship does not really
have a happy ending, Elizabeth and Darcy marriage which contained with respect
and love makes their marriage has a happy ending in the story. Something that
cannot be compared with the other purpose of marriage.
In the end of this writing, we take a
conclusion that marriage, however in the nineteenth century is just such an
option for the women to still survive their lives. But in the other hands,
Elizabeth can deny it by portraying the honest characteristic and she chooses
to marry the man she loves most is solely based on true love and she is also
learn by her mistakes to get a perfect marriage.
In jazz and related musical styles, the term swing is used to describe the sense of propulsive rhythmic "feel" or "groove"
created by the musical interaction between the performers, especially
when the music creates a "visceral response" such as feet-tapping or
head-nodding (see pulse). The term "swing" is also used to refer to several other related jazz concepts including the swung note (a "lilting" rhythm of unequal notes) and the genre of swing, a jazz style which originated in the 1930s.
As swing jazz was dance music and coevolved together with swing dances such as Lindy Hop, the term swing
can be understood as music that makes you want to dance. Even though
there is overlap between these concepts, music from any era of jazz or
even from non-jazz music can be said to have "swing" (in the sense of
having a strong rhythmic groove or feel).
While some jazz musicians have called the concept of "swing" a
subjective and elusive notion, they acknowledge that the concept is
well-understood by experienced jazz musicians at a practical, intuitive
level. Jazz players refer to "swing" as the sense that a jam session or
live performance is really "cooking" or "in the pocket."
If a jazz musician states that an ensemble performance is "really
swinging," this suggests that the performers are playing with a special
degree of rhythmic coherence and "feel." Although referring to a "sense
of swing" is often done in the context of ensemble performances (e.g. a
jazz combo or band), even an unaccompanied soloist can be said to be
performing with "swing."
The History of Swing Music
What Makes a Song Swing?
We know it when we listen to it. Our feet tap along, our hips may move
from side to side, and our fingers snap in sync with an unmistakable
beat. It's easy to know what feels like swing music, but what is it that makes a song swing?
A typical swing song features a strong rhythm section supported by a
more loose brass section, and later a string and/or vocal section.
Improvisation is common in live swing performances, but depends on the
song, band or the band-leader. As the song progresses, multiple soloists
can pick up the baton and pass it on, but commonly there are two or
three band members improvising. Swing bands tend to be bigger than other
jazz bands, requiring a more organized and detailed composition,
notation as well as more energetic arrangements. By having such a
hierarchal structure, swing bands prevent chaos that may come from the
improvisation of twelve to sixteen musicians.
History
Swing developed in the 1920s as a mixture of West African and Western
European rhythms, and progressively evolved around America- from lively
jazz experimentations in New Orleans to Kansas City and New York. While
swing is a distinctly American style of music, the precursors to swing
developed in places like Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and Brazil by the
slave populations, though they often receive no credit in the genre
because of an inability to record music and historical racism.
Although swing finds its roots in the 1920s, swing is known as the
music of the 1930s and 1940s. During the 1920s, swing was mostly played
and enjoyed by African Americans. As the audience grew, musicians and
band-leaders were under pressure to develop "softer" music for more
conservative Anglo-American listeners. White listeners found African
American swing to be vulgar and low class, though this was due to racism
more so than legitimately offensive content. However, by 1939, the
resistance against swing music in America had vanished, and America was a
proudly swinging nation.
The Swing Kids (Swingjugend)
Similar conflicts arose when swing became more popular in other
countries. In Germany, swing music often confronted and even mocked Nazi
ideology, and was consequently forbidden or censored. Swing music in
Germany was frequently performed by African immigrants as well as Jewish
musicians. The Nazi party labeled swing as "Negermusik" (nigger music)
and “entartete musik" (degenerate music). Thus, the Swing Kids (German: Swingjugend)
arrived. Mostly concentrated in large cities like Berlin, the Swing
Kids used music as a political tool against the Nazi party. The name of
the movement itself poked fun at Nazis. "Swing Kids" or "Swing Youth"
was a parody on the numerous “youth groups” promoted by the Nazi
government. They also used their greeting “Swing Heil," as a parody of
“Sieg Heil,” the Nazi salute.
Perhaps the most surprising information about the Swing Kids is the
fact that they were literally children. The Swing Kids were composed of
14 to 18-year olds that usually still attended school. They were mostly
members of the upper-class because they needed to have access to records
and music that was not played on German radio. They were against
Nazism, especially the Hitler Youth and they found themselves longing
for the American and British way of life, and thus defined themselves
through swing music. They referred to themselves as “Swings”; members
were also called “Swing-Boy”, “Swing-Girl” and “Old-Hot-Boy.” Swing kids
used their appearance as a primary form of protest, with boys growing
out long hair, girls wearing flashy make up and both genders wearing
oddly patterned, flamboyant clothing.
While swing music was forbidden in Nazi Germany, the Swing Kids
experienced no threatening government opposition until August 18, 1941.
An unexpected and violent police raid resulted in the arrest of 300
Swing Kids. Punishment ranged from chopping off the kids' hair and
sending them to special schools, to imprisoning more prominent Swing Kid
figures in youth concentration camp. This raid created a battle between
the Swing Kids and the Nazi government, which resulted in years of
brutal raids of underground clubs, arrests and riots. Finally, in
January 1943, the Swing Kid movement took a crippling blow, when leader
Günter Discher was arrested and imprisoned in the concentration camp of
Moringen.
Director Thomas Carter released a film in 1993 titled Swing Kids,
and the film provides a relatively accurate historical look at the
Swing Kids movement by Hollywood's standards. The film stars Robert Sean
Leonard (Television show House, Film, Dead Poets Society) and Christian Bale (Film, The Dark Knight).
The Decline of Swing
Swing music become less popular during World War II because of two
reasons. Firstly, and most importantly, it was very difficult to start a
band since many musicians went to war and overseas. Secondly, big band
touring became more expensive due to war economics. This made smaller
ensembles, 3 to 5 musicians, more common, which changed the sound of
swing and gave rise to rhythm 'n' blues, jump blues and bebop. The last
true to the era swing records were released in the year 1947 and by 1949
swing metamorphosed into several different music genres, such as r'n'b,
jump blues, bebop, rock 'n' roll, country, western, funk, etc.
Famous Swing Musicians
The
most famous swing musician, as many consider him to be, is Benny
Goodman, nicknamed “King of Swing” because of the role he played in
evolving musicians from a jazz style into swing. Another famous musician
is Artie Shaw, the only one to ever challenge Benny Goodman's crown.
Other famous swing musicians are Glen Miller, Count Basie, Duke
Ellington (famous for his piano playing) and Cab Calloway. Some of the
most famous female swing and jazz singers are Ella Fitzgerald and Billie
Holiday as well as Diane Shuur, Ivie Anderson, The Boswell Sisters and
others.
Swing Dance
The traditional swing dance we think of when watching classic films
developed well after swing music itself developed, several years later.
Strong rhythms and loud, insistent tunes led to a new creation in the
black community; an energetic, vibrant and improvised dance better known
as swing dance. These swing dances originated in, and became popular in
New York City, Kansas City and Chicago.
Charleston
While the Charleston did not originate as a swing dance (but instead as
a flapper dance during the early 1920s), it was very popular in the
swing music scene of the 1930s, and easily recognized today. The
Swinging-Charleston, a modified partner form of the dance, was
especially popular during the 1930s. The dance involved eight counts,
and centered around the alteration of arm and leg movements to produce
an almost "hop" like step in the middle.
Lindy Hop
The Lindy Hop started in Harlem, late in the 1920s and the early 1930s.
It's characterized by improvisation and dancing both with and without a
partner. Most people recognize the classic "swing-out" movement of the
Lindy Hop Dance, where dancers hold hands and extend arms and come back
together in an embrace. Famous poet Langston Hughes often frequented
Harlem night clubs, where he observed and subsequently wrote about the
Lindy Hop.
Saint Louis Shag
The St. Louis shag is a modified Charleston style swing dance. Unlike
most swing dances, the St. Louis shag is oddly structured, with a
pattern of movements: rock step, kick forward, step down, kick forward
(other leg), stag, step, and stomp (repeat). The St. Louis shag is
typically done to very fast swing music, with a partner kept in close
contact.
East Coast Swing
East Coast Swing (know by many other names including Single-Time Swing,
Triple-Step Swing, 6-Count Swing,) was a popular form of swing dancing
because it used very simple footwork and could be adapted to any style
of swing or jazz music. A dancer, with their partner must first rock
back on one foot, forward on the other, and then step with each one,
producing a "rock, step, step step" four count pattern. The single rock
movement made this dance simpler than most, and was enjoyed by even the
clumsiest of dancers.
Swing Revival
Even though ensembles such as the Count Basie Orchestra and the Stan
Kenton Orchestra survived for decades, a new wave of swing music
appeared (though lasted shortly) in the 1990s and the early 2000s. Swing
music as well as swing dancing (which has always been and still is
popular, unlike swing music) was brought back to life by various films (Swingers,Swing Kids & Blast from the Past)
as well as commercials (Gap's advertising campaign that featured Louis
Prima's song Jump, Jive and Wail). Bands of the neo-swing period base
their music on the rock instrumentation of bass, guitar and drums, but
with addition of a few horn instruments, and tend to be more rehearsed
than the traditional "hot" improvised swing of the past.
The Swing Era
Jazz began to "swing" as musicians began to adopt
swing eighths, th estring bass, high hat cymbals, and a looser, more rythmic
feeling . This change occurred gradually starting in the twenties with musicians
such as Louis
Armstrong, and continued on into the 40's. A lot of the music that came
out of this period was played by bands of ten musicians or more. Because of
this the swing era is also often known as the big band era. Some big bands
didn't include a lot of improvisation. Other big bands such as that of Count
Basie placed great emphasis on improvisation.
Jazz music had been played as a form as entertainment since
its inception. During the swing era jazz music developed into tremendous music
to dance to. Jazz groups seldom performed just for listening. Swing dansing
was an extremely popular past time. During this era, jazz achieved wide popular
appeal. One of Count Basie's recordings, One O'Clock Jump, sold over a million
copies.
The
beginnings of the swing era can be traced to developments of larger bands
by Fletcher Henderson in New York, and Bennie Moten in Kansas City. Fletcher
Henderson along with his brother Horace and with Don Redman created the pattern
for swing arrangments. Henderson helped establish the independent use of trumpet,
trombone, saxophone, and rhythm sections with the use of soloists. A swing
score generally has specific notes for each instrument to play in every measure.
Then the music arranger decides which measures will be used for solo improvisation.
The score is then taken to a music copyist who extracts the individual parts
for the various instruments.
When the depression hit the U.S. in 1929 the entire music business
sudddenly failed. Some players, such as Benny
Goodman were able to find employment in staff radio jobs. Others, such
as Louis
Armstrong and Duke
Ellington left the United States for Europe. Some jazz authorities believe
that the swing era was launched in 1934 when Benny
Goodman left the radio business to form his own band. However, by 1934
Duke Ellington
as well as Fletcher Henderson had already formed large swing bands that played
in the Kansas City area.
Swing bands started to play a large part in people's lives in
the late 30's as people tried to shake off the depression by dansing. Large
ballrooms were extremely common and therefore large bands were also needed.
Bands
of the swing era produced a much fuller sound than the sound produced by earlier
dixieland jazz bands. The resulted from the use of two to three times as many
players. Because there were more players, swing music was organized in a homophonic
construction. This resulted in the music sounding less complex and more organized
in its effect. Block chords used by swing bands are a prime example of homophonic
construction.
The swing era is dominated by the big bands that played to huge
audiences during this period. Two of the largest big bands were Count
Basie's and Duke
Ellington's. Benny
Goodman also led several influential swing bands. Within the big bands
there were also many individuals who distinguished themselves. Lester
Young and Coleman Hawkins
were two extremely talented saxophone players who became well renowned
for their improvisational prowess. Ella
Fitzgerald wowed crowds with her silky smooth voice and upbeat scat singing.
(This summary by Sean Glass using information
from Jazz by Tanner, Megill and Gerow and Jazz Styles by Mark
C. Gridley.)
Notable Swing Musicians
Without
these legendary greats, the music scene today certainly would not be
the same. They contributed their creativity, talent and lent that zing
to the era of Swing. What I note here as I write this is that these
musicians had a warm connection with each other, yet wer able to develop
their own styles.
Thought
of as one of the most influential musicians in the swing era, Duke
Ellington rose to fame as he performed weekly in the New York Cotton
Club. His band stayed with him through decades of recording, producing
such evergreens as “Take the A train”, “It don’t mean a thing if you
ain’t got that swing”, and “In a sentimental mood.”
A creative mind, he experimented with harmonic and formal devices that are now considered jazz standards.
Hawkins
had a unique, raspy tone and an unquestionable command of musical
improvisation, a style he developed as a member of Fletcher Henderson’s
Big Band. He became famous later touring as a soloist. His 1939
composition Body and Soul has become a landmark improvisation in Jazz
History. His influence has lasted through Bebop and later styles as
well.
A
great pianist, Basie began to garner attention when he moved to Kansas,
a jazz hotbed, and began playing with Bennie Moten’s Big Band. He broke
off from the band to form his own group in 1935 and they became one of
the most popular bands in the country. The sparse precision of his piano
style was catchy and rousing. He made famous recordings with the likes
of Joe Williams, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennet. He
developed a style known as the Basie Boogie.
A man ahead of his time, Art was a prodigious talent. Not really
associated with any swing bands, he was a premier keyboardist during the
time. What was fascinating was that his spectacular harmonic knowledge
and technique was developed completely by ear. He used it to construct
elegant, beautiful harmonic lines played at breakneck tempos. His music
set the standard for musicians of bebop in the 1940’s and 50’s. Listen
to his version of Tea for Two.
Along
with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young, Webster was one of the three
titans of the saxophone during the swing era. He was versatile, and his
style could growl through uptempo or sensitive ballads. He recorded a
version of Cotton Tail that is seen as one of the gems from the period.
He spent the last years of his career as a celebrity in Denmark.
A
son of Jewish Immigrants, Benny Goodman moved to New York from Chicago
in the late 1920s. He began leading a band for a weekly radio show in
the 1930s. He is credited with bridging racial divides, making the music
of black musicians popular among Caucasian audiences, therefore
considered as instrumental in the bolstering of swing music. He was also
thought of as one of the best jazz clarinetists of all time.
Another
of the three tenor saxophone greats, Lester Young began his career in
music touring with his family’s band. Versatile, he played on a variety
of instruments. His more relaxed style of music was not often accepted
by those more used to Hawkins’ harsher style. He became influential on
bebop eventually, and was given the nickname Prez by Billy Holliday.
So it is time for a little female power. The Andrews Sisters were a
highly successful close harmony group during this era comprising Maxene
Angelyn Andrews, LaVerne Sophia Andrews and their sister, Patricia
Marie, they sold well over 75 million records. They made hits like
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy was an early example of rhythm and blues. Their
hits have been covered by Bette Midler and Christina Aguilera. A
personal acapella favorite of mine is Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree.
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
The Andrews Sisters - Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree
Armstrong came to prominence as a Cornet and Trumpet player in the
roaring ‘20s. He was given the nickname Satchmo or Pops. A foundational
influence on Jazz, Armstrong had a distinctive, gravelly voice which
could be heard in songs like What A Wonderful World and his popular,
best selling rendition of Aint Misbehavin’. Armstrong developed his
cornet playing in Fletcher Henderson’s orchestra. His artistry allowed
him to be an unquestionable influence on music of the time. Together
with jazz vocal greats like Ella Fitzgerald, he developed the technique
of ‘scat singing”, a popular vocal technique among jazz singers which
involves musically vocalizing random sounds.
A
must-mention name in the Big Band Era, Miller and his Orchestra brought
unforgettable, catchy and danceable compositions to audiences. One of
the best selling recording artistes from 1939 to 1943, he led one of the
best know big bands of the era. Evergreen (yes, I still jive to this)
hits include In the Mood, Chattanooga Choo Choo and Tuxedo Junction. He
and his band unfortunately disappeared in the bad weather over the
English Channel in 1944 when he was asked to perform for the US troops.
His official Military Status remains as Missing In Action. Many theories
and books, like I Kept My Word: The Personal Promise Between a World War 2 Army Private About What Really Happened To Glen Miller by Clarence B Wolfe.
Fletcher Henderson
Fletcher Henderson Wrapping It Up
Famous
for being a band leader who groomed greats like Louis Armstrong and
Coleman Hawkins, I must definitely not leave him out of this list. He
was instrumental to the swing era and the influence of his prolific
black orchestra was vast. He was a director for the Black Swan label
from 1921 to 1923. He provided solo accompaniment for many blues and
jazz singers. He formed his own band which began playing at the Club
Alabam and became widely known as the best African American band in New
York. Originally a dance band, the addition of Louis Armstrong showed
him that there could be a great potential for jazz. The band then grew
into jazz greatness.
Truly
a legendary singer of the era, Sinatra, a bobby soxers idol, released
his first record The Voice of Frank Sinatra in 1946. Signed to Columbia
Records, he made such hits as My Way, Strangers in the Night and Come
Fly With me.
1940 marked the birth of Sinatramania, which lasted into the 1950’s.
He won the award for Best Supporting Actor in From Here to Eternity. He
released several critically acclaimed albums after signing with Captiol
records in 1953.
Sinatra’s generation was the first of the era to grow up with the
microphone. He and others after him began using a personalized, softer
and more nuanced style. What was truly outstanding and drew audiences
was his incomparable vocal range.
On a personal note, what is special about Sinatra was how my
grandfather emulated him and constantly sang his songs. His perennial
favorite was My Way, which my grandfather sang and recorded himself
before passing away from cancer. We played the song as the hearse was
being taken from the church at his funeral.
Thus, the Swing Kids (German: Swingjugend)
arrived. Mostly concentrated in large cities like Berlin, the Swing
Kids used music as a political tool against the Nazi party. The name of
the movement itself poked fun at Nazis. "Swing Kids" or "Swing Youth"
was a parody on the numerous “youth groups” promoted by the Nazi
government. They also used their greeting “Swing Heil," as a parody of
“Sieg Heil,” the Nazi salute.
The
beginnings of the swing era can be traced to developments of larger bands
by Fletcher Henderson in New York, and Bennie Moten in Kansas City. Fletcher
Henderson along with his brother Horace and with Don Redman created the pattern
for swing arrangments. Henderson helped establish the independent use of trumpet,
trombone, saxophone, and rhythm sections with the use of soloists. A swing
score generally has specific notes for each instrument to play in every measure.
Then the music arranger decides which measures will be used for solo improvisation.
The score is then taken to a music copyist who extracts the individual parts
for the various instruments. 
Bands
of the swing era produced a much fuller sound than the sound produced by earlier
dixieland jazz bands. The resulted from the use of two to three times as many
players. Because there were more players, swing music was organized in a homophonic
construction. This resulted in the music sounding less complex and more organized
in its effect. Block chords used by swing bands are a prime example of homophonic
construction.
