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.
Duke Ellington (1899 - 1974)
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.
A creative mind, he experimented with harmonic and formal devices that are now considered jazz standards.
Duke Ellington In a Sentimental Mood
Coleman Hawkins (1904-1969)
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.
Coleman Hawkins Body and Soul
Counte Basie (1904-1984)
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.
Count Basie Orchestra
Art Tatum (1909-1956)
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.
Art Tatum Tea for Two
Ben Webster (1909-1973)
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.
Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
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.
Benny Goodman Sing Sing Sing
Lester Young
Lester Young
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.
Lester Young These Foolish Things
The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters
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
Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)
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.
Glen Miller Orchestra
Source: FloNight,CC-BY-SA 3.0
Glen Miller/The Glen Miller Orchestra (1904-1944)
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.
A legendary Big Band vocalist : Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
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.
SOURCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_music
library.thinkquest.org//history/swing/swingstart.html
http://americasmusic.tribecafilminstitute.org/session/view/swing-jazz
http://www.mibba.com/Articles/History/5098/The-History-of-Swing-Music/
http://midget38.hubpages.com/hub/Music-of-the-swing-eragreat-swing-musicians-and-songs
