Ridin’ in Rhythm: The Thirties and Swing Professor Jeff Rupert, Director of Jazz Studies, The...

Ridin’ in Rhythm: The Thirties and Swing

Professor Jeff Rupert, Director of Jazz Studies, The University of Central Florida

jrupert@mail.ucf.edu407.823.5411

Swing, Americas Popular Musicof the 1930’s and 40’s

Swing Summary

Randalls Island

Fletcher Henderson (1897-1952)

Innovator of the big band style.

Composer and arranger for:

his bandBenny GoodmanChick Webb, and others.

Fletcher Henderson and the American invention

Fletcher Henderson

Ensemble passages are written in the style of a soloist.

Big Band arrangements feature ensemble and sections, as well as soloists.

These sections are:Trumpets (usually 4, may be 3-5)Trombones (usually 4, may be 3-5)Saxophones (5, and they all usually play

clarinet, too)Rhythm section; piano, bass, drums, and

sometimes guitar.

The Drum set evolves

Features the Hi-Hat.

Drummers able to accents beat 2 &4 in a new way.

Drummers began using “ride pattern” on the cymbal.

Benny Goodman

Virtuoso clarinetist Known by the

masses as the King of Swing

Used integrated bands for recordings

Used the arrangements of Fletcher Henderson

Brought jazz into the parlor of America.

Benny Goodman

Benny Goodman

The “King” of Swing

Chicago born clarinetist

Popularizes swing. Great band, great

soloists Always used the

best musicians, regardless of race.

Benny Goodman to California

Jimmy Lunceford Band

The Greatest Dance band of all time.

Underrated group. Outstanding

performers and arrangements.

Lunceford, Dorsey, MillerAlt version 3:30

Cab Calloway

Bandleader/singer Unique vocalists with unusual

lyrics. (Minnie The Moocher). His band featured great

musicians. Coast to coast broadcasts helped

popularize his band.

The Kansas City Bands

The Jay McShann Band.

The Benny Moten Band, which becomes the Count Basie Band.

William “Count”Basie

1904-1984

Pianist from the stride tradition, helps define the swing era and classic big band sound.

Leads big bands and small groups from the 1930’s to the 1980’s.

The Kid From Red Bank’sEarly influences:

Basie in Kansas City

1929 talks his way into Benny Moten’s band.

He takes it over in 1935 when Moten dies.

Takes over the band. 1930’s band called the “Old

Testament” band. 1952 the “ New Testament” band is

born. (arrangers Neil Hefti, Benny Carter,

Quincy Jones and Frank Foster).

The Kansas City Bands

The Jay McShann Band.

The Count Basie Band.

Aka The Kid from Red Bank.

Basie’s Big Band

The band could roar, but was probably best known for playing slowly and quietly.

His piano style becomes more sparse, and is known more as an ensemble player.

Basie and the Blues

Basie was deeply influenced by the blues, after hearing the Blue Devils band.

Jimmy Rushing/Basie

His band became known as the band swinging the blues out of Kansas City.

Basie adds key players to his band- Jo Jones on Drums, and Lester Young on

tenor saxophone.

Other key players;Walter Page on Bass,

Freddie Green, Guitar, and Hot Lips Page

Duke Ellington (1899-1974)

Stride Pianist Composes

thousands of pieces:

Mood PiecesJazz StandardsSuites

Band Leader.

Composes dozens of popular songs:

In a sentimental mood Mood Indigo Don’t Get Around much anymore Sophisticated Lady I’m Beginning to see the light

Ellington

If he had never composed a popular song, he would still be a major force in American music composition.

Ellingtons band has three theme songs during it’s existence

East St Louis Toodle-0 Sepia Panorama Take the A Train

Ellington as pianist and composer

Ellington was a brilliant pianist, however his main instrument as he used to say, Was his band.