Jazz In America

The Swing Era

Transition from DixielandWritten Arrangements

By the end of the 1920s, jazz was developing in two complimentary directions Emphasis on soloist Emphasis on ensemble

Collective improv kept the structure simple

To accommodate more sophisticated music and more musicians, written arrangements became more common

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Transition from DixielandWritten Arrangements

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Written arrangements became the product of one person’s mind; the arranger

Written arrangements all but eliminated collective improv, but allowed for individual soloists to improvise

Transition from DixielandEnsemble Size

Several well-known small ensembles, but the Swing Era was characterized by the big band

Typical Dixieland group of 5 – 7 members grew to 15 – 18 during 1930s & 1940s

Allowed for new dimensions to be added to the music

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Transition from DixielandEnsemble Size

Dixieland Band 1 Trumpet 1 Clarinet 1 Trombone 1 Bass/Tuba 1 Piano/Banjo 1 Drum Set / 2

Drummers

Big Band 4 Trumpets 5 Saxophones 4 Trombones 1 Bass 1 Piano 1 Guitar 1 Drum Set Anything else the

arranger wanted

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Transition from DixielandNew Breed of Jazz Musicians

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Many were formally educated

Many came from brass & military bands

Represented a cross of readers and non-readers

Transitions from DixielandMovement of Music

Jazz started in New Orleans, but moved to Chicago and then New York

Chicago already had its own style of Dixieland

NY was the center of the music world Recording companies Publishing houses All fields, all styles Music business activities

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Transition from Dixieland… and all that Jazz

Dates 1920-1935: beginning of the big bands 1935-1945: the Swing Era

New song forms e.g., AABA, songs were capable of evolution

Radio Spread of radio and recording made it popular

throughout the U.S. Harmony

Tunes were capable of greater harmonic sophistication

Moved from polyphony to homophony

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Performance PracticesThe Instruments

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The Saxophone Section Generally 5

saxophones Two Altos Two Tenors One Baritone

Usually also played the clarinet

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Performance PracticesThe Instruments

The Trumpet Section Generally 4 trumpets

The Trombone Section Generally 4

trombones

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Performance PracticesThe Instruments

The Rhythm Section Generally 4 pieces:

piano, bass, drums, and guitar

Performance PracticesTypical Arrangements

Example 1: Melody played by entire band in unison or in

harmony; rhythm section provides accompaniment throughout

Example 2: Melody and accompaniment parts would often

be played in turn by various sections in the band Example 3:

Call and response

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Performance PracticesTypical Arrangements

Example 4: After melody is played, jazz improv follows

Ex. Wrappin’ It Up, Fletcher Henderson

Example 5: Simple musical phrases played over and over

called riffs Ex. One O’clock Jump, Count Basie

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Performance PracticesRhythm Section

Drums Played simply, making the beat obvious for

dancers Swung, emphasizing the second and fourth beet

of each measure Bass

Kept time Played in either two-beat style or walking bass

style Outlined the chord progressions

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Performance PracticesRhythm Section

Piano Played chords either stride style, on every beat, or

on every other beat Comping was NOT common Occasionally played melodies and melodic

embellishments

Guitar Played chords, percussively on each beat

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Performance PracticesDifferences from Dixieland

More use of written arrangements Wider range of compositional styles; fewer

ragtime-like tunes More solo improvisation, less collective

improvisation More use of string bass, less use of tuba More use of guitar, no banjo SAXOPHONE is predominant instrument

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Cultural Implicationsof the Swing Era

Jazz’s most popular period Hundreds of professional big bands flourished

in the 1930s & early 1940s After the stock market crash of 1929, swing

helped the country through the Great Depression, creating escape via swing dancing

Served as a major morale booster in WWII

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Cultural Implicationsof the Swing Era

Jazz reached new levels of sophistication in the Swing Era

Weak economy lead many recording companies into bankruptcy

Jazz proliferated through the radio

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Cultural Implicationsof the Swing Era

There were hundreds of performance venues Ballrooms Movies Hotels Record Companies

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Cultural Implicationsof the Swing Era

Race Relations For the first time, it didn’t matter what color

you were, just how well you played First interracial groups: The Benny Goodman

Trio, Quartet, Sextet, and Big Band (1935) Jazz increased the appreciation of the

achievements of African Americans

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