jazz in america-the swing era
TRANSCRIPT
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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