Chapter 6 In the Mood The Swing

Chapter 6 “In the Mood” : The Swing Era, 1935 -1945

Chapter 6 (outline) • • • Swing Music and American Culture Benny Goodman: “The King of Swing” Duke Ellington in the Swing Era Kansas City Swing: Count Basie Superstar of Swing: Glenn Miller Country Music in the Swing Era: Roy Acuff, Singing Cowboys, and Western Swing • Latin Music in the Swing Era • ASCAP, the AFM, and the Decline of the Big Bands

Fletcher Henderson (1898 -1952) • 1 st important arranger • Use of instrumental groups (“sections”) • Call and response • “Riffing” • Limited solos • EX. - Fletcher Henderson Wrappin' It Up (Textbook LG, p 161 -3)

Benny Goodman (1909 -1986) • • Chicago, Russian immigrant family To NYC (freelance) “Let’s Dance” (Nabisco, 1934) Henderson Arrangements 1935 National Tour (a bust? ) Palomar Ballroom (LA)! “The King of Swing” Carnegie Hall 1938 • Exs. You. Tube - Benny Goodman - Wrappin' It Up - You. Tube - Benny Goodman - King Porter Stomp - You. Tube - Don't Be That Way-by Benny Goodman - You. Tube - Sing - Carnegie Hall 1938 - "Taking a Chance on Love" Benny Goodman and Helen Forrest – You. Tube (Textbook LG, p. 166 -7)

Chick Webb (1905 -1939) • • Born Baltimore To NYC 1922 House band at Savoy “Battle of the Bands” (“Cutting Contests”) • Defeats Goodman (1937), “ties” Basie (1938) • “THE (real) King of Swing” • Exs. - Chick Webb - STOMPIN' AT THE SAVOY – You. Tube - Chick Webb and His Orchestra / Harlem Congo – You. Tube - St. Louis Blues - Ella Fitzgerald & Chick Webb at the Savoy Ballroom. You. Tube

Big Bands & the Blues • • • 12 -Bar Blues (3 4 -measure phrases) “riffing” “head charts” Emphasis on rhythmic drive (4 strong beats) Influenced by “Boogie Woogie” piano Most prominent in Kansas City and Southwest “Territories”

“Boogie Woogie” • Piano Blues – as early as 1870 s (? ), emerged in 1920 s • Rural South and especially the Southwest (Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri) • Barrelhouses, “Juke Joints” (Af-Am, very rowdy, etc. )

“…like the left hand of God…” • Riffing (short, repeated patterns) • Clarence “Pine Top” Smith (1904 -1929) “Pine Top’s Boogie Woogie” (1928) [1 st published use of term] Ex. pinetop's boogie woogie 1928 - You. Tube • Albert Ammons (1907 -1949), Chicago “Boogie Woogie Stomp” Ex. Boogie Woogie Stomp - Albert Ammons - You. Tube • Meade “Lux” Lewis (1905 -1964), Chicago “Honky Tonk Train Blues” Exs. HONKY TONK TRAIN BLUES - Meade Lux Lewis – You. Tube - Keith Emerson & Oscar Peterson - Honky Train Blues - You. Tube • Pete Johnson (1904 -1967), Kansas City “Roll ‘em Pete” (w/ Big Joe Turner) (1938) Ex. Joe Turner and Pete Johnson - Roll 'Em Pete

“Territory Bands” • Kansas City and the Southwest • 12 -bar Blues forms, 4 strong beats, faster tempo • Walter Page and Blue Devils (Oklahoma City-Wichita) “Squabblin’” (1930? ) Ex. Squabblin’ • Bennie Moten (Kansas City) “Moten Swing” (1933) Ex. Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra - Moten's Swing (Moten Swing) Victor 23384 1933 - You. Tube • Andy Kirk and his Twelve Clouds of Joy (Dallas, then Kansas City) “Take It and Git” (First # 1 on Harlem Hit Parade, 1942) Ex. Andy Kirk And His Twelve Clouds Of Joy-Take It And Git (Decca 4366) You. Tube

William “Count” Basie (1904 -84) Exs • • • Local NJ piano, organ player Harlem “stride” piano Touring (stuck in KC) Bennie Moten’s Band (1929 -35) Forms own band (1935 -36) Heard by John Hammond Brought to NYC Battles Chick Webb’s band to “tie” House Band at Famous Door The leading “swing band” after 1938 Shoe Shine Boy (w/ Lester Young) JONES-SMITH INC. (COUNT BASIE) SHOE SHINE BOY 78 RPM (Textbook LG, p. 172 -3) - You. Tube One O’Clock Jump (“Blue Balls”) One O'Clock Jump - Count Basie – You. Tube

Glenn Miller (1904 -1944? ) • Most successful band (commercial, 1939 -44) • Disciplined arrangements • Lost in WW II • Exs. - Glenn Miller & His Orchestra Moonlight Serenade (GM’s theme song) - Glenn Miller - Chattanooga Choo - Sun Valley Serenade (1941) HQ – You. Tube - Glenn Miller - In The Mood [HQ] – You. Tube (textbook, p. 173 -4)