Swing Music
“In 1934, 24 years old Benny Goodman formed a band to play real jazz to mass audience.. After that, the sound of swing took the country by storm and with in months this revived form of jazz passed into mainstream of American Culture.” (136)
Swing Vs. Sweet
Swing Orchestra played up tempo numbers, the crowd jumped and danced
caused danger on the dance floor, some ballrooms prohibited the dance because it took up to much space in the ballroom and young ladies skirts often flew up in the air revealing to much skin
Sweet Orchestra was background music at the dinner table and country club music
The LeadersBenny Goodman: The king of swing, the metronome’s top band leader
Tommy Dorsey: work with his brother in a band called “Dorsey Brothers Orchestra”, then branched off and created his own band called “Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra”
Glenn Miller: The band leader of his group, Glenn Miller Orchestra, and a fantastic arranger and trombonist who played fast tempo music
Count Basie: Band leader of his group The Count Basie Orchestra, which featured a 15- man band and his own “droll piano style”.
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CanariesMost bands featured a female vocalist referred to as a canary
Famous canaries were Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Marion Hutton.
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Marion Hutton
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Ella Fitzgerald
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Billie Holiday
Jive Talk Jive Talk was terminology use commonly among swing fans... GUESS WHAT THEY MEAN!
Cats- musicians in a swing orchestra
Cuttin’ a rug- dancing to swing music
Hepcat- swing fan
Blip- something good
Grease- to eat
Big Bands During the Great Depression
Swing served as a distraction to American’s while they were experiencing hard economic times. The music reminded people of what America had been and could be again.