Swingin In the 1930s A Decade of Innovative Music
Thesis: Music of the 1930's took an interesting ride with swing. It was not only a musical pastime, but a way of life; those who brought it to us, will live on forever. Towards the beginning of the 1930's, the nation was grasped by the effects of a Great Depression. The economy was on hold, but the music was not. As the 1930's began to take shape, they gave birth to a new era of music. The melancholy sound of the early years of the Depression had left people in search of something revitalizing. Around 1931, the Black bands, led by such greats as Duke Ellington and Fletcher Henderson, began to develop the Swing style which would not formally appear for another two years. Simply put, they began to change the make-up of the band, and the time of the pieces. For example, Ellington and Henderson were both responsible for transforming the rhythm section (piano, bass, drums, guitar). Until then, the rhythm section consisted of a piano, tuba, banjo, and drums. Ellington and Henderson took out the tuba and banjo and added a string base to the ensemble. With later advances in technology, the guitar was added to replace the banjo. In regards to time, the two leaders eve
(Bergmeier and Lotz, 136, 144) While the Germans were working on using swing to spread propaganda, bandleaders in America were using swing to keep the hearts of millions of Americans alive. " He got his start in the jazz scene in 1926, and in 1934 he formed a band of his own. (DBJ, Benny Goodman) Perhaps among the most famous band leaders of the swing era, was Glenn Miller. Without these soloists [sidemen], the Glenn Miller Orchestra would not have had the same success with "In the Mood. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1994. (Erenberg, 29) In addition to the change of the concept of the rhythm section and the meter (time), the role of the bandleader himself became the foundation for which he would select his ensemble. As with all bands, orchestras, and chamber ensembles, a conductor is always a necessary commodity. Among the most famous swing songs ever written, is Glenn Miller's "In the Mood," which features two alto sax and two tenor sax solos by two of his sidemen. Among his more notable pieces were "One O'Clock Jump" and "Jumpin' at the Woodside", recorded between 1937 and 1939. (DBJ, Tommy Dorsey; Dorsey) Among the last of the great bandleaders of the 1930's, was Count Basie .
Common topics in this essay:
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Count Basie,
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Thesis Music,
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Tommy Dorsey,
Glenn Miller,
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