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  • Session 7 - The Bigbands Part 1

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    Wayne McConnell
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    The document discusses the rise of big bands in the 1920s. It provides background on several pioneering big band leaders such as Paul Whiteman, Fletcher Henderson, Woody Herman, Chick Webb, Cab Calloway, Glenn Miller, and Benny Goodman. These bandleaders helped develop and popularize new styles like swing music. The document also lists example tracks from each bandleader to illustrate their contributions to the development of big band jazz. Next week's session will focus on three seminal big bands from the era: those led by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Jimmie Lunceford.

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    history of bigbands

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    The document discusses the rise of big bands in the 1920s. It provides background on several pioneering big band leaders such as Paul Whiteman, Fletcher Henderson, Woody Herman, Chick Webb, Cab Calloway, Glenn Miller, and Benny Goodman. These bandleaders helped develop and popularize new styles like swing music. The document also lists example tracks from each bandleader to illustrate their contributions to the development of big band jazz. Next week's session will focus on three seminal big bands from the era: those led by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Jimmie Lunceford.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    21 views3 pages

    Session 7 - The Bigbands Part 1

    Uploaded by

    Wayne McConnell
    The document discusses the rise of big bands in the 1920s. It provides background on several pioneering big band leaders such as Paul Whiteman, Fletcher Henderson, Woody Herman, Chick Webb, Cab Calloway, Glenn Miller, and Benny Goodman. These bandleaders helped develop and popularize new styles like swing music. The document also lists example tracks from each bandleader to illustrate their contributions to the development of big band jazz. Next week's session will focus on three seminal big bands from the era: those led by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Jimmie Lunceford.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 3

    Term 1, Session 7 10th of November

    The Big-bands - Part 1

    The more rigid Northern Styles started to use larger ensembles to play written arrangements with
    sections of improvisation. Bands started to grow in size, septets octets, and eventually
    ‘Big-Bands’.
    Compared to the early 1920 styles, big-band jazz was a more sophisticated sound that had an
    exciting sound of its own. Some big-bands were more jazz orientated than others; Benny
    Goodman’sbig band had plenty of room for improvisation while bands such as the Glen Miller
    Orchestra had virtually none. Notable bands include Fletcher Henderson, Paul Whiteman and
    Don Redman. It would be unjust+++++ to talk about ‘Swing or Bigband’ jazz without mentioning
    the bands of Count Basie and Duke Ellington. The bands were very different but they were the
    quintessential big-band orchestras.

    Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967)


    Leader of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s, Whiteman's
    recordings were immensely successful, and press notices often referred to him as the "King of
    Jazz". Using a large ensemble and exploring many styles of music, Whiteman is perhaps best
    known for his blending of symphonic music and jazz, as typified by his 1924 commissioning and
    debut of George Gershwin's jazz-influenced "Rhapsody In Blue". Whiteman recorded many jazz
    and pop standards during his career, including "Wang Wang Blues", "Mississippi Mud",
    "Rhapsody in Blue", "Wonderful One", "Hot Lips", "Mississippi Suite", and "Grand Canyon Suite".
    His popularity faded in the swing music era of the 1930s, and by the 1940s Whiteman was
    semi-retired from music. In his autobiography, Duke Ellington declared, "Paul Whiteman was
    known as the King of Jazz, and no one as yet has come near carrying that title with more certainty
    and dignity."

    Track #1 - Manhattan Mary


    Track # 2 - Washboard Blues

    James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson, Jr. (December 18, 1897 – December 29,
    1952)
    Fletcher Henderson, American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, was important in the
    development of big bandjazz and swing music. His was one of the most prolific black orchestras
    and his influence was vast. He was often known as "Smack" Henderson (apparently named due
    to his college baseball hitting skills).
    Wiki: Henderson, along with Don Redman, established the formula for swing music. The two
    concocted the recipe every swing band played from (i.e. sections 'talking' to one another, 'hot'
    swing). Swing, its popularity spanning over a decade, was the most fashionable form of jazz ever
    in the United States. Henderson was also responsible for bringing Louis Armstrong from Chicago
    to New York in October, 1924, thus flipping the focal point of jazz in the history of the United
    States (although Armstrong left the band in November, 1925 and returned to Chicago). A museum
    is being established in his memory in Atlanta, Georgia.

    Track #3 - Christopher Columbus

    1
    Term 1, Session 7 10th of November
    Track #4 - Liza

    Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987), known as Woody
    Herman, was an American jazz clarinetist, alto and soprano saxophonist, singer, and big band
    leader. Leading various groups called "The Herd," Herman was one of the most popular of the
    1930s and '40s bandleaders. His bands often played music that was experimental for their time.
    After two and a half years on the Decca label, the band had its first hit, "Woodchopper's Ball"
    recorded in 1939. Woody Herman remembered that "Woodchopper's Ball" started out slowly at
    first. "It was really a sleeper”. But Decca kept re-releasing it, and over a period of three or four
    years it became a hit. Eventually it sold more than five million copies--the biggest hit I ever had.

    Track #5 Woody Herman - Woodchopper’s Ball

    William Henry Webb, usually known as Chick Webb (February 10, 1905– June 16, 1939)
    was an American jazz and swing music drummer as well as a band leader. He alternated
    between band tours and residencies at New York City clubs through the late 1920s. In 1931, his
    band became the house band at the Savoy Ballroom. He became one of the best-regarded
    bandleaders and drummers of the new "Swing" style. Drumming legend Buddy Rich cited Webb's
    powerful technique and virtuoso performances as heavily influential on his own drumming, and
    even referred to Webb as "the daddy of them all".The Savoy often featured "Battle of the Bands"
    where Webb's band would compete with other top bands (such as the Benny Goodman Orchestra
    or the Count Basie Orchestra) from opposing bandstands. By the end of the night's battles the
    dancers seemed always to have voted Chick's band as the best. As a result Webb was deemed
    the most worthy recipient to be crowned the first "King of Swing." Of note that he lost to Duke
    Ellington in 1937, and tied with Count Basie in 1938,

    Track # 6 - Stompin at the Savoy


    Track # 7 - I Got Rhythm

    Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an
    American jazz singer and bandleader. He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in
    Harlem, New York City where he was a regular performer. Calloway was a master of energetic
    scat singing and led one of the United States' most popular African American big bands from the
    start of the 1930s through the late 1940s. Calloway's band featured performers including
    trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Leon
    "Chu" Berry, New Orleans guitar ace Danny Barker, and bassist Milt Hinton. Calloway continued
    to perform until his death in 1994 at the age of 86.

    Track # 8 - Jitter Bug

    2
    Term 1, Session 7 10th of November
    Track #9 - Minnie the Moocher

    Alton Glenn Miller (March 1, 1904 – missing in action December 15, 1944) was an
    American jazz musician (trombone), arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He
    was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known
    "Big Bands". Miller's notable recordings include "In the Mood", "Moonlight Serenade",
    "Pennsylvania 6-5000", "Chattanooga Choo Choo", "A String of Pearls", "At Last", "(I've Got a Gal
    In) Kalamazoo",

    Track #10 - Moonlight Serenade


    Track #11 - It Must be Jelly

    Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1987) was an
    American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of
    Swing". In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in
    America. His January 16, 1938 concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City is described by critic
    Bruce Eder as "the single most important jazz or popular music concert in history: jazz's 'coming
    out' party to the world of 'respectable' music." Goodman's bands launched the careers of many
    major names in jazz, and during an era of segregation, he also led one of the first now well known
    racially-integrated jazz groups. Goodman continued to perform to nearly the end of his life,
    including exploring his interest in classical music.

    Track #12 - Stompin at the Savoy


    Track #13 - If I Could Be with You

    In next week’s session, we will be looking at the trio of top Big-Bands: Ellington, Basie and
    Lunceford. These bands changed the music forever and the band-leader Duke Ellington, in my
    view, should be regarded in the same light as Stravinsky, Beethoven or Mozart. He was a true
    American Genius.

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