Big Band EraBy: Isabelle Palmer and Marissa Brockman

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”.

http://foglobe.com/data_images/main/benny-goodman/benny-goodman-03.jpg

http://www.nndb.com/people/374/000043245/tommy-dorsey-1-sized.jpg

http://www.freetime.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/GlennMiller.jpg

CanariesMost bands featured a female vocalist referred to as a canary

Famous canaries were Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Marion Hutton.

http://www.doctormacro.com/Images/Hutton,%20Marion/Annex/Annex%20-%20Hutton,%20Marion_01.jpg

Marion Hutton

http://www.themahoganyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ella.jpg

Ella Fitzgerald

http://www.cvltnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/fillmore7.jpg

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.

Swing Dancing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHANNkKBSNU

Big Bands on the Radio

Throughout the Great Depression, radio remained popular. In addition to dramas, comedies, and news, sitting around the radio and listening to Big Bands was popular among families.