Paul Whiteman Possibly the first pop superstar called the King of Jazz during the 1920s Symphonic jazz Whiteman attempted to make a lady out of jazz Wanted to hire some jazz musicians preferably black in 1926 ID: 655389
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Swing – Bandleaders
MUH 271 Jazz HistorySlide2
Paul Whiteman
Possibly the first pop superstar, called the “King of Jazz” during the 1920s
Symphonic jazz – Whiteman attempted to “make a lady out of jazz”
Wanted to hire “some jazz musicians, preferably black” in 1926Hired vocalist Bing Crosby, who had been influenced by Louis ArmstrongHired jazz instrumentalists such as Bix Beiderbecke and Frank Trumbauersome innovative jazz recordings from 1927 to 1929
“Changes”Slide3
Fletcher Henderson (
Dec
. 18, 1897-Dec. 29, 1952)
Born into middle-class family, studied music with his motherReceived a degree in chemistry and mathematics at Atlanta University, moved to New York in 1920 to establish career as a chemistSong demonstrator for the Pace-Handy Music Co.Recording director and composer for Black SwanBlack Swan “the first black-owned recording company that sold popular music to black audiences”
In operation from 1921-23Slide4
More Fletcher Henderson
Offered a position at the Roseland Ballroom –
initially a dance band
Brought in Louis Armstrong as a "jazz specialist" in 1924Don Redman, the band's music director until 1927, established a basic format for big band arrangements:Sectional writing; interplay of reeds and brassUse of call-and-responseSolo sections interspersed between arranged sectionsgood soloists and the ability to make written arrangements swinga primary model for big bands until the mid-1930's
“Sugar Foot Stomp”
“Hotter Than ‘Ell”Slide5
Impediments to Greater Success
Failure
to embrace newer modes of marketing
Although Henderson recruited excellent players, they were frequently lured away by other bandleadersSold many of his best arrangements to Benny Goodman in 1934Worked as a full-time staff arranger for Goodman from 1939-1941Slide6
Benny (Benjamin David) Goodman (May 30, 1909-June 13, 1986)
“Classical" clarinet training at the
Kehelah
Jacob Synagogue in Chicago and later from Franz Schoepp. Familiar with jazz artists of the day through radioJoined the musician's union in 1923, and he joined Ben Pollack's band in 1925Recorded his first solo with Pollack ("He's the Last Word") on December 17, 1926Pollack's band moved to New York in 1928.Left Pollack in 1929; a leading freelance musicians until 1934, when he formed his first big bandSlide7
As a bandleader:
began recording for Columbia in the spring of 1934
NBC radio series "Let's Dance"
Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles on August 21, 1935Concert was broadcast nationwideConsidered by many to be the beginning of the Swing EraCarnegie Hall concert January 16, 1938
“King Porter Stomp”
“Dinah”Slide8
Innovations
High standards of musicianship
First white bandleader to adopt (and popularize) an "uncompromising jazz style“
One of the first white bandleaders to feature African American players (Teddy Wilson, Lionel Hampton, Charlie Christian)After 1940, groups tended to assembled as needed, often performed classical repertory