Today American culture and music has invaded households all over the world. American singers and musicians, movies and art inspire and charm the human race. Till the early twentieth century European music and inspiration was the leading influence in Western Culture. The 20s and 30s saw the advent of a new type of music which revolutionized the Music Scene of that time. Just as motion pictures, radio, talking pictures became the new standards of entertainment: Ragtime, Swing, Jazz and Blues became the new sounds that Americans were listening to. Black influence in music and culture had long been sidelined and not imbibed in the mainstream but with the influence of talented white musicians like Glen Miller and Benny Goodman, the Big Band Swing artists burst onto the music scene completely changing it forever.
Benny Goodman was the man known as the King of Swing. He was the band leader of Big Band Swing artists that included a racially integrated group of musicians, one of the first of its kind. He led a musical performance at Carnegie Hall on January 16, 1938 that was later described by a leading critic as the “coming out” of jazz and its debut as a serious and respectable musical art form. Benny was way before his times and explored both classical and African American music forms to integrate into his own interpretation of music.
The man who was responsible for hiring Louis Armstrong and brining him to New York from Chicago was Fletcher Henderson. Pianist, composer and promoter of Big Band Swing artists, he joined up with Benny Goodman to be his full-time arranger.
The charismatic Big Band artist who can be called a complete entertainer was Louis Armstrong. Armstrong was also a talented comic and film actor. Before Louis Armstrong, Jazz musicians played in ensembles. It was his personality and joie de vivre that made him a soloist beyond compare. Starting off as a cornet and trumpet player, he later became a famous band leader. His charismatic stage presence catalyzed Louis Armstrong into becoming one of the original cross-over musicians whose popularity transcended race and color. Armstrong was the first artist to establish the rhythmic approach to improvisation which later became popularly called “swing”. It was his contribution that led to the transition of Jazz to include a specific separate genre called swing. Just a few of many Black artists who later on became Big Band Swing artists include: Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Coleman Hawkins, Johnny Hodges, Ben Webster and Lester Young among others.
If you’re looking for more information on current trends in Jazz and Big Band Swing artists, visit the website of Sylvia Brooks and sample some of her sultry musical performances.
