Are you a great admirer of jazz and swing music? Is your playlist filled with jazz hits? Is listening to swing songs your favorite pastime? Although jazz continued to evolve with time, its essence continues to enrich the American cultural fabric to this day. Originating in New Orleans, jazz was recognized as an African-American music form. However, with the advent of the 1930s, jazz transformed and resurfaced as swing. During this time, big bands stole the limelight with several members, extravagant musical instruments, and grand performances. Bandleaders like Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, and many more improvised and popularized the big band music in the USA and all across the world. Not only did this music style entertained the Americans, but it helped them stick together in the time of crisis. From boosting the morale of soldiers to blurring racial lines, swing and big band music must be given due credit for cementing socio-cultural ties.
Americanization of swing and jazz
Originating in New Orleans, jazz soon transcended boundaries to reach cities such as New York and Kansas where it was improvised to create region-specific music style. All this while, jazz was considered to be an African-American product that remained restricted to the downtrodden states of Southern America. However, with radio inundating the market, the American popular culture received a boost like never before. It was now easy to organize radio shows and connect with audiences, all thanks to this new medium of entertainment. Steadily shedding its regional orientation, swing came to be known as American music to the worldwide audiences thereby completing the process of Americanization of this music genre.
Successful artists irrespective of races
During the early 1920s and 1930s, jazz was largely identified with African-American musicians and singers like King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, so on. But it was during the mid-1930s and 1940s that white musicians, inspired by preceding legends, formed bands to play swing music. This new generation witnessed the rise of formidable bandleaders like Fletcher Henderson, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey among others. This change shows that swing and jazz were no more race-specific. Bands could feature musicians of both races. White people would attend concerts to watch a performance by the African-American musicians. Even music clubs would allow audiences of both races to enjoy music and dance shows. Needless to say, racial harmony revolutionized the big band music in the USA!
New opportunities for women
Before the arrival of swing, the zone of music was largely dominated by male vocalists, arrangers, and composers. However, with the onset of the swing era, women carved out a distinct place for themselves in the industry. Do you know Ella Fitzgerald was the first-ever African-American artist to have received a Grammy? Billie Holiday, Helen Forrest, Martha Tilton, Sarah Vaughan are the most prominent female vocalists of all time! That is not the end, for full-fledged female bands surfaced during this time to steal the spotlight. Be it The Boswell Sisters, or The Andrews Sisters, they gave back to back hits and found the same footing as their male counterparts.
Conclusion – The American entertainment industry has watched a phenomenal evolution of several types of music genres. From rock n roll and pop music to R&B and alternative rock, you must have enjoyed tracks of several genres and by various artists. However, swing and jazz had made a far-reaching socio-cultural impact on Americans. It is always going to be known as America’s original music that not only entertained people and also promoted harmony among them. Let us all tune into the big band music station in the USA and enjoy classic scores. This is going to be our way of paying tribute to swing artists who fought against odds and upheld social congeniality.
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