Answer the questions below and the discussion. 1. What did Benny Goodman do after his “Let’s Dance” show was cancelled and how did this lead to his being “crowned” the “King of Swing”? 2.
Artie Shaw Tommy Dorsey Other Popular Big Bands of the Swing Era Goodman’s success gave many other bands the opportunities they needed to achieve their own popularity. Some of the more commercially successful bandleaders were: Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmie Lunceford and, the most commercially successful of them of them all, Glen n Miller. Duke Ellington enjoyed great popularity on the heels of live broadcasts from his old Cotton Club gig. The swing era created hundreds of bands travelling all throughout the country. “Territory Bands” roamed the Midwest living out of buses, putting in thousands of miles on the road and doing hundreds of gigs a year. Even the more famous and popular bands maintained grueling road schedules. One Duke Ellington band member said that when he left the Ellington band he slept for a year! Artie Shaw - Artie Shaw was also a clarinetist. He reached a level of popularity and record sales equal to Goodman’s. Shaw’s playing is considered more technically proficient but less swinging. He was as celebrated for his love life as he was for his playing. His string of wives included Lana Turner and Ava Gardner. In 1938 his recording of Cole Porter’s “Begin the Beguine” became one of the most popular records of the late 19 30s. Shaw’s distaste for the popular music industry is legendary and “Begin the Beguine” became one of the big reasons he folded up his band and left the music scene. The audiences and promoters wanted to hear that song and nothing else. He felt that the p ublic would not let him progress his art and sound beyond that one song. Tommy Dorsey - Dorsey was a trombone player with a remarkable, melodic sound. He used his trombone as a feature melody instrument. His emphasis seemed to be more towards great music rather than just a dance band. His other claim to fame would be that he gave Frank Sinat ra his first big hits. The Jimmie Lunceford Band Cab Calloway Chick Webb Jimmie Lunceford - Lunceford’s band was known for its incredible showmanship. His was one of the bands that replaced Duke Ellington’s at the Cotton Club (Ellington left in 1931). When you went to a Lunceford performance you saw a show. The band had dance moves, jokes…constant action. Every member of the band was an expert in their field and a total professional. Cab Calloway - The “Hi -De -Ho Man”, Cab Callo way’s band shared the Cotton Club gig with Lunceford after Ellington. He was also a great showman. He was very tall, lanky and usually wore a white tuxedo with tails. His 1931 “Minnie the Moocher” gained him everlasting popularity. Chick We bb - Chick Webb ran the house band at New York’s biggest and most popular dance hall, The Savoy Ballroom. The Savoy was THE place to be for incredible dancing and hard swinging dance bands. The ballroom took up the second floor of an entire city block. The club would often feature “Battle of the Bands”. Two bands would set up on either end of the dance floor and have “cutting contests” against each other. Many legendary battles took place there and Webb’s band was often the victor.He also gave Ella Fitzger ald her first gigs as a teenager and when Webb passed Ella took over the band for a short time. Glenn Miller Gle nn Miller - The Glen Miller Band eventually surpassed Benny Goodman’s in mass popularity and record sales by using very commercial arrangements with lots of vocals. His sound and records with The Andrew Sisters practically define the swing sound of t he WW II years. Saying his was a jazz band might even be pushing the definition. The was very little improvisation or cutting edge sound coming out of his band.
Nevertheless, they were one of the most popular bands of the time and brought many new fans to the jazz genre. Miller disappeared over the English Channel during WW II leading to some “Elvis is still alive” kinds of speculation at the time.
