The Swing Era

Music is part of human D.N.A. In support of this, various studies have shown that babies respond to music while still in their mother’s womb (Horden, 2017). Music has often captured the spirit of a particular time and age. Thus, i t is a big part of how people remember a particular time and offers a chance for future generations to capture the zeitgeist of a particular period (Hanning, 1998). For instance, w hen people hear the music of a particula r era, they remember the successes, tragedies, struggles, culture and even the political environment of that specific certain time. Against this backdrop, this paper will explore the emergence and spread of the swing era. 

Emergence of the Swing Er a 

The emergence of Swing can be traced back to the Great Depression (Shepherd & Horn, 2012). In the 1920s, a few bands were already experimenting with the early sounds of Swing (Sidran, 2011) . However , Hussain (n.d.) reckons that "summer of 1929 began the journey toward the summer of 1935 and the official arrival of the Swing Era . " Undoubtedly, it is expected that formation of a big band during this period would be difficult. This is due to low wages and high unemployment . However , this was not the case because many musicians were looking to work with new bandleaders (Brackett, 2009). Nevertheless, while bands could be formed easily, amongst the key challenges were economic concerns. This is because most often, the bandleaders would be constrained financially (Hussain, n.d.). This was driven by several factors . The two most important factors were the shortage of disposable income amongst the populace and the high costs associated with traveling, and accommodation amongst others. These costs were as a result of the bands' need to tour in a bid to spread their popularity. Interestingly, although being paid was important for many group s so that the y could support their families, high wages were not of primary concern . Rather , so long as the music was good and the bandleader was fair in how much he paid , most musicians were okay with their pay. 

During this period , there were a lot of big bands that had formed, and many began experimenting with the music to explore where jazz could evolve. Starting from around 1931, Black bands , led by bandleaders such as Duke Ellington and Fletcher Henderson, began developing the Swing style . The style was subsequently established by 1933 (Sidran, 2011). These bands shouldered the tremendous task of changing the prevalent rhythm from tuba and banjo , consequently embracing the guitar and string bass ( Brackett, 2009 ; Schuller, 1991 ) . This aided in switching the rhythm from 2/4 to the 4/4 that was steadier (Hussain, n.d.). Also , such aspects as the advances in electric recording, and the increase of the band to 14 pieces had an immense impact on the c reation and evolution of Swing. 

Several significant changes were noted in the establishment of Swing. One significant factor was the changing role of the bandleader. In this regard, the bandleader changed from being a conductor to becoming a ‘virtuoso bandleader.’ This way, bandleaders were defined by their prowess in playing instruments. As a result , most big swing bands were formed around the bandleader and his instrument . These instruments included the trombone, trumpet, tenor, drums, saxophone, and the piano. Meanwhile, although the bandleader was likely the most important aspect of the new big bands, the value of the sidemen cannot be overstated . Therefore , all members of the big band s contributed a great deal to the band's growth and evolution . Often, many sidemen achieved proficiency and subsequently split from their mother band. Subsequently , they formed their bands. “In the Mood” is one of Swing era’s most famous songs and was sung by Glenn Miller. This song was marked by the talent of Miller's sidemen . This is because Tex Benek and Al Klink were responsible for the series of tenor-sax passages . These passages gave the song an easily recognizable and unique sound. Therefore, in the formation of Swing bands, the bandleader, and the sidemen were required to agree and be in a position to bring out the band’s chosen style in its songs (Schuller, 1991). Notably, Benny Goodman was highly recognized by his hard-driving Swing. On the other hand, Glenn Miller was associated with commercial swing. Further, well develop Swing was associated with Duke Ellington (Hussain, n.d.). 

The Spread of Swing 

While a lot of work that had been done in developing Swing, it was necessary for the targeted audience to embrace the sound. This is particularly due to the sensitive nature of the era during which the sound developed. For instance, self-loathing and the somewhat sentimental music was highly popular during the Great Depression. Therefore, music lovers were in need of a sound that could lift their spirits. Thus, across the country, Swing was embraced due to its ability to promote excitement and joy expressed mainly through dancing and music. One of the musicians that sought to fill this gap was Benny Goodman (Sidran, 2011) . Benny Goodman is responsible for spreading Swing to its audience. However, he sought help in achieving this. For instance, “sing, sing, sing,” Goodman’s popular song, was originally composed by Louis Prima with a few minor changes in the musical notation . Prima record ed the song in its original composition with Capitol Records in 1958. On the other hand , Fletcher Henderson wrote several arrangements for Benny Goodman's "Let's Dance" radio program . This helped “ turn swing into a mass phenomenon equivalent to rock and roll ” (Erenberg, 1999). This reference to rock and roll is of particular interest especially in the context of the official beginning of the Swing Era. Swing’s large-scale acceptance by music lovers was occasioned by Goodman's performance at the Los Angeles Palomar Ballroom in 1935. 

This is s imilar to how Rockabilly became a national commercialized by Elvis Presley. This followed his primetime appearance on the national television in 1956 in a show hosted by Jackie Gleason. Several factors drove the attraction of young followers to swing . Notably, it was due to “ powerful visions of personal freedom and generational solidarity, defined a mass youth style around music, dance and fashion, and conveyed hopeful visions of the future ” ( Hussain n.d. ). Thus , the popularity of Swing among the younger generations can be attributed mainly to its ability to make them dance. Likewise, it was fanned by the prevalent dances. These were t he Charleston, Shag, and Shim Sham, Lindy Hop , Jitterbug . Despite the dances, the spread was because the music lifted the peoples’ spirits. Interestingly, although Swing is well known for its dancing, there were conflicting notions on the role of dance in Swing. For example, Goodman reckoned that dancers disrupted the musical and artistic value of Swing. Despite this observation, dancing was seen to contribute to improved health (Stowe, 1996). For instance, dancing Swing was recognized for its positive impact on the dancers’ reflexes. Therefore, dancing was recognized as an invaluable part of Swing. Swing’s popularity can also be associated with its inviting nature. In this regard, Swing provided a less serious appearance which greatly attracted its followers. A visual appeal also characterized the Swing compared to other music genres. For example, the Swing singers were more attractive. It also featured dancers and flamboyant staging. 

The popularity of Swing can be attributed to the ideology behind this music style. Therefore, it is critical to understand this ideology. Notably, Swing played a critical role in influencing such issues a gender, race relations and the attitude of adolescents. In this regard, Hussain (n.d) argues that Swing fuelled a “ belief in American exceptionalism, in ethnic pluralism and democratic equality [which] was ideally suited to the collective needs of a nation battling Fascism .” Likewise , through its egalitarian dancing, Erenberg (1999) argues that Swing was a form of art, which played a vital role in easing the social and gender tensions in the society. For instance, partner dancing that was characteristic of Swing helped foster a feeling of equality between men and women. Thus, Swing played a vital role in influencing the beginning of feminism. Exemplifying Swing’s popularity and importance in the society, Americans, as well as a notable number of foreigners, were in agreement that Swing was a key influencer of musical culture globally. Swing music was not only intended for achieving a noble cause but also appealed to people from different backgrounds and age. Thus, Swing was able to penetrate the societal barriers by appeal to different factions of the society. This aided in help ing Swing achieve its mission of mutual respect , tolerance, and affe ction . This was the case because a large number of disciples of Swing would be allowed to preach the values of Swing to others.

Early threats to Swing 

The ideological basis of Swing was extensively challenged during World War II. Initially, Swing was accomplishing its mission of easing tensions between Blacks and Whites , fostering better understanding fo the need for more liberal gender roles , and giving adolescents more freedom than they had previously been exposed to by their parents. This is in line with Franklin Delano Roosevelt , who reckoned that music would help “ promote tolerance of minority groups in our midst ” (Stowe, 1996). In support of this ideology , Malcolm X reckoned that in Swing dances, racial barriers were overlooked most of the time. In some instances, music by such White bands as Charlie Barnet’s was highly welcome by the black audience. Two key reasons fueled the participation of Blacks in World War II . Firstly, they sought to defeat Hitler. Secondly, the Blacks felt that the downfall of Hitler would lead to changes in how they were treated back at home. Specifically, Hitler’s fall would help in highlighting such vices as segregation (Erenberg, 1999). Thus, the s wing usher ed in a new era in race relations . According to Stone (1996), this was an era “ in which culture and race could be imagined as distinct and separate .” Another interesting aspect of Swing, then, was that it was a pioneering force in all areas of life insofar as race relations go. Various band boasted of both White and Black members. These included those belonging to Gene Krupa, Teddy Wilson, Lionel Hampton and Benny Goodman (Hussain, n.d.). On the other hand, Swing allowed such black personalities as Count Basie and Duke Ellington to obtain national fame (Erenberg, 1999). 

The end of Swing 

Two main factors marked the end of Swing Era. The first was related to the direct effects of World W ar II , while the second was attributed to Swing’s failure to accomplish its mission. For instance, t he war had a tremendous impact on Swing, and this can be associated with the changes that it went through. One of the causes of this was that members of the big bands were forced to join the army. Whether bandleaders or sidemen, the big bands were losing many musicians to the draft. However, other consequences of the war impacted Swing. The war resulted in shortage of gas and led to the introduction of the amusement tax. Likewise, the war occasioned the need for a midnight curfew (Macias, 2004). These factors dissuaded people from going out . Moreover, transportation, availability of disposable income, and time constraints all became concern s . On the other hand , a recording ban was implemented in 1942. This led to the decline in the number of big bands and the emergence of solo singers (Macias, 2004). The introduction of television sets and their increased adoption also deterre d people from going out. Finally, within the big bands, the band leaders got tired of offering sub- standard music, or the few remaining good big bands became spoiled and competitive. Despite these factors, the biggest cause of the fall of Swing was found in its ideology. Although Swing's ideology was noble, it was too idealistic for its time. Race-relations were likely better than in the past, but they never reached the level of acceptance that Swing sought. Similarly, s wing fell short of achieving its goals i n various other levels of society such as addressing gender issues and influenc ing the adolescents positively . All of these internal ideological conflicts affected the growth of Swing . 

The rising tensions between Whites and Blacks also played a vital role in the death of Swing. For example, members of such big bands as Cab Calloway were still experiencing problems when using trains to move from one music concert to another. This also showed the hypocrisy on the government’s part. This is because while blacks were fighting for ‘liberty’ in World War II, they did have the same back at home (Stowe, 1996). This began to fuel the differences in an escalating tension between Whites and Blacks. Many Black people also realized that even though some progres s had been attained, most often, the Black Swing musicians were overplayed and at the same time underpaid. As such, many of the 1960s radical s define d Swing as the “ historical enemy of authentic black music ” ( Hussain, n.d. ).

Therefore , Swing was no longer the music of choice among the masses. In the Black community, bebop emerge d i n the mid-forties, as the more popular form of jazz among Blacks . This help ed lead the Black movement, where Swing had failed. Swing also ended up embodying a duality in its nature which contributed to its downfall. This duality was attained by its setting out to quell racial tensions, but inadvertently starting new ones . Therefore, this has been claimed to be the same as the contradictions that characterized rock and roll (Sidran, 2011). These contradictions are characterized by a combination of pleasure and empowerment followed by numerous aspects of repression. The swing was also associated with a rise in the number of cases of juvenile delinquency. This was attributed to the dancing, the mixing of races and the later hours that characterized the music. Moreover, there was the emergence of working mothers while is also resulted in absent fathers. As a result of these vices, the government banned Swing (Stowe, 1996). Therefore, while Swing positively impacted the youth by being a channel for fun and enjoyment , it also negatively influenced their morals. 

Although the World War II and ideological conflicts contributed to the death of Swing, other factors came into play. Firstly, it was claimed by some that Swing did not evolve. In this case, the critics argue that Swing remained static over time, and subsequently impeded the evolution of Jazz. Hence, the death of Swing can be attributed to its ‘internal inertia’ (Erenberg, 1999; Hussain, n.d). Indicating the decline of Swing, in one instance, eight big bands in America went down in a few week’s time. These were composed of such personalities as Les Brown, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Tommy Dorsey, Jack Teagarden, Ina Ray Hutton, Benny Carter, Woody Herman (Erenberg, 1999). In this regard, James Anchor, a member of the Royal Crown Revue reckoned that Jazz had lost its ability to create a party atmosphere. Therefore, Swing was played in a bid to enable people to have a good time (Shipton, 2007). The achievement of this goal was visible through the emergence of numerous relics of the old era. Notable among these were cigars, martinis, three-piece suits and wing-tipped shoes. O ne of the most important remnants of the original Swing Era, which the youth of today seem to be trying to re-create, is the resurgence of partner dancing . 

The Swing era was characterized by among other elements, race, age and gender-related tensions. It was originally aimed at alleviating various ills of the American society. However, the Swing era resulted in the aggravation of these evils and created others. Notably, it led to increased racial tensions and barriers, it created a greater wedge between men and women and compromised the youth. Regarding the latter, Swing era compromised the morals of the youth leading to such challenges as juvenile delinquency. However, despite these and other shortcomings, the Swing era played a crucial role in shaping the view of Americans on various issues in the society. This was achieved when it was transformed into a tool of promoting national purpose. At one point, Swing’s sphere of influence was so large across the globe that even the Nazi regime used it a s a means of spreading propaganda to neutral or enemy states. Nevertheless, the World War II amongst other factors contributed to the death of Swing. 

References 

Brackett, D. (2009).  The pop, rock, and soul reader: Histories and debates . Oxford University Press, USA.

Erenberg, L. A. (1999).  Swingin'the Dream: Big Band Jazz and the Rebirth of American Culture . University of Chicago Press.

Hanning, B. R. (1998). Concise History of Western Music Norton Company.  New York 

Hussain , S. (n.d). The Birth, Life, Death and Revival of Swing . Retrieved from http://anyswinggoes.com/features/108736033039853.shtml 

Horden, P. (Ed.). (2017).  Music as medicine: The history of music therapy since antiquity . Routledge.

Macias, A. F. (2004). Bringing music to the people: race, urban culture, and municipal politics in postwar Los Angeles.    American Quarterly ,  56 (3), 693-717.

Schuller, G. (1991).  The swing era: The development of jazz, 1930-1945 . History of Jazz.

Shepherd, J., & Horn, D. (Eds.). (2012).  Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World Volume 8: Genres: North America . A&C Black.

Sidran, B. (2011).  Black talk: How the music of Black America created a radical alternative to the values of Western literary tradition . BookBaby.

Stowe, D. W. (1996).  Swing Changes: Big-Band Jazz in New Deal America . Harvard University Press.

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