The Swing

What is the first thing that you think of when I say the 1920s and 30s? Is it flappers? Fast toe-tapping music? Perhaps a particular form of dancing? You might be thinking of the Swing! It is a style of music made popular from the 20s to the 40s, and it is a popular subgenre of jazz music. Swing music got its name because it typically focuses on the type of dance associated with fast-paced music. One you may be very familiar with is the Charleston.

As always, a quick history lesson before getting into specifics:
This form of music originated in Harlem, New York in the late 1920s. It was first a small section of jazz music with a specific dance paired with it (but more on that later). As for the Music, it includes instruments you would normally find in a Jazz band such as piano, bass, trumpets, and drums. On occasion wind instruments also join the fun. The origins of style of this jazz subsection come from Big Band music which is a small orchestra of 10+ musicians. Because of this inspiration, instrument solos were popularized in Swing music. Swing also incorporated stylistic tendencies of ragtime as well. Below I will include a fun little screenshot from Wikipedia to help you visualize all the art styles that were mixed to create Swing music!

And of course, here is a sample of what early Swing sounded like! You might want to keep this song in mind later on while reading, I assure you it will be brought up once again!

 

But the swing isn't complete without singing, now is it?

The style of Swing music is often credited to Benny Goodman. The form of music differed from its parent style Jazz because it would have a more powerful driving force it. Swing focused on rhythm, and because of this, solos and improvisations were common and encouraged by both musicians and singers. Because of the highly improvised nature of Swing style music, it could mesh well with other genres. The same song could be played by five different groups, and each band would change the song in a way to make it purely unique. A few popular Bandleaders were Chick Webb, Gene Krupa, Ella Fitzgerald, and the Dorsey Brothers. A few of the most popular swing songs of the era were "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)", "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)", and "Begin the Beguine". 

The dance incorporates both African American and European influences. It includes partnered (as well as solo) dance elements derived from African American dances, as well as the 8-beat structure usually found within European music. In the later decades of the dance, its popularity grew as professional dancers took to the stage to showcase their dance moves. The Lindy Hop, also known as the "Jitterbug" was the most popular form of dance to accompany the Swing. One of the popular swing dances still used today is the Charleston. Sound familiar?

The Jitterbug is named after the jittering movements of the legs of dances. They suddenly shoot outwards then back in tune with the rhythm of the music. Jumps and twirls are also commonly found in this dance style. This dance is definitely not for beginners, take a look for yourself. 

The Charleston is the dance we commonly associate with Flappers of the 1920s. It is not as dramatic as the Jitterbug, but it still exudes youthfulness and joy. The dance moves are more subdued and remain closer to the individual, instead of the harsh kicks out seen in the Jitterbug. Have a look!

Even if the swing incorporates both African American and European tendencies, this doesn’t mean that all were included. There was a racial component to the music of the time, and because of this, there was very little networking between black and white artists. For instance, many black bands were denied credit for songs they created as well as not given recognition for their contributions to the genre. This discrimination made it increasingly difficult for bands to reach their full potential. However, this did not stop bands from performing to their heart's content. Some black artists managed to make connections with mainstream bands and achieved success together such as singer Ella Fitzgerald or Billie Holiday.

After a while the Swing went out of style, but not anymore. With the new wave of "retro" interpretations of music, Swing is still around today. However, the instruments and set up of the music are changed. The clarinet has been switched for the sax, the drums have solos similar to Rock and Roll bands, and the Guitar is not at the front of most Swing bands. The use of technology has also been introduced to the genre, as well as much faster-paced music. It has been dubbed "Electro-swing" due to these changes. This new style of swing is combining the old ways of Jazz from the early 1900s to the current day popular music. Some bands cover classic swing music, and it shows just how much of a change this genre has undergone. To better showcase, this,  listen to a modern-day cover of a famous classic swing song. Remember "Sing, Sing, Sing" from earlier? Can you tell the difference between the classical and modern Swing versions?

The Swing dance remains very popular today with many styles being used. A few of the most popular are the Jive, Lindy Hop, and East Coast Swing! And of course, many of these dances also include modern swing music as well! It is quite interesting to see these 1920s dance moves to electro music. Want to take a peek?

After watching this video I'm sure you can see hints of the Charleston in their dances. It is quite an exhausting dance, isn’t it?

Thank you for taking the time to learn about this timeless genre of music. I hope you enjoyed taking a trip back in time to enjoy the beauty of the Swing! It is an unforgettable genre of music, and I know you had your foot tapping while looking through the videos. 

References: 

Horvath, R. (2021, August 16). Dancing through the decades: The history of swing. Dancing FADS. Retrieved March 26, 2023, from https://www.dancingfads.com/about/news/history-of-swing-dance#:~:text=As%20we%20said%20above%2C%20swing,the%20bouncy%20movements%20of%20swing.

The People History -- Steve Pearson. (2022). Music styles, bands and artists during the 1930's. 1930s Music History including Thirties Styles, Bands And Artists. Retrieved March 26, 2023, from https://www.thepeoplehistory.com/30smusic.html

Wikimedia Foundation. (2022, December 19). Swing music. Wikipedia. Retrieved March 26, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_music

Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, March 17). Music history of the United States. Wikipedia. Retrieved March 26, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_history_of_the_United_States

Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, March 18). Big band. Wikipedia. Retrieved March 26, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_band