Swinging in Fashion
To have considered swing a newly viable commercial music in the early 1990s might've seemed laughable. But that's precisely when clarinetist Don Byron and a host of other jazz performers were duly reconsidering the energetic music of the pre-World War II era. When Byron's "Bug Music" was released in 1996, it was fully formed, a deliriously energetic nod to music that exuberantly captured a moment in American popular culture when jazz ruled the concert halls and dance clubs. Byron's homage specified three composers, a couple of them nearly forgotten--John Kirby and Raymond Scott--and one of them, Duke Ellington, justly celebrated for his post-1930s works while his earlier material has gone underappreciated.
"Bug Music"
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John Kirby
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Raymond Scott
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Early Ellington
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When Swing Was a Verb 1:
The New Generation
In the 1960s writer Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka) noted that
sometime in the 1930s swing went "from a verb to a noun" and
reflected a stiffening in the music. But lots of artists
playing jazz discovered early on that swing was indeed a
powerful verb, a revved engine, especially in the 1920s. The
music garnered its energy from a mix of influences, not the
least of which were ragtime and boogie-woogie. Coupled with
these forms, though, was the emergence of popular
arrangements of classical compositions. And in addition,
jazz composers were frequently scripting works for stage
presentations that involved choreographed dancers and
dramatic skits. The music had to therefore be versatile and
dramatic without losing energy. Since the 1980s, musicians
have returned in droves to pay homage to early swing
pioneers. Trumpeter Randy Sandke has played up the
irascible 1920s star Bix Beiderbecke, and saxophonist Scott
Hamilton got a lift from Swing Era vocalist Maxine Sullivan
in 1988 for an inspired, loose-swinging session. Then
there's the even younger Harry Allen, who has rekindled
small-group swing in collaboration with guitarist John
Pizzarelli (son of the great Bucky) and his trio.
Randy Sandke and the New York All Stars
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Scott Hamilton and Maxine Sullivan
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Harry Allen and John Pizzarelli
When Swing Was a Verb 2:
Hot Jazz
In the 1930s American swing inspired lots of musical
movements abroad, not the least of which was France's
hot-jazz phenomenon, anchored by Gypsy guitarist Django
Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli. The duo played
rhythmically hyper music that built on hopping bass tempos
and featured the array of strings in flashing bursts of
virtuosity. The hot-jazz vibe, like early swing, has found
new homes in several corners of the younger jazz set. Austin,
Texas's Hot Club of Cowtown venture into a spritely,
convincing mix of guitar and fiddle jazz crosshatched with
traditional Western swing. Fellow Texans 8 1/2 Souvenirs
serve their own brand of hot jazz on "Happy Feet." Then
there's Hot Club USA and their homage, "Django Lives," which
smolders with Grappelli and Reinhardt's deep passions and
kicks up dust with sprints like "I Found a New Baby." The
charm of these recordings is instantly recognizable, and
they seem to rebut the superstar trend in contemporary jazz
with collective playing that's hard to beat.
Hot Club of Cowtown
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8 1/2 Souvenirs
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Hot Club USA
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Neo-Hot Blockbusters
The new swing phenomenon would've gone to far fewer points
had it not been for some key blockbuster recordings.
Probably the best known, and likely the most interesting
combo is Squirrel Nut Zippers, who bring their experience
playing rock & roll to the music. Their CD "Hot" took the
Zippers to unlikely places, from the Regis and Kathy Lee
morning television show to countless dingy rock clubs, where
they entertained with glee and astute musical chops. An
early member who left the Zippers, Andrew Bird, has done his
own bit to further hot jazz and early swing with his own
Bowl of Fire band. This ensemble's sophomore CD, "Oh! The
Grandeur" ripples with a more stripped-down, Django-like
feel that relies on Bird's singing and rich fiddle playing.
All three Bowl of Fire members reappear as part of drummer
Kevin O'Donnell's Quality Six on "Heretic Blues," which
stings with alto sax and trombone atop the fiddle, guitar,
and bass.
Squirrel Nut Zippers
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Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire
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Kevin O'Donnell's Quality Six
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The Originals
Don Byron's "Bug Music" elected three key composers from a
field of at least dozens. So there are myriad composer-
performers from the Swing Era who deserve tribute. At the
least, they deserve to be widely heard. A frequently cited
negative about these early recordings is their audio quality.
Sound recordings from the 1930s (and before) are notorious
for the pops and hisses that mark them, even on CD. But
there are some great documents no one should ignore. The
small Buddah Records has just reissued the only live
recording ever authorized by Fats Waller, and it's a gem.
Vanguard Records, too, is issuing some classic swing
sessions, from the Basie Bunch to the three-CD anthology
"From Spirituals to Swing," recorded in concert in 1938 and
1939. And be sure to check out our Swing Jazz Essentials.
Fats Waller
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The Basie Bunch
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"From Spirituals to Swing"
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