1930s in jazz


Swing jazz emerged as a dominant form in American music, in which some virtuoso soloists became as famous as the band leaders. Key figures in developing the "big" jazz band included bandleaders and arrangers Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Fletcher Henderson, Earl Hines, Glenn Miller, and Artie Shaw. Duke Ellington and his band members composed numerous swing era hits that have become standards: "It Don't Mean a Thing ", "Sophisticated Lady" and "Caravan", among others.
Swing was also dance music. It was broadcast on the radio 'live' nightly across America for many years especially by Hines and his Grand Terrace Cafe Orchestra broadcasting coast-to-coast from Chicago, well placed for 'live' time-zones. Although it was a collective sound, swing also offered individual musicians a chance to 'solo' and improvise melodic, thematic solos which could at times be very complex and 'important' music.
Over time, social structures regarding racial segregation began to relax in America: white bandleaders began to recruit black musicians and black bandleaders. In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman hired pianist Teddy Wilson, vibraphonist Lionel Hampton, and guitarist Charlie Christian to join small groups. Kansas City Jazz in the 1930s as exemplified by tenor saxophonist Lester Young marked the transition from big bands to the bebop influence of the 1940s.

Outside of the United States the beginnings of a distinct European style of jazz emerged in France with the Quintette du Hot Club de France which began in 1934. Belgian guitar virtuoso Django Reinhardt popularised gypsy jazz, a mix of 1930s American swing, French dance hall "musette" and Eastern European folk with a languid, seductive feel. The main instruments are steel stringed guitar, violin, and double bass. Solos pass from one player to another as the guitar and bass play the role of the rhythm section. Some music researchers hold that it was Philadelphia's Eddie Lang and Joe Venuti who pioneered the gypsy jazz form, which was brought to France after they had been heard live or on Okeh Records in the late 1920s.
Broadway theatre contributed some of the most popular standards of the 1930s, including George and Ira Gershwin's "Summertime", Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's "My Funny Valentine" and Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II's "All the Things You Are". These songs still rank among the most recorded standards. Johnny Green's "Body and Soul" was introduced in Broadway and became a hit after Coleman Hawkins's 1939 recording. It is the most recorded jazz standard of all time. It is the bread and butter.

1930

Standards

  • "Body and Soul" is a song composed by Johnny Green with lyrics by Frank Eyton, Edward Heyman and Robert Sour. The song was used in the successful Broadway revue Three's a Crowd and became an instant hit, despite being banned from the radio for almost a year for its sexually suggestive lyrics. The first jazz recording was by Louis Armstrong in 1930. Coleman Hawkins's 1939 recording consisted of three minutes of improvisation over the song's chord progression with only passing references to the melody. Hawkins's rendition was the first purely jazz recording that became a commercial hit and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1973. The song is the most recorded jazz standard of all time.
  • "But Not for Me" is a song from the Broadway musical Girl Crazy, composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was introduced by Ginger Rogers. The song failed to achieve significant pop success, charting only once in 1942. However, it became popular in the jazz world, especially for female vocalists.
  • "Confessin'" is a song composed by Ellis Reynolds and Doc Daugherty, with lyrics by Al Neiburg. Louis Armstrong recorded it in 1930, and Rudy Vallée and Guy Lombardo both made the charts with their versions the same year. Saxophonist Lester Young recorded it several times during his career. Country singer Frank Ifield had a number one hit with the song in the United Kingdom in 1963. The song is also known as "I'm Confessin' ".
  • "Embraceable You" is a song from the Broadway musical Girl Crazy, composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. Originally written for an unfinished operetta East to West in 1928, it was introduced by Ginger Rogers and became a big hit. Billie Holiday's 1944 recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2005.
  • "Exactly Like You" is a song from the Broadway show Lew Leslie's International Revue, composed by Jimmy McHugh with lyrics by Dorothy Fields. It was introduced by Harry Richman and Gertrude Lawrence on stage. Louis Armstrong recorded the first jazz version in 1930. Benny Goodman's 1936 recording, sung by Lionel Hampton, revived interest in the song; the following year it was recorded by Count Basie and Quintette du Hot Club de France.
  • "Georgia on My Mind" is a song composed by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics by Stuart Gorrell. Bix Beiderbecke played cornet on the original 1930 recording by Hoagy Carmichael. Frankie Trumbauer recorded the first hit version of the song in 1931. Ray Charles's version on The Genius Hits the Road was a number one hit, won two Grammy Awards and is considered to be the definitive version of the song. The song was designated as the state song of Georgia in 1979.
  • "I Got Rhythm" is a song from the Broadway musical Girl Crazy, composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. First-timer Ethel Merman's performance on Girl Crazy stole the limelight from leading lady Ginger Rogers. The song's chord progression has been used in countless jazz compositions, and is commonly known as "rhythm changes". George Gershwin's last concert composition, Variations on "I Got Rhythm" was based on this song.
  • "Love for Sale" is a song from the Broadway musical The New Yorkers, written by Cole Porter. Porter's prostitution-themed lyrics were considered bad taste at the time, and the song was banned from the radio. The ban, however, only increased the song's popularity. Porter himself was actually pleased that it could not be sung over the air. In the original musical the song was first sung by Kathryn Crawford and later by Elizabeth Welch. The song took time to catch on as a jazz standard, possibly because it was 72 measures long. When Sidney Bechet recorded it in 1947, the song was not yet a regular jazz number.
  • "Memories of You" is a song from the musical revue Blackbirds of 1930, composed by Eubie Blake with lyrics by Andy Razaf. It was introduced by Minto Cato on Broadway and the first recording was made by Ethel Waters in 1930. Louis Armstrong's 1930 recording was Lionel Hampton's debut performance as a vibraphonist and rose to number 18 on the charts. Hampton later recorded the tune again with Benny Goodman's orchestra; this version has made the song a popular clarinet number.
  • "Mood Indigo" is a jazz song composed by Barney Bigard and Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Irving Mills. Bigard has admitted borrowing parts of the song from a composition called "Dreamy Blues" by his teacher Lorenzo Tio. The lyrics were written by Mitchell Parish, who then sold them to Mills's publishing company for a fixed price. When the song became a hit, Parish was therefore left without royalties. Ellington's 1930 recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1975.
  • "On the Sunny Side of the Street" is a song from the Broadway musical Lew Leslie's International Revue, composed by Jimmy McHugh with lyrics by Dorothy Fields. Harry Richman sang it in the original revue. Although the musical was a flop, "On the Sunny Side of the Street" became instantly popular. Richman and Ted Lewis charted with it in 1930, and Louis Armstrong recorded his version in 1934. The song is readily associated with Armstrong today. Tommy Dorsey and Jo Stafford both brought the song to the charts in 1945. Jeremy Wilson of JazzStandards.com argues that the song may actually have been composed by Fats Waller, who then sold the rights for it.

    Births

  • April 16 – Herbie Mann

    1931

Standards

  • "All of Me" is a song by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons. It was introduced on the radio by vaudeville performer Belle Baker. Baker also performed the song on stage in Detroit's Fisher Theatre, reportedly breaking into tears in mid-performance. The first hit recording was made by Mildred Bailey with Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra, and by February 1932 both Louis Armstrong and Ben Selvin had risen to the charts with the song in addition to Whiteman. The song was rarely performed after 1932 until Frank Sinatra recorded it in 1948 and performed it in the 1952 film Meet Danny Wilson.
  • "Beautiful Love" is a song composed by Wayne King, Egbert Van Alstyne and Victor Young with lyrics by Haven Gillespie.
  • "I Surrender Dear" is a song from the film of the same name, composed by Harry Barris with lyrics by Gordon Clifford. Bing Crosby performed the song in the film, and his recording with the Gus Arnheim Orchestra became his first solo hit and helped him get a contract for his first radio show. The first jazz vocalist to record the song was Louis Armstrong in 1931. Thelonious Monk recorded it as the sole standard on his 1956 album Brilliant Corners.
  • "Just Friends" is a ballad composed by John Klenner with lyrics by Sam M. Lewis. It was introduced by Red McKenzie and His Orchestra and popularized in modern jazz by Charlie Parker's 1950 recording. Chet Baker's 1955 version is considered the definitive vocal performance.
  • "Lazy River" is a song by Hoagy Carmichael and Sidney Arodin. Online music guide Allmusic describes it as "asily one of the true pop classics of all time". It is also known as "Up a Lazy River" or "Up the Lazy River".
  • "Out of Nowhere" is a song composed by Johnny Green with lyrics by Edward Heyman. It was introduced by Bing Crosby and became his first number one hit as a solo artist. Coleman Hawkins's 1937 recording with Benny Carter and Django Reinhardt was the definitive version for years. The song's harmony has been reused in multiple jazz compositions, such as Tadd Dameron's "Casbah" and Fats Navarro's "Nostalgia".
  • "When It's Sleepy Time Down South" is a song by Clarence Muse, Leon René and Otis René. Louis Armstrong used it as his theme song. It is also known as "Sleepy Time Down South".
  • "When Your Lover Has Gone" is a song from the film Blonde Crazy, written by Einar Aaron Swan. Gene Austin, Louis Armstrong, Ethel Waters and Benny Goodman all recorded the song in 1931, and Austin's rendition was the first to hit the charts.