Known as the days of jazz, the Swing Era had dance halls filled with people that were eager to listen and dance to the best big band music from across the country. Artists of this era developed styles that influenced musicians that came later, and they have been inspiring musicians even today. To this day, jazz music is featured in films and TV shows, drowning us in its melody. If you are interested in the music from this era and often turn up the swing music radio to listen to it, you should know about the greatest jazz musicians that turned jazz into a valued art form that is admired today.
The Greatest Jazz Musicians of the Swing Era
1. Fletcher Henderson
Henderson had an important role in opening up the creative possibilities in jazz music. Being a multi-talented man, he was a skilled composer, pianist, arranger, and leader of one of the most popular bands in New York in the 1920s and 30s. He had an eye and ear for new talent which made him hire Louis Armstrong and move him from Chicago to Big Apple in 1924. The king of swing Benny Goodman was an admirer of Henderson’s work and used a few of his arrangements to start Goodman’s popular big band. In the 1940s, Fletcher Henderson became the full-time arranger of Goodman’s group.
2. Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Hawkins was the preeminent tenor saxophonist in the swing era. He was known for his unique and raspy tone well organized with his command over harmonically detailed improvisation. Hawkins developed his style when he was a member of Fletcher Henderson’s big band. After that, he became a soloist and started his world tour. His recording of “Body and Soul” in 1939 is one of the landmark improvisations in the history of jazz. Instrumentalists were greatly influenced by his style and strived to reach his level of virtuosity and harmonic sophistication.
3. Count Basie
William Count Basie was a pianist who earned popularity after he moved to Kansas City and joined Bennie Moten’s big band in 1929. Later in 1935, he formed his own group and it became one of the biggest bands in the country, performing in Chicago, New York, and Kansas City. The piano style of Basie was sparse and precise, with his compositions being bluesy and rousing. He had several famous recordings with great singers including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Williams, and Tony Bennet.
4. Benny Goodman
From a family of poor Jewish immigrants, Benny Goodman is one of the best jazz clarinetists of all time. He moved from Chicago to New York in the late 1920s. He started leading a band in the 1930s for a weekly dance radio show and purchased several arrangements of Fletcher Henderson for this show. Apart from his great compositions and performances, one of his greatest achievements is popularizing the people of black musicians among the white audience.
5. Lester Young
Tenor saxophonist Lester Young started his career in his family bad and spent his childhood on tours for performances. After he moved to Kansas City in 1933, he joined Count Basie’s big band. At first, the audience did not take his relaxed and melodic approach on the tenor saxophone well because they were used to the bold and aggressive sound of Coleman Hawkins. However, his style gradually became very influential on the playing of Charlie Parker and eventually, on bebop in general. Nicknamed “Prez” by Billie Holiday, Lester Young was known for his eccentric personal style that was reflected not only in his playing but also in his outfits and manner of speech.
Conclusion: The swing era was revolutionary from so many angles, and left a deep impact on the music industry. If you are a music lover, you can be inspired immensely by turning up the swing music radio to listen to the masterpieces of these great swing era jazz musicians.