Toward Swing

Overview

The history of jazz rightly begins in the city of New Orleans. In this section, we will learn about great New Orleans jazz musicians and their early recordings in Chicago. In the process, will also learn about the emerging Chicago jazz scene and some of the artists from that area who helped develop early jazz musical styles. Finally, we will do a short overview of early jazz in New York.

Objectives

Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to do the following:

Define collective improvisation
Identify early jazz musicians and their contribution to jazz music
Appreciate the significance of Dixieland jazz
Recognize the impact Chicago had for musicians of early jazz
Recognize the growing importance of New York for further developments in jazz
Define chord substitutions

When you listen to Fats Waller's Handful of Keys ♫, notice how it swings! Jazz had steadily been moving in this direction, due in large part to Louis Armstrong's influence. Armstrong had spent the better part of the year 1925 in New York playing in Fletcher Henderson's orchestra before returning to Chicago. His rhythmic innovations were catching on. Soon everyone in jazz would be swinging — all over the country! Through it all, New York would remain the jazz capital. We'll begin our examination of the emergence of swing there.

"Louis Armstrong is quite simply the most important person in American music. He is to 20th century music (I did not say jazz) what Einstein is to physics."

-Ken Burns

"If I have to be considered any type of jazz artist, it would be New Orleans jazz because New Orleans jazz never forgot that jazz is dance music and jazz is fun. I'm more influenced by that style of jazz than anything else."

-Trombone Shorty

Joe Oliver was innovative in his use of a variety of mutes (including derbies, bottles, and cups) to alter the sound of his cornet.

Red Hot Jazz