BLOG #3: The Swing Era

Up until the 1930's, the dissemination of jazz had been constrained to a select number of large, lucky cities. The reason for this is straightforward: in order for jazz to happen, somebody has to be right there playing it and, much of the time, somebody has to be paying for it. While there were plenty of musicians to go around, they were all attracted to the uninhibited, unselfconscious city districts where the carefree, rebellious atmosphere welcomed jazz performances. There were not a whole lot of gig opportunities being offered in isolated, backwater villages. Jazz was still experiencing its adolescence in the shadows of counter culture, and whites were appropriately intrigued by the new style of music, but ultimately considered it black music for black people. Race was not a particularly contentious issue in this facet of American life, but this would change drastically with the arrival of the 30's.

The new decade brought with it the near ubiquitous presence of radio in American life. This small, unassuming consumer good succeeded in creating a national identity and culture the likes of which had never before been wrought. People from Los Angeles to New York and anybody in between could listen to the same baseball game, State of the Union address, or, if they were so inclined, a swing record. Now even those most far removed from the hotbeds of jazz innovation like New Orleans and New York could soak up the boldest, most energetic sounds of the day. And they did listen. Jazz can be compared to rock and roll in the way that it originated as a rebellion against the trending musical styles and was relished by a small minority, and later gained exposure and broke out as a mainstream sensation. The market for swing music was massive. Benny Goodman, considered the father of the swing genre, "set the blueprint for stardom, with its celebration of an almost religious fervor in fans" (Gioia, p. 412 ebook). One might assume that this skyrocketing demand for jazz would induce a skyrocketing number of opportunities for jazz musicians. Wrong. Before, a jazz ensemble could entertain a cabaret, or even a theater full of people. Now, one group was capable of reaching the ears of thousands of listeners simultaneously.

The other phenomenon that accompanied the beginning of the 1930's was the Great Depression. The stock market is in shambles. The fields are dust. The pantry is empty. The unemployment rate is 33% (probably an underestimate). Working men who were once in a position to support the arts are no longer in a position to do so. The walls are closing in on all sides for jazz musicians. Gigs were already becoming more and more scarce ever since the radio consolidated fame to such a large degree, and now they are becoming more scarce because people are too poor to listen.

This fight for gigs coincides with the popularity of swing with white audiences. White musicians now had a greater interest in beating their black counterparts for playing opportunities, to maintain the "honor" of the white race. It was not a level playing field: "That swing's massive popularity worked to the detriment of black bands by inspiring white imitations of the music that proved more acceptable to a mass audience has been well documented." (Swing Changes, p. 122).All of a sudden a very serious issue emerged in critical music publications. Who was better at this? Blacks or whites? The bragging rights associated with dominating the most popular genre of the era were at stake.