113-476: Charles Henry Christian (July 29, 1916 – March 2, 1942) was an American swing and jazz guitarist . He was among the first electric guitarists and was a key figure in the development of bebop and cool jazz . He gained national exposure as a member of the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra from August 1939 to June 1941. His single-string technique, combined with amplification, helped bring
226-439: A clarinet and trombone in a call-response pattern. The rhythm section consisted of a sousaphone and drums , and sometimes a banjo . By the early 1920s guitars and pianos sometimes substituted for the banjo and a string bass sometimes substituted for the sousaphone. Use of the string bass opened possibilities for 4/4 instead of 2/4 time at faster tempos , which increased rhythmic freedom. The Chicago style released
339-659: A tenor saxophone . The French gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt had little influence on him, but Christian was obviously familiar with some of his recordings. The guitarist Mary Osborne recalled hearing him play Django's solo on " St. Louis Blues " note for note, but then following it with his own ideas. By 1939 there had already been electric guitar soloists— Leonard Ware ; George Barnes ; Eddie Durham , who had recorded with Count Basie ; Floyd Smith , who recorded "Floyd's Guitar Blues" with Andy Kirk and his Clouds of Joy in March 1939, using an amplified lap steel guitar ; and
452-525: A collection of young, forward-looking musicians who were at the core of the bebop movement and would in the following year be in the Billy Eckstine Orchestra , the first big band to showcase bebop. As the swing era went into decline, it secured legacies in vocalist-centered popular music, "progressive" big band jazz, R&B, and bebop. The trend away from big-band swing was accelerated by wartime conditions and royalty conflicts. In 1941
565-532: A dance music promoter and agent, Goldkette also helped organize and promote McKinney's Cotton Pickers and Glen Gray 's Orange Blossoms (later the Casa Loma Orchestra ), two other Detroit-area bands that were influential in the early swing era. As the 1920s turned to the 1930s, the new concepts in rhythm and ensemble playing that comprised the swing style were transforming the sounds of large and small bands. Starting in 1928, The Earl Hines Orchestra
678-546: A drummer was his ability to do stunts with multiple pairs of sticks such as twirling and juggling without missing a beat. During this period, he began practicing on the vibraphone . In 1930 Louis Armstrong came to California and hired the Les Hite band for performances and recordings. Armstrong was impressed with Hampton's playing after Hampton reproduced Armstrong's solo on the vibraphone and asked him to play behind him like that during vocal choruses. So began his career as
791-606: A featured soloist or vocalist. Some bands used string or vocal sections, or both. Swing-era repertoire included the Great American Songbook of Tin Pan Alley standards, band originals, traditional jazz tunes such as the " King Porter Stomp ", with which the Goodman orchestra had a smash hit, and blues . Hot swing music is strongly associated with the jitterbug dancing that became a national craze accompanying
904-414: A leader. Compilations have been released of his sessions as a sideman in which he is a featured soloist, of practice and warm-up recordings for these sessions, and some lower-quality recordings of Christian's own groups performing in nightclubs, by amateur technicians. With Benny Goodman With Lionel Hampton With others Swing music Swing music is a style of jazz that developed in
1017-405: A list of top recording artists from the previous year was publicly released. The list revealed that big band sales had decreased since the early 1950s. However, big band music saw a revival in the 1950s and 1960s. One impetus was the demand for studio and stage orchestras as backups for popular vocalists, and in radio and television broadcasts. Ability to adapt performing styles to various situations
1130-669: A mask in a scene while playing drums). As far as I'm concerned, what he did in those days—and they were hard days in 1937—made it possible for Negroes to have their chance in baseball and other fields. Lionel Hampton on Benny Goodman Also in November 1936, the Benny Goodman Orchestra came to Los Angeles to play the Palomar Ballroom . When John Hammond brought Goodman to see Hampton perform, Goodman invited him to join his trio, which soon became
1243-519: A member of the band as a result. In the course of a few days, Christian went from making $ 2.50 a night to $ 150 a week. Christian joined the newly formed Goodman Sextet in September 1939, which included Lionel Hampton , Fletcher Henderson , Artie Bernstein and Nick Fatool . Amateur recordings made in September 1939 in Minneapolis, Minnesota , by Jerry Newhouse, a Goodman aficionado, capture
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#17327878338661356-437: A more conservative approach to rhythm based on 2/4 time signatures . Meanwhile, string bass players such as Walter Page were developing their technique to the point where they could hold down the bottom end of a full-sized dance orchestra. The growth of radio broadcasting and the recording industry in the 1920s allowed some of the more popular dance bands to gain national exposure. The most popular style of dance orchestra
1469-464: A nod to the hot side by hiring jazz trumpeter and Goodman alumnus Bunny Berigan , then hiring Jimmie Lunceford 's arranger Sy Oliver to spice up his catalog in 1939. New York became a touchstone for national success of big bands, with nationally broadcast engagements at the Roseland and Savoy ballrooms a sign that a swing band had arrived on the national scene. With its Savoy engagement in 1937,
1582-447: A revival in swing dancing. In 2001 Robbie Williams 's album Swing When You're Winning consisted mainly of popular swing covers. The album sold more than 7 million copies worldwide. In November 2013, Robbie Williams released Swings Both Ways . Another modern development consists of fusing swing (original, or remixes of classics) with hip hop and house techniques. "Swing house" is a sub genre of swing that has been influenced by
1695-583: A sensation with Italian audiences, as it broke into a real jazz session. That same year, Hampton received a Papal Medal from Pope Paul VI . During the 1960s, Hampton's groups were in decline; he was still performing what had succeeded for him earlier in his career. He did not fare much better in the 1970s, though he recorded actively for his Who's Who in Jazz record label, which he founded in 1977/1978. Beginning in February 1984, Hampton and his band played at
1808-500: A show that evening. According to another account, Hammond decided to install Christian as the band's guitarist without consulting Goodman. Goodman's band, including Christian on guitar, played that night at Victor Hugo restaurant in Los Angeles . The bandleader called "Rose Room", a tune he assumed Christian did not know. However, Christian knew the tune and took an unprecedented twenty choruses of improvisation; Goodman hired him as
1921-414: A similar impact on his instrument as Armstrong had on trumpet. Hines' melodic, horn -like conception of playing deviated from the contemporary conventions in jazz piano centered on building rhythmic patterns around "pivot notes". His approaches to rhythm and phrasing were also free and daring, exploring ideas that would define swing playing. His approach to rhythm often used accents on the lead-in instead of
2034-399: A single tune, playing long stretches of melodic ideas with ease. Charles fathered a daughter, Billie Jean Christian (December 23, 1932 – July 19, 2004) by Margretta Lorraine Downey of Oklahoma City. In the late 1930s Christian contracted tuberculosis , and in early 1940 he was hospitalized for a short period in which the Goodman group was on hiatus because of Goodman's back trouble. Goodman
2147-492: A small group in 1940 for Victor, the best known version is the big band version recorded for Decca on May 26, 1942, in a new arrangement by Hampton's pianist Milt Buckner . The 78 RPM disc became successful enough for Hampton to record "Flyin' Home #2" in 1944, this time a feature for Arnett Cobb . The song went on to become the theme song for all three men. Guitarist Billy Mackel first joined Hampton in 1944, and would perform and record with him almost continuously through to
2260-739: A stroke in Paris in 1991 led to a collapse on stage. That incident, combined with years of chronic arthritis , forced him to cut back drastically on performances. However, he did play at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in 2001 shortly before his death. On April 15, 2002, the United States Congress celebrated Hampton's life and "resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That
2373-455: A strong, anchoring rhythm section in support of more loosely-tied woodwind and brass sections playing call-response to each other. The level of improvisation that the audience might expect varied with the arrangement, song, band, and band-leader. Typically included in big band swing arrangements were an introductory chorus that stated the theme, choruses arranged for soloists, and climactic out-choruses. Some arrangements were built entirely around
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#17327878338662486-671: A swing structure. Artists like Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel have continued the swing elements of country music. Asleep at the Wheel has also recorded the Count Basie tunes " One O'Clock Jump ", " Jumpin' at the Woodside ", and "Song of the Wanderer" using a steel guitar as a stand-in for a horn section. Nat King Cole followed Sinatra into pop music, bringing with him a similar combination of swing and ballads. Like Mullican, he
2599-688: A teenager in Chicago. While he lived in Chicago, Hampton saw Louis Armstrong at the Vendome, recalling that the entire audience went crazy after his first solo. He moved to California in 1927 or 1928, playing drums for the Dixieland Blues-Blowers. He made his recording debut with The Quality Serenaders led by Paul Howard , then left for Culver City and drummed for the Les Hite band at Sebastian's Cotton Club. One of his trademarks as
2712-543: A vibraphonist, popularizing the use of the instrument in the process. While working with the Les Hite band, Hampton also occasionally did some performing with Nat Shilkret and his orchestra. During the early 1930s, he studied music at the University of Southern California . In 1934 he led his own orchestra, and then appeared in the Bing Crosby film Pennies From Heaven (1936) alongside Louis Armstrong (wearing
2825-469: A whole. He reigned supreme in the jazz guitar polls up to two years after his death. Black Sabbath 's first manager Jim Simpson describes the band's first song, "A Song for Jim" as an “absolute Charlie Christian takeoff.” The bar-style pickup used on the ES-150 and ES-250 became known as the "Charlie Christian pickup." John Hammond and George T. Simon called Christian the best improvisational talent of
2938-582: Is no brass or percussion; guitars and bass form the backbone, with violin, accordion, clarinet or guitar taking the lead. Gypsy swing groups generally have no more than five players. Although they originated in different continents, similarities have often been noted between gypsy swing and Western swing]l, leading to various fusions. Rock music hitmakers like Fats Domino and Elvis Presley included swing-era standards in their repertoire, making crooning ballads " Are You Lonesome Tonight " and " My Blue Heaven " into rock and roll-era hits. The doo-wop vocal group
3051-522: Is not a musical form" (no comment on Fletcher Henderson, Earl Hines, Duke Ellington, or Count Basie). The Dixieland revival started in the late 1930s as a self-conscious re-creation of New Orleans jazz in reaction against the orchestrated style of big band swing. Some swing bandleaders saw opportunities in the Dixieland revival. Tommy Dorsey's Clambake Seven and Bob Crosby's Bobcats were examples of Dixieland ensembles within big swing bands. Between
3164-666: The Boy Scouts of America , which was off-limits because of racial segregation . During the 1920s, while still a teenager, Hampton took xylophone lessons from Jimmy Bertrand and began to play drums. Hampton was raised Catholic , and started out playing fife and drum at the Holy Rosary Academy near Chicago. Lionel Hampton began his career playing drums for the Chicago Defender Newsboys' Band (led by Major N. Clark Smith ) while still
3277-904: The Cab Calloway Orchestra and the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra. Also in New York, the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra featured the new style at the Roseland Ballroom and the swing powerhouse Chick Webb Orchestra started its extended stay at the Savoy Ballroom in 1931. Bennie Moten and the Kansas City Orchestra showcased the riff -propelled, solo-oriented form of swing that had been developing in
3390-596: The Count Basie Orchestra brought the riff-and-solo oriented Kansas City style of swing to national attention. The Basie orchestra collectively and individually would influence later styles that would give rise to the smaller "jump" bands and bebop . The Chick Webb Orchestra remained closely identified with the Savoy Ballroom, having originated the tune " Stompin' at the Savoy ", and became feared in
3503-559: The Edmond Hall Celeste Quartet (1941) show hints of what was later called cool jazz . Although credited for very few, Christian composed many of the original tunes recorded by the Benny Goodman Sextet. Christian was an important contributor to the music that became known as bop, or bebop . Some of the participants in early after-hours affairs at Minton's Playhouse , an after-hours club located in
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3616-717: The Lindy Hop . The verb "to swing " is also used as a term of praise for playing that has a strong groove or drive. Musicians of the swing era include Duke Ellington , Benny Goodman , Count Basie , Cab Calloway , Benny Carter , Jimmy Dorsey , Tommy Dorsey , Woody Herman , Earl Hines , Bunny Berigan , Harry James , Lionel Hampton , Glenn Miller , Artie Shaw , Jimmie Lunceford , and Django Reinhardt . Swing has its roots in 1920s dance music ensembles , which began using new styles of written arrangements, incorporating rhythmic innovations pioneered by Louis Armstrong , Coleman Hawkins , Benny Carter and other jazzmen. During
3729-557: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . Christian's exposure was so great in the brief period he played with Goodman that he influenced not only guitarists but other musicians as well. The influence he had on "Dizzy" Gillespie , Charlie Parker , Thelonious Monk and Don Byas can be heard on their early bop recordings " Blue 'n' Boogie " and " Salt Peanuts ". Other musicians, such as the trumpeter Miles Davis , cited Christian as an early influence. Indeed, Christian's "new" sound influenced jazz as
3842-669: The University of Idaho 's annual jazz festival, which was renamed the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival the following year. In 1987, the UI's school of music was renamed for Hampton, the first university music school named for a jazz musician. During much of the 1980s, some notable sidemen in Hampton's orchestra included Thomas Chapin , Paul Jeffrey , Frankie Dunlop , Arvell Shaw , John Colianni , Oliver Jackson and George Duvivier . Hampton remained active until
3955-475: The Western Swing pioneer Eldon Shamblin , who was playing with Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys. Christian paved the way for the modern electric guitar sound that was followed by other pioneers, including T-Bone Walker , Eddie Cochran , Cliff Gallup , Scotty Moore , Franny Beecher , B.B. King , Chuck Berry , Carlos Santana and Jimi Hendrix . For this reason Christian was inducted in 1990 into
4068-642: The swing era . In the liner notes to the album Solo Flight: The Genius of Charlie Christian (Columbia, 1972), Gene Lees wrote that "Many critics and musicians consider that Christian was one of the founding fathers of bebop, or if not that, at least a precursor to it." In 1966, 24 years after his death, Christian was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame . In 1989 the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame created its first seven inductions, which included Christian. In 1990, Christian
4181-410: The "easy listening" genre. Big band jazz made a comeback as well. The Stan Kenton and Woody Herman bands maintained their popularity during lean years of the late 1940s and beyond, making their mark with innovative arrangements and high-level jazz soloists ( Shorty Rogers , Art Pepper , Kai Winding , Stan Getz , Al Cohn , Zoot Sims , Serge Chaloff , Gene Ammons , Sal Nistico ). Lionel Hampton
4294-479: The "less swinging" vocal pop music of this period. The bands in these contexts performed in relative anonymity, receiving secondary credit beneath the top billing. Some, such as the Nelson Riddle and Gordon Jenkins Orchestras, became well known in their own right, with Riddle particularly associated with the success of Sinatra and Cole. Swingin' pop remained popular into the mid-1960s, becoming one current of
4407-475: The 1920s and 1930s, Edward Christian led a band in Oklahoma City as a pianist and had a shaky relationship with the trumpeter James Simpson. Around 1931, Simpson instructed guitarist "Bigfoot" Ralph Hamilton to secretly school the younger Charles in jazz. Hamilton taught him to solo on three songs, " Rose Room ", " Tea for Two ", and " Sweet Georgia Brown ". When the time was right, he took Charles to one of
4520-434: The 1920s both contributed to the development of the 1930s swing style. Starting in 1923, the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra featured innovative arrangements by Don Redman that featured call-response interplay between brass and reed sections, and interludes arranged to back up soloists. The arrangements also had a smoother rhythmic sense than the ragtime -influenced arrangements that were the more typical "hot" dance music of
4633-520: The 1940s and 1950s, with Oscar Peterson , Buddy DeFranco , and others. In 1955, while in California working on The Benny Goodman Story he recorded with Stan Getz and made two albums with Art Tatum for Norman Granz as well as with his own big band. Hampton performed with Louis Armstrong and Italian singer Lara Saint Paul at the 1968 Sanremo Music Festival in Italy. The performance created
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4746-482: The 1950s–60s revival include those led by Thad Jones , Mel Lewis , Quincy Jones , and Oliver Nelson . Big band jazz remains a major component of college jazz instruction curricula. In country music Jimmie Rodgers , Moon Mullican , and Bob Wills combined elements of swing and blues to create a Western swing . Mullican left the Cliff Bruner band to pursue solo career that included many songs that maintained
4859-427: The 1960s and beyond, with both veteran leaders receiving high acclaim for their contemporary work and performing until they were physically unable. Drummer Buddy Rich , after briefly leading one big band during the late 1940s and performing in various jazz and big band gigs, formed his definitive big band in 1966. His name became synonymous with the dynamic, exuberant style of his big band. Other big jazz bands that drove
4972-433: The 1970s into the 1980s. The tours featured bandleaders and vocalists of the swing era who were semi-retired, such as Harry James and vocalist Dick Haymes. Historically-themed radio broadcasts featuring period comedy, melodrama, and music also played a role in sustaining interest in the music of the swing era. Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks , and later David Grisman , presented adaptations of Gypsy Swing, rekindling interest in
5085-839: The 1980s, Hampton built another housing project called Hampton Hills in Newark, New Jersey . Hampton was a staunch Republican and served as a delegate to several Republican National Conventions . He served as vice-chairman of the New York Republican County Committee for some years and also was a member of the New York City Human Rights Commission. He served as Director of Special Events for Gerald Ford 's 1976 re-election campaign. Hampton donated almost $ 300,000 to Republican campaigns and committees throughout his lifetime. However, in 1996 he endorsed Clinton/Gore, saying that
5198-485: The American Society of Composers and Producers ( ASCAP ) demanded bigger royalties from broadcasters and the broadcasters refused. Consequently, ASCAP banned the large repertoire they controlled from airplay, severely restricting what the radio audience could hear. ASCAP also demanded pre-approval of set lists and even written solos for live broadcasts, to assure that not even a quoted fragment of ASCAP repertoire
5311-574: The Benny Goodman Quartet with pianist Teddy Wilson and drummer Gene Krupa completing the lineup. The Trio and Quartet were among the first racially integrated jazz groups to perform before audiences, and were a leading small group of the day. While Hampton worked for Goodman in New York, he recorded with several different small groups known as the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, as well as assorted small groups within
5424-727: The Congress, on behalf of the American people, extends its birthday greetings and best wishes to Lionel Hampton on the occasion of his 94th birthday." Hampton died from congestive heart failure at Mount Sinai Hospital , New York City, on August 31, 2002. He was interred at the Woodlawn Cemetery , Bronx, New York. His funeral was held on September 7, 2002, and featured a performance by Wynton Marsalis and David Ostwald's Gully Low Jazz Band at Riverside Church in Manhattan ;
5537-429: The Goodman band. In 1940 Hampton left the Goodman organization under amicable circumstances to form his own big band . Hampton's orchestra developed a high profile during the 1940s and early 1950s. His third recording with them in 1942 produced the version of " Flying Home ", featuring a solo by Illinois Jacquet that anticipated rhythm & blues . Although Hampton first recorded "Flying Home" under his own name with
5650-473: The Henderson band with being an early influence when he was developing the sound for his own band. In 1925 Armstrong left the Henderson band and would add his innovations to New Orleans style jazz to develop Chicago style jazz, another step towards swing. Traditional New Orleans style jazz was based on a two- beat meter and contrapuntal improvisation led by a trumpet or cornet , typically followed by
5763-512: The Hotel Cecil at 210 West 118th Street in Harlem where bebop was born, credit Christian with the name bebop , citing his humming of phrases as the onomatopoetic origin of the term. Examples of Christian's bebop playing can be heard in a series of recordings made at Minton's Playhouse by Jerry Newman, a student at Columbia University , on a portable disk recorder in 1941, in which Christian
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#17327878338665876-514: The Marcels had a big hit with their lively version of the swing-era ballad " Blue Moon ". Multi-genre mandolinist Jethro Burns is widely known for playing Swing, Jazz, and many other forms of the genre on the mandolin. He has produced many albums that feature Jazz rhythms and swing chord progressions. He is often considered "The Father of Jazz Mandolin". Though swing music was no longer mainstream, fans could attend "Big Band Nostalgia" tours from
5989-713: The New Deal Rhythm Band in 1978 for her long career with Manhattan Transfer. Founding leader of the New Deal Rhythm Band John Holte led swing revival bands in the Seattle area until 2003. A Swing revival occurred during the 1990s and 2000s led by Royal Crown Revue , Big Bad Voodoo Daddy , The Cherry Poppin' Daddies , Squirrel Nut Zippers , Lavay Smith , and Brian Setzer . Many of the bands played neo-swing which combined swing with rockabilly , ska , and rock. The music brought
6102-580: The Palomar engagement starting on 21 August 1935, audiences of young white dancers favored Goodman's rhythm and daring arrangements. The sudden success of the Goodman orchestra transformed the landscape of popular music in America. Goodman's success with "hot" swing brought forth imitators and enthusiasts of the new style throughout the world of dance bands, which launched the "swing era" that lasted until 1946. A typical song played in swing style would feature
6215-910: The Savoy's Battles of the Bands. It humiliated Goodman's band, and had memorable encounters with the Ellington and Basie bands. The Goodman band's 1938 Carnegie Hall Concert turned into a summit of swing, with guests from the Basie and Ellington bands invited for a jam session after the Goodman band's performance. Coleman Hawkins arrived back from an extended stay in Europe to New York in 1939, recorded his famous version of " Body and Soul ", and fronted his own big band. 1940 saw top-flight musicians such as Charlie Parker , Dizzy Gillespie , Don Byas , Charlie Christian , and Gene Ramey , whose careers in swing had brought them to New York, beginning to coalesce and develop
6328-463: The United States during the late 1920s and early 1930s. It became nationally popular from the mid-1930s. Swing bands usually featured soloists who would improvise on the melody over the arrangement. The danceable swing style of big bands and bandleaders such as Benny Goodman was the dominant form of American popular music from 1935 to 1946, known as the swing era , when people were dancing
6441-524: The World War II era, swing began to decline in popularity, and after war, bebop and jump blues gained popularity. Swing blended with other genres to create new musical styles. In country music , artists such as Jimmie Rodgers , Moon Mullican , Milton Brown and Bob Wills introduced elements of swing along with blues to create a genre called " western swing ". Famous roma guitarist Django Reinhardt created gypsy swing music and composed
6554-599: The age of 25. He was buried in an unmarked grave in Bonham, Texas . A Texas State Historical Commission Marker and headstone were placed in Gates Hill Cemetery in 1994. The location of the historical marker and headstone was disputed, and in March 2013, Fannin County, Texas , recognized that the marker was in the wrong spot and that Christian is buried under the concrete slab. Christian is widely regarded as one of
6667-460: The ban. These labels had limited distribution centered in large urban markets, which tended to limit the size of the ensembles with which recording could be a money-making proposition. Another blow fell on the market for dance-oriented swing in 1944 when the federal government levied a 30% excise tax on "dancing" nightclubs, undercutting the market for dance music in smaller venues. Swing bands and sales continued to decline from 1953 to 1954. In 1955,
6780-749: The business. Around 1945 or 1946, he handed a pair of vibraphone mallets to then-five year old (later jazz musician) Roy Ayers . During the 1950s he had a strong interest in Judaism and raised money for Israel . In 1953 he composed a King David suite and performed it in Israel with the Boston Pops Orchestra . Later in life Hampton became a Christian Scientist . Hampton was also a Thirty-third degree Prince Hall freemason . In January 1997, his apartment caught fire and destroyed his awards and belongings; Hampton escaped uninjured. Hampton
6893-543: The day including Bix Beiderbecke , Jimmy Dorsey , Frank Trumbauer , Pee Wee Russell , Eddie Lang , and Joe Venuti . The Victor Recording Orchestra won the respect of the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra in a Battle of the Bands; Henderson's cornetist Rex Stewart credited the Goldkette band with being the most influential white band in the development of swing music before Benny Goodman's. As
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#17327878338667006-454: The day. In 1924 Louis Armstrong joined the Henderson band, lending impetus to an even greater emphasis on soloists. The Henderson band also featured Coleman Hawkins , Benny Carter , and Buster Bailey as soloists, who all were influential in the development of swing era instrumental styles. During the Henderson band's extended residency at the Roseland Ballroom in New York, it became influential on other big bands. Duke Ellington credited
7119-485: The early 1930s came the financial difficulties of the Great Depression that curtailed recording of the new music and drove some bands out of business, including the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra and McKinney's Cotton Pickers in 1934. Henderson's next business was selling arrangements to up-and-coming bandleader Benny Goodman . At this time, "Sweet" dance music remained most popular with white audiences and
7232-526: The guitar out of the rhythm section and into the forefront as a solo instrument. For this, he is often credited with leading to the development of the lead guitar role in musical ensembles and bands. Christian was born in Bonham, Texas . His family moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma , when he was a small child. His parents were musicians. He had two brothers: Edward, born in 1906, and Clarence, born in 1911. Edward, Clarence, and Charlie were all taught music by their father, Clarence Henry Christian. Clarence Henry
7345-405: The gypsy swing standard "Minor Swing". In the late 1980s to early 1990s, new urban -styled swing-beat emerged called new jack swing (New York go-go), created by young producer Teddy Riley . In the late 1990s and into the 2000s, there was a swing revival , led by Squirrel Nut Zippers , Brian Setzer orchestra and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy . Developments in dance orchestra and jazz music during
7458-640: The hothouse of Kansas City. Emblematic of the evolving music was the change in the name of Moten's signature tune, from "Moten Stomp" to " Moten Swing ". Moten's orchestra had a highly successful tour in late 1932. Audiences raved about the new music, and at the Pearl Theatre in Philadelphia in December 1932, the doors were let open to the public who crammed into the theatre to hear the new sound, demanding seven encores from Moten's orchestra. With
7571-528: The ideas that would become bebop . The early 1940s saw emerging trends in popular music and jazz that would, once they had run their course, result in the end of the swing era. Vocalists were becoming the star attractions of the big bands. Vocalist Ella Fitzgerald , after joining the Chick Webb Orchestra in 1936, propelled the band to great popularity and the band continued under her name after Webb's death in 1939. In 1940 vocalist Vaughn Monroe
7684-464: The introduction on "Guy's Got to Go" from the Newman recordings. It is also a line from Mary Lou Williams 's "Walkin' and Swingin'". Clarke further commented that Christian first showed him the chords to "Epistrophy" on a ukulele . The Minton's and Uptown House recordings have been packaged under a number of different titles, including After Hours and The Immortal Charlie Christian . On the recordings, Christian can be heard taking multiple choruses on
7797-421: The jazz polls in 1941, including another election to the Metronome All Stars for Christian. His work on the Goodman sextet sides "Soft Winds", "Till Tom Special", and "A Smo-o-o-oth One" show his use of few well-placed melodic notes. His work on the Sextet's recordings of the ballads " Stardust ", " Memories of You ", " Poor Butterfly ", " I Surrender Dear " and "On the Alamo" and his work on "Profoundly Blue" with
7910-446: The late 1970s. In 1947, Hamp performed " Stardust " at a "Just Jazz" concert for producer Gene Norman , also featuring Charlie Shavers and Slam Stewart ; the recording was issued by Decca. Later, Norman's GNP Crescendo label issued the remaining tracks from the concert. Hampton was a featured artist at numerous Cavalcade of Jazz concerts held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles and produced by Leon Hefflin Sr. His first performance
8023-504: The latter a favorite of bop composers and jammers. By February 1940, Christian dominated the jazz and swing guitar polls and was elected to the Metronome All Stars . In the spring of 1940, Goodman laid off most of his band, but he retained Christian, and in the fall of that year Goodman led a sextet with Christian, Count Basie , longtime Duke Ellington trumpeter Cootie Williams , former Artie Shaw tenor saxophonist Georgie Auld and later drummer Dave Tough . This all-star band dominated
8136-501: The likes of Louis Jordan and Louis Prima. Electro swing is mainly popular in Europe, and electro swing artists incorporate influences such as tango and Django Reinhardt's gypsy swing. Leading artists include Caravan Palace and Parov Stelar , who became popular in the late 2010s. Musically, Electro Swing is a misnomer as it usually samples music from the earlier Charleston Era of the 1920s and doesn't actually swing . Both genres of swing house and electro swing have been connected with
8249-414: The main beat, and mixed meters , to build a sense of anticipation to the rhythm and make his playing swing. He also used "stops" or musical silences to build tension in his phrasing. Hines' style was a seminal influence on the styles of swing-era pianists Teddy Wilson , Art Tatum , Jess Stacy , Nat "King" Cole , Erroll Garner , Mary Lou Williams , and Jay McShann . Black territory dance bands in
8362-466: The many after-hours jam sessions along " Deep Deuce " in Oklahoma City, where Edward's band was performing, and after some encouragement, Edward allowed Charles to play. Edward was surprised that Charles knew the tunes, which were well received by the club. Charles soon was performing locally and on the road throughout the Midwest, including states as far away as North Dakota and Minnesota . By 1936 he
8475-830: The mid-1940s until the early 1950s, Hampton led a lively rhythm & blues band whose Decca Records recordings included numerous young performers who later had significant careers. They included bassist Charles Mingus , saxophonist Johnny Griffin , guitarist Wes Montgomery , vocalist Dinah Washington , and vocal stylist "Little" Jimmy Scott. Other noteworthy band members were trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie , Cat Anderson , Kenny Dorham , and Snooky Young , trombonist Jimmy Cleveland , and saxophonists Jerome Richardson and Curtis Lowe . The Hampton orchestra that toured Europe in 1953 included Clifford Brown , Gigi Gryce , Anthony Ortega , Monk Montgomery , George Wallington , Art Farmer , Quincy Jones , and singer Annie Ross . Hampton continued to record with small groups and jam sessions during
8588-550: The military draft. In July 1942 the American Federation of Musicians called a ban on recording until record labels agreed to pay royalties to musicians. That stopped recording of instrumental music for major labels for over a year, with the last labels agreeing to new contract terms in November 1944. In the meantime, vocalists continued to record backed by vocal groups and the recording industry released earlier swing recordings from their vaults, increasingly reflecting
8701-480: The more commercial big bands catered to more "sweet" sensibilities with string sections. Some bandleaders such as John Kirby , Raymond Scott , and Claude Thornhill were fusing swing with classical repertoire. Lower manpower requirements and simplicity favored the rise of small band swing. The Savoy Sultans and other smaller bands led by Louis Jordan , Lucky Millinder , Louis Prima , and Tony Pastor were showcasing an exuberant "jump swing" style that would lead to
8814-470: The most influential pioneers of jazz guitar . His solos are frequently described as "horn-like", and in that sense, he was more influenced by horn players such as Lester Young and Herschel Evans than by early arch-top guitarists like Eddie Lang and the jazz- and bluesman Lonnie Johnson , although they both had contributed to the expansion of the guitar's role from the rhythm section to a solo instrument. Christian stated he wanted his guitar to sound like
8927-508: The musical form. Other swing revivals occurred during the 1970s. The jazz, R&B, and swing revival vocal group Manhattan Transfer and Bette Midler included swing era hits on albums during the early 1970s. In Seattle the New Deal Rhythm Band and the Horns O Plenty Orchestra revived 1930s swing with a dose of comedy behind vocalists Phil "De Basket" Shallat, Cheryl "Benzene" Bentyne , and six-foot-tall "Little Janie" Lambert. Bentyne would leave
9040-491: The newly hired Christian while on the road with Goodman and feature Goodman's tenor sax player Jerry Jerome and then-local bassist Oscar Pettiford . Taking multiple solos, Christian shows much the same improvisational skills later captured on the Minton's and Monroe's recordings in 1941, suggesting that he had already matured as a musician. The Minneapolis recordings include " Stardust ", " Tea for Two ", and " I've Got Rhythm ",
9153-595: The poles of hot and sweet, middlebrow interpretations of swing led to great commercial success for bands such as those led by Artie Shaw , Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey . Miller's trademark clarinet-led reed section was decidedly "sweet", but the Miller catalog had no shortage of bouncy, medium-tempo dance tunes and some up-tempo tunes such as Mission to Moscow and the Lionel Hampton composition " Flying Home ". "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" Tommy Dorsey made
9266-472: The popularity of big band vocalists. In 1943 Columbia Records re-released the 1939 recording of " All or Nothing at All " by the Harry James Orchestra with Frank Sinatra , giving Sinatra top billing ("Acc. Harry James and his Orchestra"). The recording found the commercial success that had eluded its original release. Small band swing was recorded for small specialty labels not affected by
9379-407: The postwar rise of R&B . In a 1939 Downbeat interview, Duke Ellington expressed dissatisfaction with the creative state of swing music; within a few years he and other bandleaders would be delving into more ambitious, and less danceable, forms of orchestral jazz and the creative forefront for soloists would be moving into smaller ensembles and bebop . The Earl Hines Orchestra in 1943 featured
9492-465: The procession began at The Cotton Club in Harlem . Speakers at his funeral included U.S. representatives Charles Rangel and John Conyers and former President George H. W. Bush . On November 11, 1936, in Yuma, Arizona , Lionel Hampton married Gladys Riddle (1913–1971). Gladys was Lionel's business manager throughout much of his career. Many musicians recall that Lionel ran the music and Gladys ran
9605-404: The rambunctiousness of swing music. Swing was sometimes regarded as light entertainment, more of an industry to sell records to the masses than a form of art, among fans of both jazz and "serious" music. Some jazz critics such as Hugues Panassié held the polyphonic improvisation of New Orleans jazz to be the pure form of jazz, with swing a form corrupted by regimentation and commercialism. Panassié
9718-541: The revival of swing dances, such as the Lindy hop . Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist , percussionist , and bandleader. He worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson , Benny Goodman , and Buddy Rich , to Charlie Parker , Charles Mingus , and Quincy Jones . In 1992, he was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame , and he
9831-498: The soloist from the constraints of contrapuntal improvisation with other front-line instruments, lending greater freedom in creating melodic lines . Louis Armstrong used the additional freedom of the new format with 4/4 time, accenting the second and fourth beats and anticipating the main beats with lead-in notes in his solos to create a sense of rhythmic pulse that happened between the beats as well as on them, i.e. swing . In 1927 Armstrong worked with pianist Earl Hines , who had
9944-423: The southwest were developing dynamic styles that often went in the direction of blues-based simplicity, using riffs in a call-response pattern to build a strong, danceable rhythm and provide a musical platform for extended solos. The rhythm-heavy tunes for dancing were called "stomps". The requirement for volume led to continued use of the sousaphone over the string bass with the larger ensembles, which dictated
10057-487: The swing craze. Swing dancing originated in the late 1920s as the " Lindy Hop ", and would later incorporate other styles including The Suzie Q , Truckin', Peckin' Jive , The Big Apple , and The Shag in various combinations of moves. A subculture of jitterbuggers, sometimes growing quite competitive, congregated around ballrooms that featured hot swing music. A dance floor full of jitterbuggers had cinematic appeal; they were sometimes featured in newsreels and movies. Some of
10170-471: The tenor sax player Don Byas . Beboppers "Dizzy" Gillespie and Thelonious Monk were regulars at the jam sessions, with Monk a regular in the Minton's house band. Kenny Clarke claimed that " Epistrophy " and " Rhythm-a-Ning " were compositions by Christian, which Christian played with Clarke and Thelonious Monk at Minton's jam sessions. The "Rhythm-a-Ning" line is heard on "Down on Teddy's Hill " and behind
10283-655: The top jitterbuggers gathered in professional dance troupes such as Whitey's Lindy Hoppers (featured in A Day At the Races , Everybody Dance , and Hellzapoppin' ). Swing dancing would outlive the swing era, becoming associated with R&B and early Rock&Roll . As with many new popular musical styles, swing met with some resistance because of its improvisation, tempo, occasionally risqué lyrics, and frenetic dancing . Audiences used to traditional "sweet" arrangements, such as those offered by Guy Lombardo , Sammy Kaye , Kay Kyser and Shep Fields , were taken aback by
10396-449: Was 12. He attended Douglass School in Oklahoma City, where he was further encouraged in music by an instructor, Zelia N. Breaux . Charles wanted to play tenor saxophone in the school band, but she insisted he try trumpet instead. As he believed playing the trumpet would disfigure his lip, he quit to pursue his interest in baseball, at which he excelled. In a 1978 interview with biographer Craig McKinney, Clarence Christian said that in
10509-537: Was a leader in the R&;B genre during the late 1940s then re-entered big band jazz in the early 1950s, remaining a popular attraction through the 1960s. Count Basie and Duke Ellington had both downsized their big bands during the first half of the 1950s, then reconstituted them by 1956. Ellington's venture back into big band jazz was encouraged by its reception at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival . The Basie and Ellington bands flourished creatively and commercially through
10622-548: Was accompanied by Joe Guy on trumpet, Kenny Kersey on piano and Kenny Clarke on drums. Christian's use of tension and release , a technique employed by Lester Young , Count Basie and later bop musicians, is also present on Newman's recording of " Stompin' at the Savoy ." Further recordings were made in 1941, shortly before Christian's illness and death, at Clark Monroe's Uptown House , another late-night jazz haunt in Harlem, with Oran "Hot Lips" Page . Other recordings include
10735-490: Was admitted to Seaview Hospital , a tuberculosis sanatorium on Staten Island in New York City. He was reported to be making progress, and DownBeat magazine reported in February 1942 that he and Cootie Williams were starting a band. After a visit to the hospital that same month by the tap dancer and drummer Marion Joseph "Taps" Miller , Christian declined in health. He died of tuberculosis on March 2, 1942, at
10848-482: Was also an advocate of the theory that jazz was a primal expression of the black American experience and that white musicians, or black musicians who became interested in more sophisticated musical ideas, were generally incapable of expressing its core values. In his 1941 autobiography, W. C. Handy wrote that "prominent white orchestra leaders, concert singers and others are making commercial use of Negro music in its various phases. That's why they introduced "swing" which
10961-503: Was an essential skill among these bands-for-hire, with a somewhat sedated version of swing in common use for backing up vocalists. The resurgent commercial success of Frank Sinatra with a mildly swinging backup during the mid-1950s solidified the trend. It became a sound associated with pop vocalists such as Bobby Darin , Dean Martin , Judy Garland , and Nat King Cole , as well as jazz-oriented vocalists such as Ella Fitzgerald and Keely Smith . Many of these singers were also involved in
11074-659: Was at the second Cavalcade of Jazz concert held on October 12, 1946, and also featured Jack McVea , Slim Gaillard , T-Bone Walker , the Honeydrippers and Louis Armstrong . The fifth Cavalcade of Jazz concert was held in two locations, Wrigley Field in Los Angeles and Lane Field in San Diego, July 10, 1949, and September 3, 1949, respectively. Betty Carter , Jimmy Witherspoon , Buddy Banks , Smiley Turner and Big Jay McNeely also played with Hampton. It
11187-704: Was at the sixth Cavalcade of Jazz, June 25, 1950, that Hampton's playing precipitated the closest thing to a riot in the show's eventful history. Lionel and his band paraded around the ball park's infield playing ‘Flying High’. The huge crowd, around 14,000, went berserk, tossed cushions, coats, hats, programs, and just about anything else they could lay hands on and swarmed on the field. Dinah Washington , Roy Milton , PeeWee Crayton , Lillie Greenwood, Tiny Davis and Her Hell Divers were also featured. His final Cavalcade of Jazz concert held on July 24, 1955 (Eleventh) also featured Big Jay McNeely , The Medallions, The Penguins and James Moody and his Orchestra. From
11300-677: Was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1996. Lionel Hampton was born in 1908 in Louisville, Kentucky , and was raised by his mother. Shortly after he was born, he and his mother moved to her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. He spent his early childhood in Kenosha , Wisconsin , before he and his family moved to Chicago , Illinois , in 1916. As a youth, Hampton was a member of the Bud Billiken Club , an alternative to
11413-554: Was broadcast throughout much of the midwest from the Grand Terrace Cafe in Chicago, where Hines had the opportunity to expound upon his new approaches to rhythm and phrasing with a big band. Hines' arranger Jimmy Mundy would later contribute to the catalog of the Benny Goodman Orchestra . The Duke Ellington Orchestra had its new sounds broadcast nationally from New York's Cotton Club , followed by
11526-447: Was broadcast. Those restrictions made broadcast swing much less appealing for the year in which the ban was in place. Big band swing remained popular during the war years, but the resources required to support it became problematic. Wartime restriction on travel, coupled with rising expenses, curtailed road touring. The manpower requirements for big swing bands placed a burden on the scarce resources available for touring and were impacted by
11639-680: Was deeply involved in the construction of various public housing projects, and founded the Lionel Hampton Development Corporation. Construction began with the Lionel Hampton Houses in Harlem, New York , in the 1960s, with the help of then Republican governor Nelson Rockefeller . Hampton's wife, Gladys Hampton, also was involved in construction of a housing project in her name, the Gladys Hampton Houses. Gladys died in 1971. In
11752-621: Was even praised by Louis Armstrong as one of his favorites In 1935 the Benny Goodman Orchestra had won a spot on the radio show Let's Dance and started showcasing an updated repertoire featuring Fletcher Henderson arrangements. Goodman's slot was after midnight in the East, and few people heard it. It was on earlier on the West Coast and developed the audience that later led to Goodman's Palomar Ballroom triumph. At
11865-525: Was hospitalized in the summer of 1940 after a brief stay at Santa Catalina Island, California , where the band stayed when they were on the West Coast. Christian returned home to Oklahoma City in late July 1940 and returned to New York City in September 1940. In early 1941, Christian resumed his hectic lifestyle, heading to Harlem for late-night jam sessions after finishing gigs with the Goodman Sextet and Orchestra in New York City. In June 1941 he
11978-429: Was important in bringing piano to the fore of popular music. Gypsy swing is an outgrowth of the jazz violin swing of Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang . In Europe it was heard in the music of guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stéphane Grappelli . Their repertoire overlaps 1930s swing, including French popular music, gypsy songs, and compositions by Reinhardt, but gypsy swing bands are formulated differently. There
12091-412: Was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the "Early Influence" category. In a 1985 interview with Frets magazine, Jerry Garcia named Christian and Django Reinhardt as the two guitarists who most inspired his awe and emulation. In 2006, Oklahoma City, where Christian was raised, renamed a street in its Bricktown entertainment district after the guitarist. Christian never recorded as
12204-573: Was leading his own big band and Frank Sinatra was becoming the star attraction of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, inciting mass hysteria among bobby-soxers . Vocalist Peggy Lee joined the Goodman Orchestra in 1941 for a two-year stint, quickly becoming its star attraction on its biggest hits. Some big bands were moving away from the swing styles that dominated the late 1930s, for both commercial and creative reasons. Some of
12317-560: Was only the fourth white bandleader to feature Black musicians in his live band. Goodman had previously heard electric guitarists Leonard Ware and Floyd Smith , among others, and he unsuccessfully tried to buy Smith's contract from bandleader Andy Kirk . There are multiple accounts of Christian and Goodman's first meeting. The former recalled in a 1940 article in Metronome magazine, "I guess neither one of us liked what I played." Despite this, Christian claimed that Goodman invited him to
12430-421: Was playing electric guitar and had become a regional attraction. According to the record producer John Hammond , Christian jammed with many of the big-name performers traveling through Oklahoma City, including Teddy Wilson , Art Tatum , and Mary Lou Williams , the pianist for Andy Kirk and His Clouds of Joy . In 1939, Christian auditioned for John Hammond, who recommended him to bandleader Benny Goodman , who
12543-475: Was struck blind by fever, and in order to support the family he and the boys worked as buskers , on what the Christians called "busts." He would have them lead him into the better neighborhoods, where they would perform for cash or goods. When Charles was old enough to go along, he first entertained by dancing. Later he learned to play the guitar, inheriting his father's instruments upon his death when Charles
12656-442: Was successfully showcased by bandleaders such as Guy Lombardo and Shep Fields , but the Casa Loma Orchestra and the Benny Goodman Orchestra went against that grain, targeting the new swing style to younger audiences. Despite Benny Goodman 's claim that "sweet" music was a "weak sister" as compared to the "real music" of America, Lombardo's band enjoyed widespread popularity for decades while crossing over racial divides and
12769-428: Was the "sweet" style, often with strings. Paul Whiteman developed a style he called " symphonic jazz ", grafting a classical approach over his interpretation of jazz rhythms in an approach he hoped would be the future of jazz. Whiteman's Orchestra enjoyed great commercial success and was a major influence on the sweet bands. Jean Goldkette 's Victor Recording Orchestra featured many of the top white jazz musicians of
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