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SWING AND THE BIG BAND 75
supporters of swing would admit that, in an effort to draw the most box-office money from the most pockets, too much emphasis was often placed on glittering uniforms, monogrammed instrument stands, nigger minstrel antics, sheer volume of noise, and higher and ever higher notes on the trumpet. You can sympathise with Chicago jazzman Muggsie Spanier: when he was nagged beyond endurance by his promoter to produce still higher trumpet top-notes, he retorted: "Aw, go get yourself a piccolo player". Swing in its early days was often designated as 'Harlem Swing', from its New York origins. New York was originally New Amsterdam, and the original Dutch settlers had given the district they named Harlem to be a settling-ground for the emancipated slaves. Luis Russell was the leader of the first big Harlem swing band. He was followed by Cab Calloway (who developed a speciality of exhibitionistic 'scat' singing), Chick Webb (noted for the massive tone-volume and polished precision of his band), and Benny Moten and William 'Count' JBasie (who, between them, developed the use of the 'riff' in big band arrangements).
The Riff
With the need for ever-varied and more sensational band arrangements of ever-new numbers, it was clear that the overworked band arranger must have some sort of convenient cut and dried plan on which to ring the changes. He would alternate a chorus |
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