All You Need is Love - "Swing That Music!:
Description
All You Need is Love - "Swing That Music!: Cab Calloway performing. (c) Archive of swing bands. Benny Goodman interviewed. Artie Shaw interviewed-claims the music was asinine. Bud Freeman talks of visiting Lincoln Gardens in Chicago and experiencing swing in black clubs. Artie Shaw discusses Art Tatum who brought a discipline to jazz. Swing was big band jazz played by white musicians. Dick Vance, arranger on how new musicians brought swinging- ragtime was getting too complicated for the mainstream, melody took over. The Fletcher Henderson band was a big influence on Benny Goodman. It was revolutionary to have black and white musicians in the same band. Lionel Hampton performs and is interviewed. Buddy Rich talks of prejudice in the south playing with a mixed band- he refused to play if promoters could not accept this. Benny Goodman talks of swing coming after the great depression and the start of world war two-it was a time of great euphoria and the songs reflected this. Woody Herman plays- he toured heavily and would play 7 night residencies in New York. Artie Shaw on the success of 'Begin The Beguine'. Commercial success had a downside -'swing' became a commodity. Benny Goodman on wanting a respectful audience. People wanted dance music. He was persuaded to play Carnegie Hall-swing was everywhere. Artie Shaw on the boredom of being on the road, it got tedious. Bing Crosby talks of playing with bands, bands helped launch singers like Sinatra, Perry Como, Peggy Lee .Artie Shaw claims the bigger swing became, the more diluted it became. The rise of Sinatra. Fame got too much for Shaw. He turned down gigs worth millions. Woody Herman talks of Jimmy Petrillo, the musician unions leader who prevented recordings for jukebox -vocalists could record but not bands. in 1948 the union and record labels reached agreement. Cab Calloway sings 'Minnie The Moochie". He discusses how the rise of television impacted on nightclubs and venues. Live music waned, no venues to play. Benny Goodman says it was tough being a bandleader, demanding being on the road. Artie Shaw found fame too much. A conflict and compromise between art and popularity. Bud Freeman plays - claims swing was a happy type of music, inclusive and uplifting.