The piece of music that this paper will focus on is “Sing Sing Sing” by Benny Goodman. “Sing Sing Sing” is a fast pace swing song that features mainly trumpets and saxophones, a driving drum, and an unmistakable solo by the famous clarinetist- Benny Goodman. Benny Goodman was one of the driving forces of band desegregation during his time as a bandleader. “Sing Sing Sing” by Benny Goodman was a killer diller number, a popular dance piece, that embodies the swing era, and brought jazz out of the dark and into the homes of millions in the United States and around the world.
“Sing Sing Sing” was originally written and composed by Louis Prima in 1936, which was later purchased and popularized by Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall in 1938. Benny Goodman …show more content…
He increased his band’s repertoire with the help of arrangements purchased from Fletcher Henderson, a bandleader at the Roseland Ballroom, who needed work. The radio show was aired after midnight on the East Coast, and very few people heard it, but it was aired earlier on the West Coast and developed a large audience that later led to Benny Goodman’s Palomar Ballroom …show more content…
During this era there were some ideals, or changes, that come about: a typical song played in swing style would feature a strong, anchoring rhythm section in support of more loosely-tied wind, brass; the amount of improvisation in the song would vary, depending on band-leader, arrangement, song or band. The most common style consisted of a soloist taking center stage and improvising while his bandmates played support. As a song progressed, multiple soloists would take over and improvise their parts. There were also some instrument changes that came with the swing era. One such change was the tuba, commonly used in large dance bands of the 1920s, being replaced by the string bass. Another instrument that didn’t see much time during the swing era was the banjo, which was replaced with the guitar because it provided a subtler and secure rhythm to the band. Some of the instruments changed roles within bands, such as the saxophone superseded the trumpet as the main solo instrument, and even carried the melody over the brass section at times. The swing era embodies the good times of dance halls and the push out of the Great Depression. There are many types of swing music such as; Sweet, which uses emotions and a slow, swelling tune to draw in the audience; Mickey Mouse, which uses gimmicks and stage tricks to draw in the audience; Hot/Sweet Mixture, which uses both a fast, driving pace and emotions to draw the audience in.
“Sing Sing Sing” was originally written and composed by Louis Prima in 1936, which was later purchased and popularized by Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall in 1938. Benny Goodman …show more content…
He increased his band’s repertoire with the help of arrangements purchased from Fletcher Henderson, a bandleader at the Roseland Ballroom, who needed work. The radio show was aired after midnight on the East Coast, and very few people heard it, but it was aired earlier on the West Coast and developed a large audience that later led to Benny Goodman’s Palomar Ballroom …show more content…
During this era there were some ideals, or changes, that come about: a typical song played in swing style would feature a strong, anchoring rhythm section in support of more loosely-tied wind, brass; the amount of improvisation in the song would vary, depending on band-leader, arrangement, song or band. The most common style consisted of a soloist taking center stage and improvising while his bandmates played support. As a song progressed, multiple soloists would take over and improvise their parts. There were also some instrument changes that came with the swing era. One such change was the tuba, commonly used in large dance bands of the 1920s, being replaced by the string bass. Another instrument that didn’t see much time during the swing era was the banjo, which was replaced with the guitar because it provided a subtler and secure rhythm to the band. Some of the instruments changed roles within bands, such as the saxophone superseded the trumpet as the main solo instrument, and even carried the melody over the brass section at times. The swing era embodies the good times of dance halls and the push out of the Great Depression. There are many types of swing music such as; Sweet, which uses emotions and a slow, swelling tune to draw in the audience; Mickey Mouse, which uses gimmicks and stage tricks to draw in the audience; Hot/Sweet Mixture, which uses both a fast, driving pace and emotions to draw the audience in.