Swing music, also known as swing jazz or simply swing, is a form of jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and became a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States. At this time, the Big Bands also evolved with sometimes over 20 members in the band. Also the Big Ballrooms with over 500 dancer capacity. With a heavy cover charge and good prices on drinks they had huge crowds trying to get in. Swing uses a strong rhythm section of double bass and drums as the anchor for a lead section of brass instruments. Such as trumpets and trombones, woodwinds including saxophones and clarinets.
Sometimes stringed instruments such as violin and guitar. Swing bands usually played medium to fast tempos; and a "lilting" swing time rhythm. They usually featured soloists who would improvise a new melody over the arrangement. The dance able swing style of band leaders such as Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and Count Basie was the dominant form of American popular music from 1935 to 1945. However after WWII, the crowds began to dwindle and the number of band members began to decline too. Bands with less than ten members became prominent and the ballrooms got smaller and crowds got smaller.
With the advent of the Disk Jockey the opportunities for many bands become less numerable and the sizes of the rooms to dance became smaller and more of a Night Club venue. And this has happened to all the types of dance and the music that went with it. In Hawaii, in this new century, there has been an awakening of interest in the 50s, 60s style of live music. And this is going throughout the islands. The only thing different is the amount of alcohol required to dance. Dancers have inherited a reputation of not being drunks, and some Night Clubs have made adjustment to the fact and look for other means to supplement the bar tab.
"Social dancers know that they will sleep better, as a result of being in great shape,
having fun and being less stressed."
having fun and being less stressed."
Sometimes stringed instruments such as violin and guitar. Swing bands usually played medium to fast tempos; and a "lilting" swing time rhythm. They usually featured soloists who would improvise a new melody over the arrangement. The dance able swing style of band leaders such as Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and Count Basie was the dominant form of American popular music from 1935 to 1945. However after WWII, the crowds began to dwindle and the number of band members began to decline too. Bands with less than ten members became prominent and the ballrooms got smaller and crowds got smaller.
"The Music Of Hawaii" by Melveen Leed
With the advent of the Disk Jockey the opportunities for many bands become less numerable and the sizes of the rooms to dance became smaller and more of a Night Club venue. And this has happened to all the types of dance and the music that went with it. In Hawaii, in this new century, there has been an awakening of interest in the 50s, 60s style of live music. And this is going throughout the islands. The only thing different is the amount of alcohol required to dance. Dancers have inherited a reputation of not being drunks, and some Night Clubs have made adjustment to the fact and look for other means to supplement the bar tab.
The verb "to swing" is used as a term of praise for playing that has a strong rhythmic
"groove." And in Hawaii, "The music don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing."
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