There is a rich history in the United States of Big Band vocalists and Big Band music that began during the first big band era of the 1920s, also known as the period of the Jazz Age, and has influenced music culture ever since. Big Band music originated in the United States in the mid-1920s and quickly came to dominate the popular music scene. Big Band vocalists gained equal popularity. The movement started with swing music and morphed over time to include other types of music and vocalists in styles that we still listen to and that artists still perform today.
Music and Big Band Vocalists of the 1920s
Big Bands of the 1920s usually played jazz with very little improvisation. The dance version of jazz during this period was characterized by sweet, romantic melodies and vocalizations. Popular Big Band vocalists of the time include Paul Whiteman, Fletcher Henderson, Jelly Roll Morton and the legendary Duke Ellington. Dances such as the Charleston and the Black Bottom were popular at the time. Towards the end of the 1920s, a new form of Big Band music emerged that was more authentically jazz than before. Now, more space was given to musicians and solo vocalists to improvise. Cab Calloway and Mel Torme were amongst the popular soloing Big Band vocalists during this period.
A Shift to Swing
Swing music was a new form of jazz introduced in 1935 and quickly became commercial, with a distinctive style by 1940. Dancing to swing music during the Depression era was a form of entertainment for people and a way for people to forget their worries. The rise of several legendary Big Band vocalists occurred during this period, including Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Doris Day and Frank Sinatra.
Since 1945
As jazz evolved and expanded in new forms and directions, more major Big Band vocalists have come into popularity since and more and more Big Band vocalists carry on the tradition today. Noted Big Band vocalists from American History who are still popular and listened to today include aforementioned artists, as well as others, including Sarah Vaughan, Chet Baker, Lena Horne and Jimmy Scott. Contemporary vocalists who have carried on the tradition of jazz and Big Band music with a modern twist include George Benson, Nina Simone and Cassandra Wilson. Artists who have recorded more recently include Norah Jones, Diana Krall and Sylvia Brooks.
