[78-L] Big Band Era

[DKing]

Hello Andrew,

I just read the Guardian article about “world music” and whether it should be tossed out and replaced with something else.  How would you classify music that is currently lumped together under “world music”?  I don’t have a solution unless it’s listing music by country of origin, but with musical styles blended that’s problematic too.

- Dave King


> On Jun 27, 2020, at 10:12 AM, Andrew Homzy <andrew.homzy at gmail.com.invalid> wrote:
> 
> 
> Hi Donna,
> 
> You are right about who comes-up with the names for different musical genres.
> 
> I’m sure that Bach & Haydn didn’t think they were representing the Baroque Era - or that Goodman’s goal was to become the best Big Band leader of the Swing Era. Dizzy didn’t call his music Be-Bop - nor did Parker.
> 
> Musicians in New Orleans didn’t call their music jazz - even after the word was well established. The only person to be called The King Of Jazz was someone who could barely play the viola and never wrote a note of music, nor was capable of improvising. Ellington stated that he stopped using the word Jazz in 1943. Duke said that “Jazz was something you did” - and his titles of compositions which contain the word jazz illustrate that definition.
> 
> A friend of mine who was a prominent arranger on the Montréal scene starting in the 40s talked with disdain about having to arrange "Ooh-Wa” music - perhaps a better description than “Doo-Wop”.
> 
> We need categories to distinguish the mundane. Ellington recognized characteristics of people and accomplishments as “Beyond Category”. Of course, that applies to himself -
> 
> 
> 
> Here’s an article which questions the term “World Music”.
> 
> https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jul/24/guardian-world-music-outdated-global
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Andrew
> 
> 

>> On Jun 27, 2020, at 8:43 AM, Donna Halper <dlh at donnahalper.com.invalid> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> On 6/27/2020 10:55 AM, RODMANLEWIS . wrote:
>>> I think the use of the term "Big Band" Era was a case of being wise after
>>> the event. The 30s is now also known as the "Swing Era", but it was as much
>>> the "Mickey Mouse" (aka "Sweet", "Hotel" or "Society") Era.
>> 
>> 
>> As I mentioned in an earlier reply, it's often media critics and 
>> historians later on who come up with these names as a retrospective on 
>> the era, even though nobody called it by that name at the time. Big Band 
>> is one example (although the term was being used in the late 1800s to 
>> refer to large orchestras that played concerts at circuses and fairs).  
>> Another good example is "doo-wop," referring to the lyrics and the 
>> harmonies found in certain 1950s rhythm & blues music. I grew up in the 
>> 50s, and I don't recall ever hearing anyone call it that.  Yet today, 
>> "doo-wop" a common term for that music.
>> 
>> -- 
>> Donna L. Halper, PhD
>> Associate Professor of Communication & Media Studies
>> Lesley University, Cambridge MA
>> 
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