Swing Set by David Rickert: Deconstructing Anthems

David Rickert has written a series of articles over the past five years that are essential reading for anyone interested in swing and big band, and especially the songs that we (and Hollywood in the form of soundtracks for period pieces) associate with that era.

The following seven songs, and background on the band and musicians who performed them, are covered:

1. Benny Goodman: "Sing, Sing, Sing"
2. Count Basie: "One O'Clock Jump"
3. Duke Ellington: "Cotton Tail"
4. Artie Shaw: "Begin the Beguine"
5. Tommy Dorsey: "Marie"
6. Lionel Hampton: "Flying Home"
7. Glenn Miller: "In the Mood"

Benny Goodman. In Benny Goodman: "Sing, Sing, Sing" Rickert provides an excellent background of the Goodman band during the time leading to and including the 1938 Carnegie Hall concert, and pays a lot of attention to the key musicians who made Sing, Sing, Sing pure magic that night. While we drummers tend to think that Gene Krupa made that song, Rickert's analysis shows the contributions of Jess Stacy and Harry James, both of whom spiced the piece to the point that it will forever be the definitive rendition of the song.

I also enjoyed the background of the song itself, written by Louis Prima, one of my favorite musicians (I am Italian-American, so Prima provided the background music of my youth!) Indeed, I have a clip from Louis Prima: The Wildest of the original version with Jimmy Vincent in the drum chair. It was a great song before Goodman got his hands on it, but electrifying with Goodman's (and Krupa's) imprint. You can purchase the CD of the entire concert or download just Sing, Sing, Sing to your MP3 player (the entire 12:02 minutes).

Here is a clip that contains most of the original version from the concert (Youtube imposes a 10 minute limitation, leaving out approximately two minutes):


Count Basie. Rickert's article on Count Basie: "One O'Clock Jump" is comprehensive in his treatment of the song and musicians, but does leave out the interesting fact that it was originally titled Blue Balls, which was considered too risque by radio announcers to be used. Hence, One O'Clock Jump became the official title when it was released to record. What I like is Rickert's description of what set the Basie band apart, and especially his mention of the All-American Rhythm Section (Walter Page on bass, Freddie Green on rhythm guitar and Jo Jones on drums.) I personally consider Basie himself to be an integral part of the All-American Rhythm Section, but Rickert has a direct quote from Basie saying otherwise. Regardless, the song, and indeed the band during that period, were magic. You can download One O'Clock Jump to your MP3 player or purchase One O'Clock Jump: The Very Best of Count Basie, which contains the title song and 13 other original recordings that have been digitally remastered.

My favorite version is this clip from the mid 1950s; however, this clip shows the original line-up:


Duke Ellington. While I hold Ellington (and his alter ego, Billy Strayhorn) to be a national treasure, I'll confess that I listen to Basie a lot more. The bluesy jazz that was born in Kansas City touches my soul, and, of course, the All-American Rhythm Section would appeal to any drummer. That said, I have a deep and abiding fascination with Ellington, ranging from his compositions to his his approach to leadership (I am a retired naval officer). Rickert's article Duke Ellington: "Cotton Tail" was more focused on Ben Webster's contribution to this great song, but there were some interesting insights about Ellington as well. Specifically,

... It's no wonder, then, that he had an uneasy relationship with swing; "Jazz is music, he said. "Swing is business. He longed to get away from the three-minute pop song and devote his time to longer, more ambitious compositions.

To me it all adds more data points to that complex puzzle of Duke Ellington the man and the musical genius.

If you want to delve deeply into some of Ellington's best work, I recommend Ken Burns JAZZ Collection: Duke Ellington, or you may just want to add Cotton Tail to your MP3 player. Here is an excellent clip of the song that is one of the truly great pieces from the era, and the one that secured Ben Webster's place in jazz history:


Artie Shaw. Begin the Beguine is a Cole Porter composition that became forever associated with Artie Shaw. In Artie Shaw: "Begin the Beguine" Rickert does an outstanding job of deconstructing the song, while providing insights into Shaw. As stated in the article, during the era there was considerable polarization between Goodman's and Shaw's fans, and there was professional rivalry between the two musicians as well. Personally I love listening to both, but the game point goes to Shaw in my estimation - after all, Shaw managed to marry one of the world's most beautiful women: Ava Gardner. Seriously, I think Shaw deserves greater study because his name appears to be losing the recognition that Goodman's name still enjoys. If you want some insights into Shaw the man I recommend Artie Shaw: The Reluctant 'King of Swing', which is an interview conducted by NPR in 2002.

If you are a Shaw fan, definitely grab Begin the Beguine 10-CD Box Set (an incredible bargain for the price), or download Begin the Beguine to your MP3 player. This clip shows why Rickert selected Begin the Beguine as one of the anthems:


Tommy Dorsey, more rooted in 2/4 Dixieland than in 4/4 swing, was a martinet as a band leader (much like Goodman), and in many ways was the antithesis of a swing musician (and certainly a jazz musician) with his highly orchestrated, note-for-note performances. Some of this is discussed in Rickert's Tommy Dorsey: "Marie". Regardless of Dorsey's style (and he did learn to swing eventually), Marie is one of the most beautiful compositions to come out of the era discussed, and Tommy's playing shows why he is considered to be one of the best trombonists ever. While I am not a die hard Dorsey fan, I frequently listen to this song, and it is often used in movie soundtracks from the period. One thing I will say about Dorsey is he had great taste in drummers, with Dave Tough being one of the best in Dorsey's lineup. For that reason alone I have some Dorsey albums that I frequently play.

If you want Marie on your MP3 player you can download it from Amazon. If you want to explore more Dorsey hits, I recommend The Best of Tommy Dorsey as a starting point. Here is the song in it's glorious beauty:


Lionel Hampton - Hamp - is one of my favorite musicians and drummers (he was no slouch behind a drum kit!) Moreover, Hamp was a consummate showman who held entertainment to be an important part of musical performances. This is in direct contrast to many of his peers who were purists, more intent on perfect delivery of a song, or compositions that may or may not lend themselves to dance. Rickert's article on Lionel Hampton: "Flying Home", thankfully, discusses Hamp the person as well as the genesis of Flying Home. In a future post I'll discuss Hamp in more detail, but for now check out the 11-song CD, Flying Home for a taste of Hamp's high energy work, or download the title song to your MP3 player. Here is Hamp performaing Flying Home:


Glenn Miller. When swing is discussed many "purists" dismiss Glenn Miller. Here is a quote by Buddy Rich, which sums up such attitudes:

I often say, in a little bit of humor, something to the effect that Miller's music was so bad that I wouldn't be surprised if one of our planes shot him down! I feel that there were enough people who wanted to hear good music, as opposed to what Miller was laying down, that it wouldn't be too unreal to visualize that.

What Rich and others fail to take into account is Miller wrote and performed some of the most popular music of his era. Music that was not only danceable, but swung. More importantly, many of Miller's compositions are those which immediately evoke memories or associations with the era - especially World War II - nearly to the exclusion of any other bands. Consider In The Mood: it is immediately recognizable to this day by young and old. And, dismissive comments by the purists and Mr. Rich notwithstanding, I defy anyone to listen to it and not tap their foot.

Rickert did an excellent job describing Miller and his music in Glenn Miller: In the Mood, and I hope that adds a balance to Miller's music. Listen to Glenn Miller's Greatest Hits to see why I think his music is important, and for moments when you need a lift, download In The Mood to your MP3 player.


In my next post I'll provide recommended books, videos and other resources on each of the seven musicians who made this remarkable music.

Oral Histories: Louis Bellson, Chico Hamilton & Roy Haynes

Treasures all, and thanks to the Smithsonian these priceless oral histories are available to those of us who appreciate what these gentlemen did for music and drumming.

Louis Bellson - 108 page transcript.
Audio clips: Clip 1 - on joining Benny Goodman, Clip 2 - Duke Ellington's band, Clip 3 - More about Ellington, Clip 4 - Louie's first arrangement for Ellington, Clip 5 - Pearl Bailey, Clip 6 - playing Benny Carter’s difficult arrangement of Errol Gardner’s performance of "For Once In My Life", Clip 7 - performing with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops, Louis Armstrong

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Chico Hamilton - 153 page transcript.
Clip 1 - challenges of timekeeping, Clip 2 - meeting Dexter Gorden, Clip 3 - on Jo Jones with Basie, Clip 4 - on Art Blakey, Clip 5 - his encounter with Illinois Jacquet, Clip 6 - discusses meeting Larry Coryell

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Roy Haynes - 72 page transcript.
Clip 1 - early life, Clip 2- culture of Harlem and New York City, playing at the Apollo Theater, Clip 4 - Lester Young, Clip 5- Sonny Rollins, Clip 6 - on being a drummer, Coltrane

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What I love about Louis Bellson in particular is his three greatest influences coincide with mine: Chick Webb, Papa Jo Jones and Big Sid Catlett. In fact, Big Sid was one of Louis' teachers. A great article about Louis that augments his oral history above is Louie Bellson: Drumming's Patron Saint.

Louis and Roy Haynes narrated Legends of Jazz Drumming, and between the two you will get not only a history lesson in jazz drummers, but personal accounts and opinions that are as priceless as the oral histories above. An example is when Roy went to the West Coast in the 1940s and was mistaken for Chico Hamilton. Of course, Louis' insights into Chick, Papa Jo and Big Sid are equally priceless. Roy Haynes fans will find even more about material this remarkable drummer in A Life in Time – The Roy Haynes Story, which includes selected audio tracks on three CDs, and a DVD

Chico is one of the artists whose performance was captured (and showcased) in Bert Stern's wonderful Jazz On a Summer's Day, which I reviewed earlier.

If oral histories and biographies of these great drummers interest you, I strongly recommend Drummin' Men: The Heartbeat of Jazz The Swing Years and Drummin' Men: The Heartbeat of Jazz The Bebop Years, both of which are by Burt Korall. The Swing Years edition is especially valuable if you want in-depth biographies of drummers such as Dave Tough, Papa Jo Jones, Big Sid Catlett, etc. I found information on each - and many more drummers - that I have not found anywhere else. Another book that provides a focused history and solid bios of some great drummers and musicians is The Commandments of Early Rhythm and Blues Drumming. I was totally drawn into this book, and was surprised by the deep knowledge the author brings to not only R&B drumming, but how Six Degrees of Baby Dodds and a chart tracing roots back to those early pioneers add another dimension to the history of drum kit playing and jazz.

Louis Cottrell, Sr. and Early Jazz

One of my fascinations is with the early jazz pioneers, especially the drummers whose influence lives in some form to this day. One such drummer is Louis Cottrell, Sr. who is credited with being the first to use the press roll to keep time.

Louis Cottrell, Senior with the Piron's New Orleans Orchestra circa 1923

Baby Dodds is among those who Cottrell influenced (and taught), and Dodds is considered by many to be the root of US drum kit playing. Interestingly, Cottrell was taught by a man named John Kornfeld (see page 2 of Jazz Archivist, May 1997), which probably took place around 1890. Given Cottrell's influence it is possible that he and not Dodds is the true root of US drum kit playing, although it was Dodds who directly influenced the likes of Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, etc.

Certainly the use of press rolls for time keeping was an innovation, and that technique deserves qualification. Undoubtedly, press rolls were used before Cottrell employed them, but prior to his influencing style, music that was to become jazz was rudimental and precise. Cottrell's press rolls incorporated ragging (syncopation), and was an innovation in the same way as the "push" beat on the bass drum beat, which also originated in early New Orleans music that would become jazz. The push was an extra note on the and of four. One needs to remember that the early New Orleans dance band musicians were also parade musicians and the early parade music was straight, military style. Also, during the formation of what was to become jazz there was a heavy influence of the most popular music of the period, ragtime, which was characterized by syncopated rhythms, as well as the influence of blues. This confluence is covered in Episode One, Gumbo, in Ken Burns' Jazz series.

Examples of Cottrell's playing can be heard on Piron's New Orleans Orchestra . Today the music and drumming sound outdated and corny. However, as subdued as Cottrell's drumming is on that album, you can hear his playing in drummers who he directly influenced, and especially in Happy Goldston's remarkable press rolls. Goldston, born in 1894 was a generation behind Cottrell, but still a part of very early jazz. Here are two brief sound clips of Goldston's press rolls: Li'l Liza Jane and When the Saints Go Marching In.

Putting Cottrell and his contributions and influence into proper context, though, requires an understanding of early jazz itself. A great starting point (if somewhat academic in tone) is How the Creole Band Came to Be By Lawrence Gushee and Harry Carr. This paper provides details on the social fabric in which early Jazz was born, and cites important musicians. Another paper by Lawrence Gushee that attempts to pinpoint the origins is 19th Century Origins of Jazz. Both papers are important to understanding Cottrell's influences. While Cottrell was taught by John Kornfeld, those lessons were probably limited to rudiments that Cottrell later adapted to developing a press roll that had the syncopation and groove necessary to be used for time keeping in the early music.

Additional material for those who are interested in the early forms of jazz, and New Orleans jazz in particular include: Notes from the recording New Orleans Jazz: The Flowering, which is a fascinating history in itself and can be used as a guide to searching for early recordings. An even better resource for seeking the early recordings, though, are A History of New Orleans Music in 100 Tracks - Part 1 and Part 2. This two-part article focuses on the recommended songs to seek out from the New Orleans musicians from 1848 on to fully understand the New Orleans contribution to jazz and the enduring influence of New Orleans musicians who added to it elsewhere.

Additional resources I recommend to anyone interested in the early days of jazz include Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It (you can read the first five chapters in An Online Story of Jazz in New Orleans, and two excellent books by Daniel Hardie: The Birth of Jazz: Reviving the Music of the Bolden Era, and the companion, Exploring Early Jazz: The Origins and Evolution of the New Orleans Style. I also recommend Jazz Greats of Old New Orleans, which is a 47 minute video of a television broadcast in 1958 that featured some of the early pioneers who were still alive. Finally, Engine Room: History of Jazz Drumming from Storyville to 52nd Street contains not only excellent examples of early jazz drumming on the first CD of the set, but the remaining three CDs show how jazz and jazz drumming continued to evolve from the influence of the early pioneers to the innovations of those who followed. This is definitely a must have collection for any drummer interested in jazz.