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Chapter 6: The Golden Era of Big Band Swing: The 1930s and Beyond
After 1929 Moten turned piano and arranging duties over to Bill “Count” Basie,
who modeled his own big band after Moten’s. (I talk about Count Basie later in
this chapter.) Moten’s ensemble made its last and most memorable recordings
in New Jersey in 1932. Arrangements by saxophonist Eddie Barefield and
guitarist Eddie Durham alternated ensemble passages with sizzling solos by
trumpeter Oran “Hot Lips” Page, saxophonist Ben Webster, and others.
Scoping out other territory bands
Other territory bands swung hard with that loose, wide-open blues feel.
Recording wasn’t common in the Midwest; so much of this music (with the
exception of Bennie Moten’s) isn’t well documented (today, you can choose
from several excellent CDs of Moten’s music). Even though their recorded
legacies remain small, their reputations still loom large even today.
� Troy Floyd’s nine-piece San Antonio ensemble had tight arrangements
and a smooth, less bluesy feel than its peers, as captured on recordings
from 1928 and 1929.
� Walter Page’s Blue Devils hailed from Kansas City and featured top players
including trombonist and arranger Eddie Durham, trumpeter Oran
“Hot Lips” Page, and singer Jimmy Rushing.
� Jesse Stone’s Blues Serenaders was a top Kansas City group, famous
today for helping to launch a young saxophonist named Coleman
Hawkins.
� Alphonse Trent’s all-black band broke color barriers with a longstanding
gig at the all-white Adolphus Hotel in Dallas during the 1920s. They also
reached a radio audience with live shows on a Dallas station.
Coronating Duke Ellington
Jazz’s gods (and goddesses) traditionally ascend mostly on the basis of
instrumental prowess, but for his impact in several important areas, Edward
Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (1899–1974) is without equal.
Born in Washington, D.C., in 1899, Ellington (see Figure 6-1) wanted to be a
painter, which may help explain the colorful sweep of his music. Duke’s
career spanned many genres: ragtime, New Orleans jazz, late-1920s territory
band, New York big band, 1940s bebop, 1950s cool jazz, and 1960s free jazz.
He also made contributions as a leader, composer, arranger, and pianist, and
he assimilated a tremendous variety of influences including classical music.
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