DUTC#41 October 29, 2023

Special Feature: “. . .  If It Ain’t Got No Swing. . .”

In a bit of a departure from previous posts on this blog that focused on either particular songs and/or particular artists and groups, I am broadening the scope somewhat here to focus on the evolution of a “genre,” in this case Swing. So, fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride.

Swing music is a style of jazz that developed in the United States during the late 1920s, becoming a nationally popular form of entertainment by the mid 1930s. The name derived from its emphasis on the off-beat, or normally weaker beat. Swing bands of this era usually featured soloists who would improvise on the melody over the arrangement. This very danceable swing style (think Lindy Hop) of the big bands and bandleaders, such as Benny Goodman, was the dominant from of American popular music from 1935 to 1946, known as the “swing era.” The verb “to swing” is also used as a term of praise for playing that has a strong groove or drive. Musicians of the swing era include Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman, Harry James, Lionel Hampton, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, and Django Reinhardt. Quite the list, wouldn’t you say?

The swing era gave way to other forms of “popular” music, as is often the case with many genres of music that go in and out of fashion, and it wasn’t until the early 90s when the swing “torch” was picked up again. The “swing revival,” also known as “retro swing,” and “neo-swing,” ushered in a renewed interest in swing music and Lindy Hop dance, beginning around 1989 and reaching a peak from the early/mid to late 1990s. The music was generally rooted in the big bands of the swing era of the 1930s and 1940s, but it was also greatly influenced by rockabilly, boogie-woogie, and the jump blues by artists such as Louis Prima and Louis Jordan, and the theatrics of Cab Calloway. Many neo-swing bands performed contemporary fusions of swing jazz, and jump blues with rock, punk rock, ska, and ska punk music. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (who will be featured below) among others often stuck close to playing traditional-styled jump blues and rockabilly. It was not long before this music found its way into other forms of cultural expression in the United States. Some of these are Swing Kids (1993), The Mask (1994), and the 1996 American comedy, Swingers. The latter featured a performance by the aforementioned Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

The second revival, if you will, sees swing transformed once again into what is known as “electro swing,” or “swing house.” These are electronic dance music genres that combine the influence of vintage or modern swing and jazz mixed with house and hip-hop. Successful examples of the genre create a modern and dance-floor focused sound that is more readily accessible to the modern ear (whatever that means!) but also retains the energetic excitement of live brass and early swing recordings. Electro swing groups typically include singers and musicians playing traditional jazz instruments like trumpet, trombone, clarinet, and saxophone, as well as having at least one DJ. This is certainly true of some of the examples I provide below. As mentioned above, the swing era had deeply ingrained roots in the United states, which is why I was a bit surprised when I saw a list of “notable artists” representing electro swing and swing house. While I was familiar with some of them, what surprised me is that of the 16 artists/groups listed, not one was from the United States! Sweden, Belgium, The Netherlands, Serbia, Ireland, Germany, and Australia all had one entry, while England, France, and Austria had nine out of the sixteen entries. I hesitate to read too much into this, but it does give one pause.

My “special feature” title is the last half of a popular swing song of the 1930s, “It Don’t Mean A Thing, If It Ain’t Got That Swing,” composed and written by Duke Ellington and Irving Mills in 1931. The version that most are familiar with (I know I certainly was), is the 1956 collaboration between Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald, who together were a force on the jazz scene for many years. However, in a way, that version is a cover of the first recording. The music for the song was composed and arranged by Wellington in 1931 during intermissions at the Lincoln Tavern in Chicago with Irving Mills contributing the lyrics. According to Ellington, the song’s title was the credo of trumpeter Bubber Miley, who was dying of tuberculosis at the time. The song was first recorded by Ellington and his orchestra for Brunswick Records on February 2, 1932. Ivie Anderson sang the vocal ,and trombonist Joe Nanton and alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges played the solos. In later performances, trumpeter Ray Nance often sang the vocal. Below are both the 1932 and 1956 versions to kick off the “swing” era.

Duke Ellington feat. Ivie Anderson. “It Don’t Mean A Thing, If It Ain’t Got That Swing, 1932

Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald. “It Don’t Mean A Thing, If It Ain’t Got That Swing, 1956.

There are many examples to choose from the so-called “swing revival.” Brian Setzer’s Stray Cats, although considered “rockabilly” by most, certainly dabbled in swing, which is certainly true for his next endeavor, The Brian Setzer Orchestra (1984), a seventeen piece band, getting the deserved attention when they recorded Louis Prima’s “Jump Jive and Wail.” Although there are artists/groups from around the globe that jumped on the swing revival bandwagon, Sweden, England, Czechoslovakia, to name a few, there is also a strong representation from the United States. Bands like Squirrel Nut Zippers (North Carolina), Hipster Daddy-O and The Handgrenades (Arizona), it is really a toss-up as to which one of these wins the name award, Pearl Django (Washington) and Indigo Swing (California). The “genre” got its start in Southern California with the Royal Crown Revue and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, who you may remember from their performance at the 1999 Super Bowl. For the sports junkies reading this, the game was played in Miami with the Denver Broncos defeating the Atlanta Falcons. The halftime show also included Stevie Wonder and Gloria Estefan. I chose to feature Big Bad Voodoo Daddy because of their cover of Cab Calloway’s 1931 hit “Minnie the Moocher,” which they recorded for the first time in 1998.

Cab Calloway. “Minnie The Moocher.” 1931

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. “Minnie the Moocher.” Live in Steven’s Point, Wisconsin, 2023, thirty years after they first formed and still with all original members!

I have to admit that although the swing era began well before I was born, when I was first introduced to it sometime in the mid to late 1950s, I was fascinated by how much fun these musicians appeared to be having. It is this level of pure enjoyment whilst performing that first drew me to listening and watching as many live performances as possible of the electro swing bands I am featuring here, especially Caravan Palace and Parov Stellar. For myself, their concerts are a form of musical theater, and the music and movement are infectious, to say the least. With the exception of The Speakeasy Three, the other featured groups for this segment are from that list of sixteen that I mentioned above. Parov Stelar are from Austria, Caravan Palace, France, and Tape Five, Germany. Others on that list include: AronChupa (Sweden), Caro Emerald (Netherlands), and Yolanda Be Cool (Australia). First up, Caravan Palace.

Caravan Palace. “Rock It For Me.” Live at Le Trianon, Paris, April 2012

Parov Stelar. “Booty Swing.” Live from Venice, May 2011

Tape Five. “Undressed To Kill.” Live at the  Gronau JazzFestival, Gronau, Germany, June 2017

The Speakeasy Three featuring The Swing Ninjas. “When I Get Low, I get High.” Official video, April 2013

Los Angeles 2023