Swing music

Swing music, or simply swing, is a form of American music that developed in the early 1930s and became a distinctive style by 1940. Swing uses a strong rhythm section of double bass and drums as the anchor for a lead section of brass instruments such as trumpets and trombones, woodwinds including saxophones and clarinets, and sometimes stringed instruments such as violin and guitar, medium to fast tempos, and a "lilting" swing time rhythm. The name swing came from the phrase ‘swing feel’ where the emphasis is on the off–beat or weaker pulse in the music. Swing bands usually featured soloists who would improvise on the melody over the arrangement. The danceable swing style of big bands and bandleaders such as Benny Goodman was the dominant form of American popular music from 1935 to 1946, a period known as the Swing Era. The verb "to swing" is also used as a term of praise for playing that has a strong rhythmic "groove" or drive.

Swing has roots in the late 1920s use of larger ensembles using written arrangements. A typical song played in swing style would feature a strong, anchoring rhythm section in support of more loosely tied wind, brass. The most common style consisted of having a soloist take center stage, and improvise a solo within the framework of his bandmates playing support. Swing music began to decline in popularity during World War II because of several factors. Most importantly it became difficult to staff a "big band" because many musicians were overseas fighting in the war. By the late 1940s, swing had morphed into traditional pop music, or evolved into new jazz styles such as jump blues and bebop. Swing music saw a revival in the late 1950s and 1960s with pop vocalists such as Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and Nat King Cole, as well as jazz-oriented vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald.

Parov Stelar

Marcus Füreder (born November 27, 1974 in Linz, Austria) better known by his stage name Parov Stelar, is an Austrian musician, producer and DJ. His musical style is based on a combination of jazz, house, electro and breakbeat. He is known as one of the pioneers of electro swing.

Biography

Marcus Füreder first appeared as a DJ at nightclubs during the mid-late 1990s. He got involved in producing and publishing in 2000. Having released his first maxi singles on Bushido (still using his real name and his stage name Plasma), Füreder founded the record label Etage Noir Recordings in 2003. A year later, now with the stage name Parov Stelar, the EP Kiss Kiss was immediately picked up by the influential Austrian radio station FM4. KissKiss, soon followed by the LP Rough Cuts, provided him with a breakthrough on the international electronic music scene.

Parov Stelar was among the first who produced electronic swing music in Europe. With his album Shine the BBC named Parov Stelar as one of the most promising producers active in Europe today. His specific approach to music production, combined with a proven sense of sound aesthetics, led to a reaction from audiences and colleagues all around the world, giving him a reputation as the founder of a new genre: Electro Swing.

Swing

Swing or swinging may refer to:

Activity

Computing

Art, entertainment, and media

Dance

Benny Goodman

Benjamin David "Benny" Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader, known as the "King of Swing".

In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America. His concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City on January 16, 1938, is described by critic Bruce Eder as "the single most important jazz or popular music concert in history: jazz's 'coming out' party to the world of 'respectable' music."

Goodman's bands launched the careers of many major names in jazz. During an era of segregation he also led one of the first well-known integrated jazz groups. Goodman continued to perform to nearly the end of his life, while exploring an interest in classical music.

Early years

Goodman was born in Chicago, the ninth of twelve children of poor Jewish immigrants from the lands ruled by the Russian Empire. His father, David Goodman (1873–1926), came to America in 1892 from Warsaw in the partitioned Poland, and became a tailor. His mother, Dora née Grisinsky (1873–1964), came from Kaunas, Lithuania. His parents met in Baltimore, Maryland, and moved to Chicago before Benny was born. They lived in the Maxwell Street neighborhood.

Electro swing

Electro swing is a musical genre combining the influence of vintage or modern swing and jazz mixed with house, hip hop and EDM. Successful examples of the genre create a modern and dance-floor focused sound that is more readily accessible to the modern ear but that also retains the feeling of live brass and the energetic excitement of the early swing recordings. The best-known artists include Parov Stelar and Caravan Palace while one-off international hits include 'Why Don't You' by Gramophonedzie or No. 1 World Hit We No Speak Americano by Australian duo Yolanda Be Cool Vs DCUP.

In addition to individual artists and one-off hits, electro swing is a genre whose growth has largely been fuelled by a series of European compilation albums that have drawn together works by a variety of producers. These include the British 'White Mink : Black Cotton' series described by Mixmag as "Electro Swing's first landmark moment" and France's 'Electro Swing' series. In the United States, parties such as San Francisco's 'Trapeze' have showcased the genre's artists.