Sing Sing Sing

Sing Sing Sing (Video over on the right) 

This song was written originally in 1936 by Louis Prima, and is one of the biggest hits to come out of what jazz historians call “The Swing Era”. Swing Bands consisted of a saxophone section, trombone section, trumpet section and rhythm section (piano, bass, guitar, drums). During the 1920's and 1930's, these bands played their compositions in halls all over the country, where people could dance for three to four hour sets.

The reasons why these bands were so popular was because of historical timing. The Great Depression was the single greatest economic deficit this country has ever seen. With as much as a third of the country unemployed at one time, Americans were looking for an escape. This music provided that.

This song is a hard-driving, swinging tune that even the most harmonically incompetent numbskull would be tempted to snap a finger to. The drum solo at the beginning uses what musicians call syncopated rhythms, which move on off the beat that gets in your soul. This piece, as well as 90% of all jazz tunes are focused on moving around beats 2 and 4. This is where anyone who listens to this song snaps, or claps. Try it, if you listen closely to the beginning, you can hear a “tst” on beats 2 and 4 of every measure. This is the high hat, and this 2 and 4 feel is where swing is derived. The high hat is like a clock, constantly pushing the band forward, driving. If the band does not keep a consistent 2 and 4 rhythmic base, the band will fall apart and there will be no swing.

This tune (jazz song) is filled with different instrument sections calling and answering one and other, kind of a like a conversation. The trumpet section has there ever popular growl, which is almost like a vocal effect to change the sound of each individual brass instrument by humming while playing The trombones move around the trumpet calls, bouncing on and off the beat to create tension. The reed section takes over the melody at about 0:35 and it is like the ensemble has arrived home. The reeds are lead by none other then Benny Goodman, who plays the high voice, the Clarinet. This instrument is present in most of Goodman's recording, as well as many other dance bands of the era, such as Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey. As the tune continues, the sections continue to battle back and forth for the spotlight, conversing with one and other.

As the tune continues, the ensemble dies down and moves into a drum solo. Then, the ensemble builds tension and finally releases at about 4:32, when the ensemble has 3 distinct voices, Brass, Reeds, and Rhythm, all driving forward in order to create a bouncing chorus of forward moving melodic lines. The tune drives all the way ending chord, going out with a bang with way more energy than they started with.

Please enjoy this swinging tune right of the Dance Halls of the 1930's, Sing Sing Sing, performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra.  

What is Jazz?

Jazz is American by nature. It is the music of not 1 people, but the music of all peoples. Black, White, Hispanic and Asian peoples have all contributed to the development of this highly advanced form of expression. Jazz is an emotional canvas in which composers and performers are able to paint feeling. Jazz can be happiness and sadness. Sarcasm and the utmost sincerity. Trust and distrust. Anger and fear.

 Many jazz enthusiasts believe that the only real music can come from a performance and of course jazz is performed to entertain. In order to be a successful performer, you must make the audience feel good.  From the dance bands of the 1930's to the small ensembles of the 1950's and 60's, every successful ensemble has had one aspect of their performance in common. In order to entertain the audience, the music must swing.

Swing is not one type of music. It means to flow. Swing can be described as digging into the "beat" or "tempo". These words describe the speed of the peace. A good performer can play with the speed, fluctuating it to add tension and release, adding even more feeling into the music. The harder to music swings, the more feeling, the more enjoyable this music is.

Whether the music is composed or improvised, it is ultimately up the performer to entertain. If the audience cannot relate by understanding or enjoying the many aspects of the music, than this music does not in fact "swing".

This is the Duke Ellington Band. We will get there later.