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I voted for Sing Sing Sing. It's my opinion that the Battle Of The Bands Between Chick Webb and Bennie Goodman, in which Chick Webb slaughtered Bennie Goodman by the way, embedded the song Sing Sing Sing into America's songbook. Even though Louis Prima wrote it, it was Bennie's version that captured America's attention. This song also was responsible for launching the careers of many of Bennie's sidemen as they became famous and started their own bands.

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I tottaly agree with you, Dimples.

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Trick question! When you're talking about Swingjazz then I vote voor sing sing sing too...but because of that fabulous title 'It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing' I like to give this one also a vote...

Ha! not SO tricky. I meant JAZZ, not only swing, but it's clear that swing was the jazz style that better reached the mass. :)

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luizoak wrote:

Ha! not SO tricky. I meant JAZZ, not only swing, but it's clear that swing was the jazz style that better reached the mass. :)

Yes this is true.
Because most band leaders in the swing/big band era where very strict in allowing the musicians any freedoms, they would go off after the performance and gather in small jazz clubs late at night. There they would experiment with the music with total freedom to do what they wanted. This was the birth of "Bop" jazz. All the bop players from the 50's began under the strict watch of a big band leader.
Dixieland gave birth to swing. Swing gave birth to bop. Bop gave birth to modern jazz. I would say Take Five by Brubeck was very important in allowing bop jazz to be recognized by mainstream listeners, but overall, swing had to be first.
I would argue that In The Mood played a big role in bringing swing into the living rooms of white America. Goodman played for dancers, whatever the color, but it was considered black music and dance. As in anything, and this is true today, when black music is accepted into American society, the record companies have to "white" it up a little. This is the role Glenn Miller played. The same goes for artists later like Elvis and Pat Boone. They took black music and made it a little whiter so it could be accepted and sold to white America.

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Dimples wrote:

I voted for Sing Sing Sing. It's my opinion that the Battle Of The Bands Between Chick Webb and Bennie Goodman, in which Chick Webb slaughtered Bennie Goodman by the way, embedded the song Sing Sing Sing into America's songbook. Even though Louis Prima wrote it, it was Bennie's version that captured America's attention. This song also was responsible for launching the careers of many of Bennie's sidemen as they became famous and started their own bands.

I have to agree with this. Even though Prima wrote "Sing Sing Sing." Goodman popularized it. If you are asking if Prima's version of the song helped popularize Jazz, it would rank very low. I would feel better of you had Benny Goodman's name there rather than Prima to be clear on what you are asking.

I'm having some semantic trouble on this one. For some reason I think of Glenn Miller as swing but not jazz. I think of Benny Goodman as swing and jazz. I know that doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense. Benny seems to have given his musicians a little more freedom in improvisation than Glenn, which is what sways me, but I do appreciate the fact that Miller's arrangements also included some improvisational opportunities for the musicians.

I've always felt that jazz implies freedom, and many of the swing musicians, because of their bandleaders, had none. There was a great discussion/explanation of that earlier - thank you Dimples. So I think of Glenn Miller as a popularizer of swing but not of jazz.

Incidentally, food for thought... If I play a song and improvise on the melody, I am by definition playing jazz. If I play the same song every night, and memorize and repeat the same jazz improvisation every time I play it, am I still playing jazz?

I'm certainly not a jazz history expert. Someone who I think should be on the list is Ella Fitzgerald. She had a very popular hit with A Tiskit A Tasket, and I think that might have been the first time that a smash hit included vocal jazz that went beyond a swing style. The early scat singers deserve being there as well.

But overall, because it was wildly popular with the masses and opened people up to be more accepting of "free interpretation", I'm also going with Sing Sing Sing. Since Goodman had the hit, the credit has to be his even though he didn't write it.

Lastly, a recommendation. Gordon Goodwin arranged a modern version of Sing Sing Sing which he titled Sing Sang Sung. It is played by Eddie Daniels on one of the GG CDs. Eddie is (to me) the best jazz clarinetist that has ever lived - even superior to BG. If you have never heard this version you have missed something incredible. Treat yourself. It's on the GG CD Swingin' For The Fences, available right here on Anyswing.

My complete appreciation to all those involved with Anyswing. I'm learning, and I'm enjoying, and I'm spending far too much time with music when I should be doing other things.

Jeff

I vote Glenn Miller because is the first swing song that I knew. That´s It.

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One more thought on this question. Prior to the 1950's, Jazz WAS popular music. So, how can you popularize something that was already popular. It wasn't till the 50's that rock and roll developed (roackabilly, Elvis, Bill Haley etc...) and eventually became the firmly entrenched as the popular choice of the masses.

Berni Dressel wrote:

I vote Glenn Miller because is the first swing song that I knew. That´s It.

Same stuff here. (well, almost)
Here in Russia people hardly know Sing Sing Sing. But almost everyone, especially older people know Glenn Miller, In The Mood and Chattanooga Choo Choo. The Sun Vallley Serenade movie was imported right after the WWII and was extremely popular. People knew the tune, and people composed their own lyrics in Russian. Kids sang the song on the streets.
I suppose that is the popularity.

Definitly not easy...
I voted for Glenn Miller, I think that, among all, the song you chose was the most popular.

But maybe if you have choosen Ella Fitzgerald or Louis Amstrong my vote would be different...

I totally agree with tinygirlpt.

In the mood by Glenn Miller is without contest the most popular and mediatic from the list, but not my favorite

the beginnin of In the Mood is the Ouverture of the
second half of the XX century

A story says that the song was plagery. A big part of the song was not written by Garland & Razaf (Glenn Miller made it a huge hit for them) but based on a song called Tar Paper Stomp, credited to trumpeter/bandleader Wingy Manone, who recorded it in 1929 and 1930. He was paid of by them when In the mood became a hit. If he only knew...

very intersting, I've made an search

http://www.museeq.com/mp3/93389630.mp3

It's true, the melody is that!

This tune is like "hound dog" of Big mama thornton

or "That allright mama" of Crudup.

the famous version is incomparable like art
with the originals.

But it's amazing to made these discoveries!

thks, Dan!

"In the Mood" as a consolation prize.

here's why. trust The Prof.

u didn't include "Girl From Ipanema" from Getz-Gilberto. Release of THAT single in 1964 was THE moment jazz "crossed over" or went mainstream or pop. it was No. 1 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart that year.

no question.

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Tony wrote:

I totally agree with tinygirlpt. In the mood by Glenn Miller is without contest the most popular and mediatic from the list, but not my favorite

You right, my friend, but we´re talking about popularization. If I have to choose one of my favourites, I have no doubt that will be some Stanley Jordan´s song...

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freddydwight, Girl From IMapnema isnt what I call jazz. Joao Gilberto created the bossa nova beat, with elements of jazz, samba, "choro", but in 64 jaz was already facing a majestic segregation cuz of the rock movement. I dont know if this song really broiught everyone's eyes back into the JAZZ scene.

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luizoak wrote:

freddydwight, Girl From IMapnema isnt what I call jazz. Joao Gilberto created the bossa nova beat, with elements of jazz, samba, "choro", but in 64 jaz was already facing a majestic segregation cuz of the rock movement. I dont know if this song really broiught everyone's eyes back into the JAZZ scene.

yes, we have a discussion! Finally! Pwurp, where are you? We have a discussion!!!!

I think Freddie got a point. Berni said (quote) 'we're talking about popularization' and this little girl from Ipanema did actually turned a lot of people into jazzmuzic or at least get them to listen to other albums of Stan Getz...but then again...luiz is right about the genre: it's more bossa nova...

Reminds me of a documentary about the real girl from Ipanema I once saw on tv. She did exist!

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Can "In The Mood" really be called Jazz?
Jazz is about improvisation, and In The Mood is so arranged and polished...

Here in France I'd say that Django Reinhardt's Nuages was really important for jazz popularization.

Virgil wrote:

Can "In The Mood" really be called Jazz? Jazz is about improvisation, and In The Mood is so arranged and polished...

Yes, 'In the Mood' can be called Jazz!
Jazz is not necessarily just about improvisation as such - though many would disagree! One only has to look at much of what Ellington did to see as much.
Much of so-called 'Traditional Jazz' is about ensemble playing rather than improvised soloing.
'Nuages' is a beautiful piece - one of my favourites.

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I voted for "It Don't Mean A Thing..." because, what would jazz (or modern popular song) be without Duke Ellington's influence.

futileexercise wrote:

I voted for "It Don't Mean A Thing..." because, what would jazz (or modern popular song) be without Duke Ellington's influence.

Edward Kennedy 'Duke' Ellington, while being a truly great influence on both Jazz and modern popular song was only one of many. In fact, I'm listening to part of the 24 CD set Centennial Edition: Complete RCA Victor Recordings: 1927-1973 from 1999 right now - a track called Far East Suite: Ad Lib On Nippon from disc 21 as we speak.



I love Ellington and this particular track is almost 'Hard Bop' but it swings like crazy!

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Keep on going, guys. :)

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I would not have voted for In the Mood except that it's a song that EVERYONE knows - I mean, I knew what In the Mood was BEFORE I even considered getting into Swing Dancing....it's definitely more popular, in my opinion.