From the classic 1930s sound through today's Retro-Swing movement, this fun-to-browse guide covers every era of Swing. It profiles over 500 band leaders, players, vocalists, sidemen and composers. There are anecdotal biographies and classic photographs, as well as reviews and ratings of recordings that make (or don't make) the cut. Insightful essays on swing's evolution and the current scene offer an historical perspective not found in other guides. Plus there is a guide to swing in the movies, hard-to-find recordings, a bibliography, and more.

Profiles and reviews include: Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Louis Prima, Scott Hamilton, Louis Armstrong, Glenn Miller, Ella Fitzgerald, Lavay Smith & the Red Hot Skillet Lickers, Royal Crown Revue, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

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FURTHER READING

other books in the same series by Scott Yanow: Classic Jazz Afro-Cuban Jazz Bebop other books on the swing era: Bands, Booze and Broads Sheila Tracy's interviews with big band members Swingin' the Dream a social survey by Lewis Erenberg Big Band Almanac Leo Walker's general reference book The Swing Era by Gunther Schuller

TIMELINES

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