The story of this song exemplifies some of the things going on in music at the time.
Louis Prima originally wrote this song but it has been changed extensively not just in the 1930s but in fact through out its performances, the culmination of this in my opinion is the song Sing Sang Sung by the Gordon Goodwin Big Phat Band. The song uses african drumming technique which was being popularized at the time. Gene Krupa, (the drummer in Benny Goodman's band) famously refused to stop drumming in a performance that led to an extension of the song. This kind of improvisational attitude was becoming a common approach to music, and the idea of improvisation has worked its way into each genre of music since. The 1937 recording of sing sing sing showcases many of the experimental sounds being popularized at the time.
I'm curious about when improvisation got to be so mainstream in music. I know the idea of not having planned out the piece was almost unheard of during the broque, romantic, and early classical movements. (My info is a bit dated and I'm generalizing.) Were blues and jazz the origins of more widely accepted improvisation in music?
ReplyDeleteImprovisation as in 'free music' didn't come around till the 60's. it came after the jazz era really hit peak.
ReplyDeleteit was used as both a break away from the mainstream jazz and a way to customize songs in all genre. I think that what is referred to in the post is more of a solo within a song. it is an allowed break to emphasize the skills of good (or popular) musicians.
so to answer your question yes jazz and blues were the drivers behind the improv music as we think of it now a days but there has always been solos in music.