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Category: 1930s
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Fletcher Henderson
About James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. He was one of the most prolific black musical arrangers and, along with Duke Ellington, is considered one of the most influential arrangers and bandleaders in jazz history. Henderson’s influence was…
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Robert Johnson
About Robert Leroy Johnson was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generations of musicians. Although his recording career spanned only seven months, he is recognized as a master of the blues, particularly the Delta…
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Cab Calloway
About Cabell Calloway III was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was a regular performer at the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he became a popular vocalist of the swing era. His niche of mixing jazz and vaudeville won him acclaim during a career that spanned over 65 years. Albums/Songs: No significant albums found.…
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Benny Goodman
About Benjamin David Goodman was an American clarinetist and bandleader, known as the “King of Swing”. Albums/Songs: No significant albums found. Call to Action: What’s your favorite Benny Goodman song? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Count Basie
About William James “Count” Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. He led the group for almost 50 years, creating innovations like the use of two “split” tenor saxophones,…
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Ella Fitzgerald
About Ella Jane Fitzgerald was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the “First Lady of Song”, “Queen of Jazz”, and “Lady Ella”. She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, intonation, and a “horn-like” improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing. Albums/Songs: No significant albums found. Call to Action:…
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Duke Ellington
About Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Albums/Songs: Ella at Duke’s Place Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins Money Jungle Francis A. & Edward K. Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Artie Shaw And Their Orchestras Serenade to Sweden…
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Billie Holiday
About Billie Holiday was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed “Lady Day” by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made a significant contribution to jazz music and pop singing. Her vocal style, strongly influenced by jazz instrumentalists, inspired a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. She was known for her…