When Big Bands Were Dance Bands

Guitarist James Chirillo, bassist Ari Roland, and drummer Alvin Atkinson remind you that big bands performed for dancers, and show you how to keep a strong sense of swing in your rhythm section work, no matter how fast or slow the tempo.
Learn more by visiting our Jazz Academy: academy.jalc.org
James Chirillo - Guitar
Ari Roland - Bass
Alvin Atkinson - Drums
Eric Suquet - Director
Bill Thomas - Director of Photography
Jessica Paz - Sound Engineer
Richard Emery - Production Assistant
Seton Hawkins - Producer
Recorded June 14, 2013

[@Drumsgoon]

It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing!

[@permogensen3964]

but this aint swing, this was "jazz" - lounge jazz. Take a listen to Chick Webb, The King of Swing :)

[@lasalle1042]

@@permogensen3964 it's a ref to a louis armstrong song ^^

[@killerdillr]

@@lasalle1042 Sorry, which one is referring to a Louis Armstrong song? It Don´t Mean a Thing? If so, that one is from 1931 by Duke Ellington and sung by Ivie Anderson. The Louis version with Duke is from 1956.

[@clamor7371]

nice pfp bro

[@itsokaytobeclownpilled5937]

My elderly friend with Alzheimer’s LOVED this video. Well done! He stopped and listened intently.

[@0scill8r]

This series is excellent. Definitely a great message i'm always looking for ways to preach it.

[@jeffkrebs]

This is a perfect video for a cold Sunday afternoon in Toronto - warms me from the inside

[@DavidMScott-cs8pp]

I was a dance band drummer for a big part of my life whereas now I play Blues, Classic Rock and Jazz. As stated here, playing for dancers is a whole different ball game. The band leader and the rhythm section has to watch the dancers movements and sync with them. For example if your playing a waltz the dancers key in the down beat but that also holds true for slow foxtrots and shuffles. Basically if there are drums in the band then the bass drum has to be heard. On rare occasions where a band is playing for dancers without drums, the bass guitar/stand up has to be heard. In short the rhythm section is the key in a dance band. And.. the band leader should intently watch the dancers to see if they are playing music that encourages people to get on the floor.. or change it up. I'm amazed at bands that play clubs today and are totally focused on themselves. But then again if the patrons are sitting and drinking more then the club operator may be happier !😁

[@jarrod4115]

1930's in the city: dancing to jazz 1930's when at the countryside: grooving to delta blues

[@asrod]

Great video! Do more about big band and jazz for dancing please!

[@bbowjazz]

Golden. Thank you gentlemen and especially James C. for keeping classic four to the bar rhythm guitar alive

[@poissonpuerile8897]

Such wonderful music! And it's at least twice my age! Love how the drummer does so much with so little -- few drums and few notes.

[@nemo227]

Back in the day the music got people out of their seats and off the sidelines. When the music stopped the couples stayed on the floor waiting for the next tune. When they recognized an energetic tune we could hear their approval on the band stand and they began to MOVE. It was like their battery suddenly had a full charge. Yes, I miss those days.

[@thedude4594]

I could listen to you three all day 🎉

[@jansteinbach2598]

Wonderful ! Thank you so much ! I think rhythm (section) is highly underrated, partially. Keep on posting those great videos.

[@aussie_philosopher8079]

I love anything to do with jazz and big band, love that sound of a big brass ensemble.

[@hakanozelguitarist]

I don't know anything about double bass but that's a beautiful looking instrument

[@relaxingchannel3928]

this is exactly what i wanted to know!!! thank you so much !!!!!!!

[@DarttMann]

Thanks guys!

[@autonerecords1410]

Great musicians.

[@eddiewakesmusic3137]

I'm gonna send this to all my fellow artists in the hip hop world...They'll have more musical context about the samples they use from my genre! :)

[@HMJohnsonGuitar]

I enjoyed this very much.

[@paulheartsongs]

So cool! 🥶 Thanks guys 🙏

[@mlekoff]

This band are from inner planet... From gold years of swing...

[@Homanjer]

That might be the most important lesson in jazz. The picture of the grumpy looking jazz musician sitting their motionless just shredding away at these complicated lines is really dangerous. It's important not only to enjoy the music, but to enjoy it with your entire body. Music is something emotional and social and you should never think that people only want to listen to you play your instrument. They want to have fun!

[@AmrHammour]

I love you guys :)

[@luchomolinari]

I love this guys ❤😂🎉 is very Importan information

[@nemo227]

That's where I made my money. People heard us and danced. Back in the fifties we were students playing in the cafeteria for dances after the football games. We got paid $6 or $7 dollars each. That was good money in 1956-1957. More of the same in college and after and the pay rate was much better.

[@kempertalley]

Could you provide us with some historical examples (possibly recordings) of bands like Benny Goodman or Artie Shaw doing this before 1940?

[@JazzAcademy]

Kemper Talley Listen to the Count Basie Band's recordings for Decca records circa 1938 and listen for the combination of Freddie Green (guitar), Walter Page (bass), and Jo Jones (drums) in the rhythm section!

[@kempertalley]

Jazz at Lincoln Center's JAZZ ACADEMY So I just listened to all of those recordings. Of specific note, there's a major difference between the drums in this video and those of Jo Jones. There's no ride with Jo. He focuses mostly on the snare and high hat. Why is there such a difference?

[@furnesque]

+Jazz at Lincoln Center's JAZZ ACADEMY This sounds nothing like that. The bass and guitar are too legato, and the drums are playing in a style that certainly did not exist in the 30s. The video is right to point out that the swing music of the 30s was made for dancing. This music isn't. It's straight-ahead jazz. It's well-played, but it does not demonstrate what you say that it will.

[@permogensen3964]

@@furnesque I totally aggree to that.

[@mysticgeneie4668]

🙄

[@bobrich1950]

Mr. Chirillo, what guitar are you playing there ?? Great acoustic tone !!

[@jonl1034]

I guess this is good for people interested in rhythm sections, but I saw the title and thought I was going to hear big bands. Kind of like a title for college marching band and it’s 2 clarinets and a snare drum.

[@joeybonin7691]

Great basics. I might add back in the day you had to be a very good player and a quick study just to get a job.

[@brodyward3019]

whats the song they played in the 2 beat

[@shanewoolsey940]

If they don't dance, ain't gettin' hired again.

[@vicbarker5739]

what guitar are you using in the video

[@aasvideos98]

It don't mean a thing...!

[@Radek-cr2zm]

it was swing

[@jamesrusso2523]

2/2 time screws me up..

[@mmcpoker]

don't touch that radio!

[@furnesque]

I'm confused. In the video, Mr. Roland makes reference to 1930s swing music, but this sounds nothing like a 1930s rhythm section. Everything is too legato, especially those modern cymbals.

[@markmaniatt1825]

furnesque Thank God someone else has a pair of ears.The drums,cymbals and the drummer are all wrong,wrong,wrong.Has this guy never heard Papa Jo,Davey,Gene,Mac,Big Sid or any of the giants.I don't want to pull this effort to pieces for the sake of it,but if your going to do the job right,at least pick the instrument to match the gig.The cymbals should be soft and splashy with a very fast response,very thin.The bass should be predominantly a heavy walking bass.James is very authentic however.I've toured with him extensively and he is as close to Freddie Green and Allan Reuss as you will find today.The bass and guitar in swing music should virtually sound like one instrument.

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

​@@markmaniatt1825 & Furnesque, You don't pay enough attention to the words and, obviously, can't dance or count to three. Swing was used only as one example of danceable big band music. But we have a trio here; how can trio demonstrate the big band without changes? There are many genres and sub-genres of danceable big band jazz, four, double beat, this or that of tempo, same melody but different arrangement, and different style of dance, etc. See this version of Begin the Beguine kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIuzn5d5Yqtoiac to which Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell dance, and then this version of the same jazz standard by Xavier Cugat and his big band, kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6vNiXVqoNOrp68. Pray tell, which dance you choose for Cugat's Latin jazz version?

[@user__214]

Yeah I'm confused as well. I'm a lindy hopper and swing guitarist, and I've enjoyed some of James' other videos on rhythm guitar. But as a swing dancer this music is pretty much undanceable. When you think of big bands you typically think of swing music, and this video shows a more modern take on jazz that doesn't really swing. To be fair, I don't know too much about post-swing big bands. Did people social dance to those? What type of dancing did they do? In any case this is a weird choice to exemplify a big band rhythm section.

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

@@user__214 Swing is not the only dance. Big bands of the Latin jazz did not play swing, but the people danced to all those Afro-Cuban rhythms. On most jazz standards in unsyncopated 4/4 and 3/4 one can dance the Sway, Slow Dance / Nightclub Two Step, Classic Waltz, Swing, Foxtrot, Quickstep, Stepdance, etc. On a syncopated 4/4 choose appropriate Latin dance, including any variation on Tango.

[@MARKMANIATT]

Great Guitar and Bass, Drums way over complicated. Nothing like the great Swing drummers played, Dave Tough, Jo Jones, Gene Krupa, Sid Catlett etc. More study needed my friend..

[@MenkoDany]

Either the guitar is out of tune or he's making the strings go out of tune ahah

[@you_tubeslonelyheartsclubband]

He's playing dissonant jazz chords with not a lot of notes in the voicing because he's playing in a Freddie Green types style.

[@MenkoDany]

@@you_tubeslonelyheartsclubband There was a particular moment when you can hear it but I can't hear it now, my ears are clogged from a virus :/

[@MenkoDany]

@@you_tubeslonelyheartsclubband 5:26 maybe?

[@punumoi]

@@MenkoDany That's the bass you are hearing. Being a fretless instrument it's very difficult to play everything perfectly in tune.

[@MenkoDany]

@@punumoi Quite possible! I've rewatched the video a couple of times and it's really hard to hear

[@LordDalston]

To my ears, there's dubious tuning of that guitar!

[@mr.astronuts3825]

There’s dissonant chords, that might be the thing