Swing

Swing on vinyl: big bands, saxophones and dance floors

In short: In the thirties and early forties swing was America’s pop music: the big bands of Benny Goodman, Count Basie and Duke Ellington played for dancing, and saxophonists such as Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young became stars. The Vinyl Room currently has 156 swing records.

What is swing?

Swing lives on its springy, evenly rocking rhythm. Alongside the big orchestras there were small groups in which soloists had more room – pianist Teddy Wilson is one example, and cornetist Rex Stewart, himself a long-time Duke Ellington sideman, recorded with colleagues from that band. Billie Holiday shaped the singing of the era.

Many swing musicians kept recording into the fifties and sixties: Coleman Hawkins with “Hawk Eyes”, Count Basie’s orchestra with “Basie Plays Hefti”, or Benny Carter.

What to look for

The first swing recordings came out on 78 rpm shellac discs. On LP they appeared later as collections – alongside genuine LP first editions from the fifties and sixties. What you get is noted with each copy.

From our stock

First pressings

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→ Lester Young · Coleman Hawkins · Big band · Jazz on vinyl · How to spot a first pressing · Grading explained

FAQ

What is swing? Jazz of the thirties and early forties with a springy rhythm, played by big bands and small groups.

Who were the big names of swing? Among others Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young and Billie Holiday.

Are there swing originals on LP? The first recordings came out on shellac; on LP there are collections and new recordings from the fifties on.

What is the difference from big band? Swing is the style, big band the line-up – swing was often, but not only, played by big bands.