Encyclopedia of the History of the Swing Era: Biographies of Big Swing Band Arrangers and Sidemen

Swing music was one of America's first truly original contributions to the world of Fine Arts. The period of the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s is thus far the only age in history when the popularity of swing eclipsed all other genres of music in the U.S. It is an epoch known as the Big Swing Band era, and during it swing music was king. The popularity of swing, and the way of playing it in the swing music style, waned after WWII. However big bands like those of Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw and others upheld the tradition into the 1970s and beyond, in their playing and recordings since the fall of the big bands. Similarly the great pop and jazz vocalists of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s employed arrangements and instrumentation by arrangers and musicians previously associated with, and understanding of, the phraseology of the Big Swing Band era. Since the 1950s I have been involved in the research, collecting, and radio and television broadcasting of swing music that spans seven decades of swing history. It is this experience and love for big band music that compelled me to author. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE HISTORY of the SWING ERA, BIOGRAPHIES of BIG SWING BANDS, ARRANGERS and SIDEMEN. Harvey Sheldon a disc jockey, during the 50’s on WHAT radio in Philly created a national promotional campaign that every D.J. promoting the Big Swing Bands. Simply saying,” THE SWINGIN’ 50’S” and “BRING BACK THE BANDS.” You will find the history of the evolution of swing big bands and Afro Cuban music plus biographies, of the big band leaders, arrangers, not to be forgotten the sidemen. Harvey Sheldon author of 5 books on American Music. Historical books on Broadway and Hollywood Musicals. Critically acclaimed books on the Swing Big Band Era and Pop music from the 1920’s through the 1960’s. HARVEY SHELDON HE KNOWS ALL - TELLS ALL - TELLS EVERYTHING - of all the questions and the history of Swing Big Band music and the biographies of the ground breaking Swing Big Bands.