Review and Discussion Questions
1. Describe the differences between early New Orleans jazz music and swing. How are they
similar?
2. What musical elements can be heard in 1930s big-band swing music?
3. What instruments can be found in the rhythm section of a big band?
4. What factors led to a decline in the gramophone record industry during the 1930s?
5. What factors led to the popularity of swing music during the 1930s?
6. What is a “head chart” or “head arrangement”?
7. Describe the various ways in which radio affected swing music.
8. Who were the leading African American bandleaders during the swing era, and how did their
styles differ?
9. What made Harlem important to the development of swing music during the 1930s?
10. Describe the varied approaches to the blues in “One O’Clock Jump,” “Ko-Ko,” and
“In the Mood.”
11. What was western swing, where did it develop, and who was its seminal figure?
12. Describe ASCAP, BMI, and the American Federation of Musicians recording ban. What
effect did these have on big-band swing during World War II? How did the strike help create
conditions that led to the success of rhythm & blues and country and western music after World
War I?
13. Briefly outline the various styles of country music in the swing era, including the styles of
Roy Acuff, singing cowboys, and western swing.