Word: bande
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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Have you ever seen a runner in the last lap, racing for the tape? Doesn't look very happy, does he? And he probably isn't able to think of much else besides getting to the finish. This analogy fits the "stiff" dance band exactly. Guys who play in them are so busy trying to drive ahead and stay ahead of the beat that their ideas become stereotyped, and cold. They can't think of anything decent because in back of them all this time, there is this terrific push that doesn't let them phrase, or even pause...
What the good relaxed band does it just the opposite of the stiff band. They depend on the ear of the listener to hold the idea of a steady beat and then they begin go play behind it. This is the famous "colored lag," that which takes years to develop, and which most white bands never...
Listen to Gene Krupa's new record of "Hodge-Podge" and you'll hear not only "relaxed" swing, but soles of a sort that are going to make Gene's band one of the top white bands before the year is over. It's easy-flowing, the rhythm "takes it time." As a result, the soles can be slow, and well phrased. It's not easy--it took Gene's bunch this long to learn...
...Many bands either drag when they try it, or think that the nervous excitement resulting from the "stiff" drive style is better. Goodman used to think so, and things like "Sing, Sing, Sing" resulted. But people soon tire of the constant pound of the style and grow sick of the dearth of ideas in the music. So Goodman is trying to shift his band to the other style. Whether he will succeed is a moot question...
...think "lag" style can be found by pounding ahead in four-four drive. Just the opposite results. And if your are going to be successful, you must have a band that plays in the "same hag"; in other words, plays as a unit the same amount behind the beat. That's why all new bands, bands of all-stars, bands mixing two beat and four beat men are bad. You can't have a mixture of ideas about the "proper lag" and get the swing. For unity, a really good swing band must make a football team look like...