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What is Western Swing?
The program showcases Western Swing music, an American
music form born in Texas and Oklahoma in the 1930's. It's an amalgamation of
Scotch/Irish fiddle music, New Orleans jazz and Black blues, and it evolved in
the 1940’s parallel to Big Band Swing. It uses fiddles, mandolins, guitars and
steel guitars, in lieu of or along with trumpets, reeds and trombones. The words
and vocals tend toward the light, happy side.
Over the years, there have been many different groups
with varied and different styles playing what can be considered Western Swing
music. In addition, many artists in other fields of music have recorded Western
Swing songs and used Western Swing style musicians and sounds.
Who is Western Swing?
In the 1930's Bob Wills, Milton Brown, Bill Boyd and
other Texas and Oklahoma bands were the nuclei of the music. In the 1940's and
the effects of World War II on the American population, Western Swing bands also
began to become very popular in California. Some of these bands were the same
Texas bands transplanting. Others, were new groups with fresh sounds all theirs.
One of these new bands belonged to Spade Cooley. Others also emanated from
Cooley alumnus such as Tex Williams and Smokey Rogers. The 1950's added the
Honky Tonk element to many of the Western Swing bands such as that of Hank
Thompson and his Brazos Valley Boys. However, because of both television and the
popularity of Rock 'n Roll this music declined for almost two decades. The birth
of contemporary groups such as Asleep At The Wheel and the emphasis on Western
Swing by popular Country Music artists such as Merle Haggard and later George
Strait led to today’s renaissance.
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