swing summary

Jimmie Lunceford was an American big band leader whose rhythmically appealing, well-disciplined orchestra was one of the most influential of the swing era. During his youth, Lunceford studied music with Wilberforce J. Whiteman, father of bandleader Paul Whiteman, and became proficient on all reed

Fletcher Henderson was an American musical arranger, bandleader, and pianist who was a leading pioneer in the sound, style, and instrumentation of big band jazz. Henderson was born into a middle-class family; his father was a school principal and his mother a teacher, and he studied piano as a

Tommy Dorsey was an American musician who—both independently and with his brother Jimmy—led several of the most popular big bands of the swing era. He was also a highly respected and influential trombonist. Both brothers received their first musical training from their father, a music teacher and

Lionel Hampton was an American jazz musician and bandleader, known for the rhythmic vitality of his playing and his showmanship as a performer. Best known for his work on the vibraphone, Hampton was also a skilled drummer, pianist, and singer. As a boy, Hampton lived with his mother in Kentucky and