1930’s Jazz: From Stages to Swing | Hits + Myths Presentation

A presentation by Michael Deakin 

By the thirties, the Great Depression was calling all the tunes. Membership of the American Musicians Union dropped 75% in a year. The entertainment industry’s rush towards popular music encouraged songwriters and producers to create revues as a means of introducing new songs and big stars. Composers worked to find new harmonies and rhythms, and performers competed to win approval. Daryl Zanuck’s new protégée was Alice Faye, who became a star of stage and screen, introducing 23 new songs to US Hit Parade listings. This was the start of the Great American Songbook, as jazz grew in scope and capability. Young people flocked to dance halls and clubs, to join the sheer excitement of social change.