Definition
“1938 in jazz” designates the collection of notable events, recordings, performances, personnel changes, births, and deaths that occurred within the global jazz community during the calendar year 1938. The term is used as a chronological reference point in music historiography and encyclopedic documentation.
Overview
The year 1938 fell squarely within the swing era, a period when large ensembles (big bands) dominated popular music and jazz was a primary source of entertainment across the United States and Europe. Key developments of the year include:
- Big‑band activity – Prominent orchestras led by Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Art Shaw maintained intensive touring schedules, frequent radio broadcasts, and regular recording sessions for major labels such as Columbia, Victor, and Decca.
- Landmark recordings – Noteworthy studio releases of 1938 comprise:
- Benny Goodman’s “Tiger Rag” and “Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)” (second recording session, March 1938).
- Duke Ellington’s “A Slip of the Lip (Can Be a Terrible Thing)” and “The Mooche” (re‑recorded for RCA Victor).
- Glenn Miller’s early hit “In the Mood” (recorded July 1938, later released in 1939).
- Radio and film – Jazz featured prominently in radio variety programs (e.g., The Camel Caravan) and in Hollywood productions such as Alexander’s Ragtime Band (1938), which showcased performances by leading swing musicians.
- International diffusion – European jazz festivals and club nights continued to flourish, with visits by American ensembles (e.g., Benny Goodman’s 1938 European tour) helping to cement the genre’s trans‑Atlantic appeal.
- Emergence of bebop precursors – While bebop would not coalesce until the early 1940s, 1938 saw informal jam sessions in New York’s Minton’s Playhouse where younger musicians—including a then‑unknown Charlie Parker (aged 17) and Dizzy Gillespie (age 21)—experimented with harmonic concepts that foreshadowed the style.
Etymology / Origin
The phrase follows the convention of pairing a year with a musical genre (“[Year] in jazz”) to catalogue chronological developments. This naming scheme originated in the mid‑20th century within music reference works and has been adopted by encyclopedic platforms, notably Wikipedia, to organize yearly overviews.
Characteristics
Typical features of the 1938 jazz landscape are:
- Dominance of large ensembles – Arrangements emphasized sectional writing (saxophone, trombone, trumpet sections) and featured solo improvisations within tightly orchestrated frameworks.
- Swing rhythm – A strong, propulsive rhythmic feel driven by the ride‑cymbal pattern and walking bass lines, catered to both dance audiences and radio listeners.
- Recording technology – Electrical recording with 78 rpm shellac discs was the standard medium; studios employed condenser microphones and early magnetic tape experiments were still nascent.
- Commercial viability – Jazz enjoyed high record sales, extensive radio exposure, and widespread inclusion in motion‑picture soundtracks, reflecting its status as mainstream popular music.
Related Topics
- 1937 in jazz – Preceding year, documenting the continued rise of swing and early bebop experiments.
- 1939 in jazz – Following year, notable for the release of “In the Mood” and further consolidation of the swing repertoire.
- Swing era – The broader cultural period (mid‑1930s to mid‑1940s) in which big‑band jazz was the dominant popular music form.
- Bebop – The modern jazz movement that began to crystallize in the early 1940s, rooted in the experimental sessions of musicians active in 1938.
- Jazz discography (1930s) – Comprehensive listings of recordings made during the decade, many of which originated in 1938.