The piano in swing

[Haydn]

I've noticed how much the piano influences the light swinging feel of many classic swing songs (normally smaller groups). It turns out that many pianists were also bandleaders and/or arrangers, so they were highly influential.

A few song examples featuring nice use of the piano:

Bearcat Shuffle
The Goon Drag
Rhythm Sundae

I had a look around for swing era (and a little later) pianists. I guess the best known are:

Count Basie
Duke Ellington
Fats Waller

But I didn't know all these were pianists too:

Nat King Cole
Tommy Flanagan
Fletcher Henderson
Horace Henderson
Earl Hines

Edgar Hayes
Claude Hopkins
Buddy Johnson
James P Johnson
Sammy Price

Adrian Rollini
Horace Silver
Willie "The Lion" Smith
Jess Stacy
Teddy Wilson

I remember a thread about peoples' favourite jazz or swing instrument, but I couldn't find it. At the moment, I'd say mine is the piano.

[Mr Awesomer]

But I didn't know all these were pianists too:

You're just now figuring that out??

...and you don't even mention Tatum.

Wow.

[Haydn]

But I didn't know all these were pianists too:

You're just now figuring that out??

...and you don't even mention Tatum.

Wow.

I'm obviously a person of inferior intelligence Reuben, when compared with yourself

[Mr Awesomer]

I'm obviously a person of inferior intelligence Reuben, when compared with yourself

There was already a 96% chance of that being the case anyway, so there's no surprise there.

[Eyeball]

But I didn't know all these were pianists too:

Nat King Cole
Earl Hines
James P Johnson
Willie "The Lion" Smith
Jess Stacy
Teddy Wilson

OK - I am curious. How long have you been listening/involved with this type of music?

I pared the list down and these are 6 acknowledged masters of the instrument; Jazz piano legends and I am really surprised that you have not known they played piano.

Are there other bandleaders that you do not know what instrument they played?

fwiw - of that list of 6, only Hines would be thought of immediately as being a "bandleader".

[Eyeball]

Bearcat Shuffle

Great side!

Great sound quality!

[Haydn]

Bearcat Shuffle

Great side!

Great sound quality!

Yeah, the sound quality is amazing, and it was recorded in 1936. If only all recordings from that time were of comparable sound quality

[Eyeball]

Yeah, the sound quality is amazing, and it was recorded in 1936. If only all recordings from that time were of comparable sound quality

They are. Now a days it is just a matter of what shape the source material is in and who remasters them.

Go listen to the same recording on Red Hot Jazz and hear what the unremastered version sounds like :

http://www.redhotjazz.com/cloudsofjoy.html

[Haydn]

But I didn't know all these were pianists too:

Nat King Cole
Earl Hines
James P Johnson
Willie "The Lion" Smith
Jess Stacy
Teddy Wilson

OK - I am curious. How long have you been listening/involved with this type of music?

I pared the list down and these are 6 acknowledged masters of the instrument; Jazz piano legends and I am really surprised that you have not known they played piano.

Are there other bandleaders that you do not know what instrument they played?

fwiw - of that list of 6, only Hines would be thought of immediately as being a "bandleader".

You know, sometimes one person says something and others seize on some aspect of what they've said and then use this as a stick to beat them with, and instead of opening up the 'discussion', it can easily become a battle of egos . Thank you for your comment and allow me to clarify.

I listen to classic 1930s and 1940s swing all the time, and recently I've started to notice the piano more. I noticed that the piano often really helps a piece swing, as in 'Bearcat Shuffle' or 'The Goon Drag'.

When I did a bit of research, I was surprised at how many bandleaders were also pianists. Of the ones I've listed, I knew that Basie, Ellington, Waller, Hines, James P Johnson, Willie "The Lion" Smith, Jess Stacy and Teddy Wilson were pianists. I'd forgotten that Nat King Cole and Claude Hopkins were. I didn't know that Fletcher Henderson and Horace Henderson were pianists - I knew them as arrangers and bandleaders. Edgar Hayes I knew as the leader of a fabulous late 1930s black band, but not as the pianist in his band. Buddy Johnson I knew as the leader of the band that played at the Savoy Ballroom in the 1940s, and released great hits like 'Walk 'em' and 'Be Careful If You Can't Be Good', but I didn't know he played the piano in his band. Sammy Price - knew some of his records, didn't know he was a pianist. Adrian Rollini from the early 1930s - love some of his band's music, but didn't know he was a pianist. I was surprised at how many of these musicians were pianists. As we are on the subject, I'll add a few more:

Alex Hill
Jelly Roll Morton
Art Tatum
Claude Thornhill
Clarence Williams
Mary Lou Williams

I'm sure I've missed quite a few as well.

In 1930s swing the piano seems to be interwoven into the music. Trumpets, saxophones and trombones seem to either play 'hey, listen to me' solos or collective bursts of section 'colour'. But the piano just sits there, quietly knitting things together. Perhaps it's the 'percussive nature' of the piano itself (a series of cushioned hammers hitting strings) that distinguishes the piano and makes it good for swing.

Nat King Cole
Earl Hines
James P Johnson
Willie "The Lion" Smith
Jess Stacy
Teddy Wilson

OK - I am curious. How long have you been listening/involved with this type of music?

I pared the list down and these are 6 acknowledged masters of the instrument; Jazz piano legends and I am really surprised that you have not known they played piano.

Are there other bandleaders that you do not know what instrument they played?

I've been listening to this type of music for about 4 years. Of those 6, I forgot that Nat King Cole was a pianist, I knew the others were. I've grown up to know Nat King Cole mainly as a 'crooner' vocalist, not a pianist. And he's not one of the first names I think of in 1930s and 1940s classic swing (compared to Basie, Shaw, Ellington, Miller, Dorsey etc).

I'm sure I don't know which instrument a lot of bandleaders play. The important thing to me is the music, not who plays what. When I looked up Fletcher Henderson, most of what is written talks about his arranging and his bands; his piano playing is hardly mentioned. But I guess it is interesting to know which instruments people played as well, and I suppose it can help you discover more about their history and their music.

[Haydn]

Yeah, the sound quality is amazing, and it was recorded in 1936. If only all recordings from that time were of comparable sound quality

They are. Now a days it is just a matter of what shape the source material is in and who remasters them.

Go listen to the same recording on Red Hot Jazz and hear what the unremastered version sounds like :

http://www.redhotjazz.com/cloudsofjoy.html

An amazing difference. I did notice that the sound quality of the track on the Decca CD Mary's Idea is a lot better than that of the other CDs. If the redhotjazz.com sample is accurate, then it's also a lot btter than vinyl.

[Eyeball]

When I looked up Fletcher Henderson, most of what is written talks about his arranging and his bands; his piano playing is hardly mentioned. But I guess it is interesting to know which instruments people played as well, and I suppose it can help you discover more about their history and their music.

Just a quick answer for now as the outdoors beckons -

The above is because FH was not a sterling pianist. I can't think of any stand out FH solos, but his solo at the beginning of BG's "Stealin' Apples" is memorable in its dullness.

He was a "pen and ink" man, as the term went.

[Eyeball]

An amazing difference. I did notice that the sound quality of the track on the Decca CD Mary's Idea is a lot better than that of the other CDs. If the redhotjazz.com sample is accurate, then it's also a lot btter than vinyl.

The RHJ recording may be dubbed from a 78 rpm shellac pressing.
That was my unconscious impression. It sounded more muffled than a 78 would sound, though. Maybe highly filtered by them. Maybe their copy was beat up. Hard to tell.

[anton]

You're just now figuring that out??

...and you don't even mention Tatum.

Wow.

I'm so tired of this kind of attitude on this forum. If you have nothing interesting or constructive to say, then just simply don't reply!

On the subject of pianists, I'm right now enjoying The Complete Studio Recordings of the Ralph Sutton Trio - recorded in 1950-51, lots of Fats Waller tunes.

[CountBasi]

I really like Teddy Wilson (You're My Desire, You Brought A New Kind of Love to Me, But Not For Me, 71) but haven't had time yet to see how prolific he has been.

[fredo]

I really like Teddy Wilson's work with Billie Holiday and Lester Young. It's fairly mellow, but really great songs.