Although the term "traditional jazz" has been used for everything from Dixieland to the current straight-ahead jazz scene, Trad was the name for the form of New Orleans jazz that flourished in the United Kingdom during the 1950s and 1960s. Similar in style and sound to Dixieland, the best trad bands developed their own repertoire and distinctive approach to playing the happy music. The most popular bands were led by trumpeter Kenny Ball (who had a major hit with "Midnight in Moscow") and trombonist Chris Barber, and stars like Humphrey Lyttelton, Ken Colyer, and Monty Sunshine kept the scene alive and well -- at least until the Beatles caught on. ~ Scott Yanow Scott Yanow
Not all jazz from the 1920s can be described as New Orleans jazz or Dixieland. The 1920s were a rich decade musically, with jazz-influenced dance bands and a gradual emphasis on solo (as opposed to collective) improvisations. Whether it be the stride pianists, the increasingly adventurous horn soloists, or the arranged music that predates swing, much of the jazz from this decade can be given the umbrella title of Classic Jazz. Some of the modern-day revivalists -- many can be heard on the Stomp Off label -- who look beyond the Dixieland repertoire into the music of Fletcher Henderson, Clarence Williams, and Bix Beiderbecke (to name a few) are playing in this open-ended style. ~ Scott Yanow
Swing

While New Orleans jazz has improvised ensembles, when jazz started becoming popular in the 1920s and demand was growing for larger dance bands, it became necessary for ensembles to be written down, particularly when a group included more than three or four horns. Although Swing largely began when Louis Armstrong joined Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra in 1924 and Don Redman began writing arrangements for the band that echoed the cornetist's relaxed phrases, the swing era officially started in 1935 when Benny Goodman's Orchestra caught on. Swing was a major force in American popular music until the big-band era largely ended in 1946. Swing differs from New Orleans jazz and Dixieland in that the ensembles (even for small groups) are simpler and generally filled with repetitious riffs, while in contrast the solos are more sophisticated. Individual improvisations still paid close attention to the melody but due to the advance in musicianship, the solo flights were more adventurous. The swing-oriented musicians who continued performing in the style after the end of the big band era (along with later generations who adopted this approach) were also playing "mainstream." The many stars of swing during the big band era included trumpeters Louis Armstrong, Bunny Berigan, Harry James, and Roy Eldridge; trombonists Tommy Dorsey and Jack Teagarden; clarinetists Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw; tenor saxophonists Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, and Ben Webster; altoists Johnny Hodges and Benny Carter; pianists Teddy Wilson, Art Tatum, Earl Hines, Count Basie, and Nat King Cole; guitarist Charlie Christian; drummers Gene Krupa and Chick Webb; vibraphonist Lionel Hampton; bandleader Glenn Miller; and singers Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Jimmy Rushing. ~ Scott Yanow

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