The sound that changed Britain

It was an age of change. The world had been hit by a devastating financial crash and would soon march into the Second World War. But in the late 1920s and early 1930s, Britain was also moving to a new rhythm. Jazz and the big-band sound were taking the country by storm, a cultural revolution.

Many credit the Original Dixieland Jazz Band – which went on tour in 1919, appearing at the London Hippodrome in the first official jazz gig in the UK – for creating an interest in jazz in Britain. But one of the earliest and most influential names associated with the early jazz scene on this side of the Atlantic was Fred Elizalde.

Elizalde was regularly broadcast on the BBC between 1926 and 1929 – despite the red-faced complaints of Establishment  figures who thought his sound was a bad influence and far too ‘riotous’. In fact, this new fast-paced music was banned at some dances, as the young women being spun and flung into the air by their partners revealed stocking tops and even their underwear.

Ina Ray Hutton

Philippines-born Elizalde sought to bring a more American sound to British dance music, which at the time had a Viennese ballroom quality. And through his recordings with Brunswick and Decca, and his residency at The Savoy Hotel, he brought many of the best early jazz players into the limelight – including Harry Hayes and Norman Payne, and Americans Arthur Rollini and Bobby Davis. His band made such an impact on the music scene that in 1928 the famous weekly music paper, Melody Maker, named them the best dance orchestra.

Female jazz musicians, meanwhile, were few and far between. Although occasionally singing with big bands, women had still to find a market for their music. But the ‘blonde bombshell of rhythm’, Ina Ray Hutton, realised that a high quality, all girl jazz band could be a huge hit, famously saying, ‘If curves attract an audience, so much the better.’ Her band, The Melodears, performed frequently during the 1930s, appearing on The Big Broadcast of 1936 alongside Bing Crosby and Al Bowlly.

Originally put together by Irving Mills, the band, under the management of Hutton, was a huge success, touring solidly for five years. They also appeared in their own films, including Feminine Rhythm, Accent On Girls, and Swing, Hutton, Swing. Despite the band’s popularity, however, Hutton was tired of her act being seen as a novelty and she disbanded The Melodears. While her name is not widely known today, she paved the way for a number of female bands that took off˜ in the 1940s.

But things didn’t always run smoothly even for giants such as Elizalde. In fact, despite his band’s popularity, it was reported that older guests who attended his set at The Savoy were ‘o˜ffended’ by his music – and his contract was not renewed when it expired in 1929.

Fortunately, radio and record companies gave musicians the freedom to exist beyond the confines of theatres and music halls, allowing names such as Bert Ambrose (who employed Art Tatum, one of the best jazz pianists to date), Lew Stone, Ray Noble and Al Bowlly (Britain’s answer to American crooners like Bing Crosby) to burst on to the music scene with dance band tunes and sentimental ballads, such as Goodnight, Sweetheart, and Love Is The Sweetest Thing.

Spike Hughes, for example, became so popular that he was invited to New York to lead and compose for Benny Carter’s Orchestra (a major figure on the scene and referred to by many as The King). Carter himself would later become staff˜ arranger for the BBC Dance Orchestra in 1935.

The rise of radio, however, didn’t always work in this new sound’s favour. John Reith, the first Director-General of the BBC, for instance, strongly believed that culture should provide ediffication, not entertainment. While he did give dance music a significant amount of air time, in 1929 he decided to ban the announcement of song titles, meaning people wouldn’t be able to find out which tracks they played. Public disapproval soon saw this decision reversed.

Fats Waller

As the period wore on, the jazz sound slowly evolved into swing thanks to musicians such as Benny Goodman. But a flurry of recent costume dramas proves that we still have a huge appetite for the sound, as well as the look, of this exciting bygone era.

1930S CLASSICS TO REGISTER ON YOUR RADAR
Ray Noble Orchestra Often paired with the timeless vocals of Al Bowlly, tracks such as The Very Thought of You; Goodnight, Sweetheart, and Midnight, The Stars And You are classics.

Bert Ambrose And His Orchestra Asked to put together and lead his own band at the tender age of 20, Ambrose recorded classics such as Too Many Tears, When Day Is Done and Bye Bye Blues. He also brought ‘The Forces’ Sweetheart’, Vera Lynn, into the limelight.

Fats Waller Undeniably one of the best jazz pianists ever, Fats’s humour and talent shine through every track he recorded. Honeysuckle Rose, Stardust, and Ain’t Misbehavin’ are among his best.