The Roots of Western Swing

Book excerpt: This book details the early history of what came to be known as Western swing – a hybrid of country, jazz, blues and cowboy music that reached its peak popularity in the 1940’s. In the 1930’s the emphasis was firmly on the jazz elements. Most early bands, such as the Light Crust Doughboys, Milton Brown and His Brownies and Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, recognized the influence of African-American and white jazz players of the 1920’s and 1930’s, and featured musicians who self-identified as jazz musicians and foregrounded elements such as improvisation, blues expression and repertoire from the tradition. Many of these players incorporated these elements and developed an original style that was eventually absorbed into Western swing.