Jump Swing
tagStarted late 1930sPeak 1944–1951Last big hit 1998
Jump swing is small-band swing pushed toward R&B: honking saxes, punchy riffs, boogie pulse, comic patter, shouted vocals, and party-level forward motion.
History
It emerged as wartime economics and changing tastes favored smaller, cheaper bands that could still swing hard. Louis Jordan, Louis Prima, Cab Calloway, Wynonie Harris, Lionel Hampton, and Big Joe Turner made it a crucial bridge from swing to rhythm and blues and, eventually, rock and roll.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Britannica on jump blues
- jump-blues histories
- swing-revival references.