Artie Shaw

Artie Shaw (1910–2004) was an American jazz clarinetist, bandleader, and composer whose technically adventurous swing orchestra became one of the era’s most popular.

Benny Goodman: Benny Goodman was an American jazz clarinetist and bandleader whose orchestra helped popularize swing. The press cast Goodman as Shaw’s rival, contrasting two leading swing clarinetists and bandleaders.
Begin the Beguine: Cole Porter’s 1935 song became a major swing hit through Artie Shaw’s 1938 recording. Its extended arrangement made Shaw nationally famous and revived a song that had not initially become a hit.
Jazz clarinet: Jazz clarinet is the use of the clarinet for improvisation and ensemble playing in jazz. Shaw’s instrument and fluent solo style place him among the defining jazz clarinetists.
Swing era: The Swing Era was the period when big-band swing became dominant popular music in the United States, especially during the 1930s and 1940s. Shaw’s orchestra became one of the era’s most popular bands and helped define its sound.
Billie Holiday: Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer known for expressive phrasing and recordings such as “Strange Fruit.” Holiday sang with Shaw’s orchestra in 1938, an unusual interracial collaboration for a major swing band.
Stardust (song): “Stardust” is a 1927 song by Hoagy Carmichael, widely recorded as a jazz standard. Shaw’s 1940 recording became a hit while showcasing the orchestra’s lyrical, spacious style.
Big band: A big band is a large jazz ensemble organized around saxophone, brass, and rhythm sections. Shaw’s orchestra used this format while emphasizing tightly coordinated sections and featured clarinet solos.
1938 Carnegie Hall jazz concert: The 1938 Carnegie Hall jazz concert featured Benny Goodman’s orchestra and helped establish jazz’s concert-hall legitimacy. The concert’s success formed part of the cultural shift that made swing orchestras credible beyond dance halls.
Helen Forrest: Helen Forrest was an American singer who became prominent with big bands in the 1930s and 1940s. Forrest was a featured vocalist in Shaw’s band during its late-1930s peak.
Frenesi: “Frenesi” is a Mexican song by Alberto Domínguez that became a popular swing instrumental. Shaw’s 1940 recording turned the composition into one of his best-known instrumental hits.

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Jimmy DorseyRelated: Shaw’s clarinet-led swing success offers a close contemporary comparison to Dorsey’s career.