Omar Bennett
During World War II, the size of the US military grew from under 2 million active-duty personnel in 1941 to over 12 million in 1945. This expansion led to a reduction in the number of musicians available for civilian orchestras and the formation of smaller ensembles. Some musicians who joined the military continued to play in ensembles, such as Glenn Miller, who left his popular Big Band to entertain troops abroad. The music of the time, including swing and jazz, provided comfort and a sense of familiarity to soldiers and their families. Notably, all-female big bands also emerged during this period, challenging gender norms in the male-dominated music industry and leaving a lasting legacy on the history of jazz.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of musicians | 15 musicians, with some bands being larger |
| Types of instruments | Clarinet, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, piano, guitar, bass, drums |
| Band size | Big bands were forced to reduce to smaller ensembles |
| Band composition | All-female bands toured during World War II |
| Band leaders | Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Jimmy Lunceford, Cab Calloway |
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What You'll Learn
All-female bands
During World War II, thousands of men were shipped off to war, leaving a dearth of musicians to perform in orchestras and bands. This resulted in the formation of about half a dozen all-female big bands that toured the length and breadth of America. These bands were a rarity in a male-dominated music industry, and their stories have largely been erased or minimized in jazz history.
Jazz Night in America host Christian McBride has spent years researching the history of these bands. He notes that during this flourishing time for all-women groups, the 17-piece International Sweethearts of Rhythm was the most popular. McBride says that the Sweethearts were "probably the first all-female band taken seriously" and that they were boundary breakers in many ways. As an integrated ensemble, the Sweethearts often faced obstacles when touring the Deep South. McBride interviewed Rosalind Cron, a saxophonist in the Sweethearts, about the band's experiences on the road. Cron, who was of mixed race, recalled that she had to make up a story about her parents when travelling to the Deep South to avoid trouble under the Jim Crow laws.
The legacy of the Sweethearts and other all-female acts like The Coquettes lives on today with big bands led by women. McBride says the Sweethearts paved the way from the 1950s through to the present day for bands like the DIVA Jazz Orchestra. "The jazz community can't afford to be exclusionary," McBride says. "We need more people playing this music. The music itself doesn't care who plays it. A B-flat doesn't care who plays it. We want women playing this music, we want people from all walks of life playing this music."
The formation of all-female bands was not a new phenomenon during World War II. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, a few women began to make all-female bands commonplace. In 1891, Helen May Butler founded an all-female band in Providence, Rhode Island, named the Talma Ladies Orchestra. The band grew from less than two dozen members to a twenty-piece band and toured the country, even attending several world's fairs and expositions. Although the band dissolved in 1913, Butler's efforts helped pave the way for all-female bands in the future.
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Military ensembles
Military bands have been a part of the US Army since before World War I. In 1915, there were 72 Army bands comprising over 2,000 musicians. However, the onset of World War II significantly impacted the constitution of military bands. The expansion of the US military from under 2 million active-duty personnel in 1941 to over 12 million in 1945 meant that many qualified instrumentalists were no longer available to perform in civilian orchestras as they entered military service.
Some professional musicians who joined the military continued to play in military ensembles. For example, Glenn Miller left his popular Big Band to serve as an entertainer for the troops abroad, initially playing trombone for a 15-piece dance band at Maxwell Field, Alabama. Miller then formed a large military marching band and later a 50-piece band, the Army Air Force Band, which performed for troops in England. Other famous musicians who led military jazz bands during World War II include Benny Goodman, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington. These bands played an important role in boosting the morale of troops, both at home and abroad, with their swing and big band music.
With the shortage of male musicians due to the war, all-female big bands also emerged during this period. These bands toured around America and helped pave the way for future generations of women in jazz. One of the most popular all-female bands was the 17-piece International Sweethearts of Rhythm, an integrated ensemble that faced obstacles when touring the Deep South.
In addition to the shrinking size of bands, World War II also affected the music business on a material level. Many musical instrument manufacturers temporarily converted their factories to produce military contracts, replacing the production of instruments with the manufacture of weapons and ammunition.
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Jazz music for comfort
During World War II, jazz music provided comfort for families at home and soldiers abroad. The onset of the war affected all areas of American culture, including popular music. As the size of the U.S. military expanded, the number of qualified instrumentalists available to perform in civilian orchestras diminished. Many musicians were drafted into the military and took their music with them, with some even leading military jazz bands that travelled the world to boost the morale of the troops.
Big Band music, which grew out of the jazz music of the 1920s, was especially popular during the war. The standard arrangement for a Big Band was a 17-piece orchestra, typically consisting of 5 saxophones, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, and a 4-piece rhythm section. Notable Big Band leaders during the war included Benny Goodman, whose orchestra featured one clarinet, four trumpets, two trombones, four saxophones, piano, guitar, bass, and drums—a total of fifteen musicians. Another popular Big Band leader was Glenn Miller, who left his band at the peak of their popularity to serve as an entertainer for the troops abroad. Miller formed a large military marching band and later a 50-piece band, the Army Air Force Band, which performed for troops in England at least 800 times.
In addition to the all-male Big Bands, there were also a handful of all-female Big Bands that toured around America during the war. One of the most popular was the 17-piece International Sweethearts of Rhythm, an integrated ensemble that faced obstacles when touring the Deep South. The legacy of these all-female bands lives on today with modern-day bands like the DIVA Jazz Orchestra.
The music of these Big Bands and jazz greats provided comfort and a sense of familiarity for those on the battlefront and those on the home front, helping to define a culture and an era marked by global conflict.
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Big Band orchestras
The popularity of Big Band music is evident in Billboard's best-selling singles chart for 1941, the year the United States entered World War II. Every song that reached number one on the chart was recorded by a Big Band. However, the expansion of the U.S. military during the war, from under 2 million active-duty personnel in 1941 to over 12 million in 1945, significantly reduced the number of qualified musicians available for civilian orchestras. This led to a decline in the era of Big Bands, with smaller ensembles and solo singers gaining popularity by the war's end.
Despite the challenges, some Big Bands continued to thrive during World War II. The Benny Goodman Orchestra, for example, featured one clarinet, four trumpets, two trombones, four saxophones, piano, guitar, bass, and drums—a total of fifteen musicians. Other Big Bands, like the Glenn Miller Orchestra, collaborated with vocal groups like the Modernaires to create popular songs like "Jukebox Saturday Night" in 1944.
Interestingly, World War II also saw the emergence of all-female Big Bands, which toured around America during the war. These bands, such as the 17-piece International Sweethearts of Rhythm, faced additional obstacles due to the gender and racial dynamics of the time but nonetheless left a lasting legacy. Their stories, however, have often been erased or minimized in jazz history, and their impact is only recently being fully recognized.
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Touring bands
During World War II, the size of the U.S. military grew from under 2 million active-duty personnel in 1941 to over 12 million in 1945, reducing the number of musicians available to perform in civilian orchestras. Many musicians were drafted into the military and took their music with them, with some leading military jazz bands that travelled the world to boost the morale of the troops. For instance, Glen Miller entered the Army in 1942 and played trombone for a 15-piece dance band at Maxwell Field, Alabama. Miller then formed a large military marching band, from which he drew musicians to form smaller service band orchestras. In 1944, he formed a 50-piece band, the Army Air Force Band, and travelled to England to perform for troops, giving at least 800 performances.
The music of these bands also reached the battlefront through recordings and broadcasts, where familiar tunes and bands became a metaphor for the way of life that American soldiers were fighting to preserve. The U.S. War Department collaborated with recording companies to ship V-Discs, or "Victory Discs", overseas. Many popular singers, big bands, and orchestras of the era recorded special V-Disc records.
With thousands of men shipping out to war, half a dozen all-female, instrumental big bands toured around America during World War II. One of the most popular was the 17-piece International Sweethearts of Rhythm, an integrated ensemble that often faced obstacles when touring the Deep South.
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Frequently asked questions
Big bands were popular during World War II, with notable bands including the Benny Goodman Orchestra, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and the Andrews Sisters. Big bands typically consisted of 17 pieces, including 5 saxophones, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, and a 4-piece rhythm section.
The onset of World War II diminished the number of qualified instrumentalists available to perform in civilian orchestras as many musicians were drafted into the military. This led to a reduction in the size of bands and the formation of smaller ensembles.
Yes, during World War II, half a dozen all-female big bands toured around America. One of the most popular was the 17-piece International Sweethearts of Rhythm, an integrated ensemble that faced obstacles when touring the Deep South.
