Jazz Articles about Louis Jordan

Bebop’s Twin: Rhythm and Blues (1939 - 1951)

by Russell Perry
April 16, 2019

Some of the same forces that launched Bebop as a break from Big Band Swing, also fueled the birth of Rhythm and Blues—the rise of independent labels in the wake of the recording ban of 1942— 1944, the economic infeasibility of touring with 16-member orchestras, the decline of dance halls in the aftermath of the war, and the rise of juke boxes and radio as primary entertainment media. Bebop and R&B also shared the big bands as a common pool ...