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Paul Whiteman
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
Paul Whiteman was born in 1890 and was an American bandleader, composer, conductor and violinist. In the 1920s and early 1930s he led one of the most popular dance orchestras in the United States. His records sold enormously well and the press called him the King of Jazz. His best-known recordings include Whispering, Valencia, Three O'Clock in the Morning, In a Little Spanish Town and Parade of the Wooden Soldiers. He also recorded Wang Wang Blues, Mississippi Mud and Hot Lips, and in 1925 co-wrote Flamin' Mamie.
Music and breakthrough
Whiteman led an unusually large ensemble and tried out many styles. He combined symphonic music with jazz, as at the premiere of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. His orchestra played a varied programme, from pop songs and waltzes to semi-classical works and jazz, and his bands included many of the best white musicians of the day, among them Bix Beiderbecke. In the swing era from the mid-1930s his popularity faded, and in the 1940s he was almost retired. In the 1950s he made a comeback with his own television series Paul Whiteman's Goodyear Revue.
Influence
His place in early jazz is disputed. Critics consider his richly orchestrated music jazz in name only, lacking improvisation and emotion, and point out that he took over innovations by black musicians. Historians point out that his love of jazz was genuine. Duke Ellington wrote in his autobiography that no one had worn the title King of Jazz with more certainty and dignity.
Listening
Discography
Studio albums
- 1959Cavalcade of Music
- 1959The Night I Played 666 Fifth Avenue
- 1981An Experiment in Modern Music: Paul Whiteman at Aeolian Hall
- 1985Wang Wang Blues
In School of Rock
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- After Hours: Session 1NL Reader