Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman emerge as leaders of the burgeoning swing movement, while Duke Ellington embarks on his career as a jazz composer second to none. The depression puts an end to the Jazz Age party, but not to jazz. The Lindy Hop begins to catch on in dance halls, and Louis Armstrong begins to sing. Duke Ellington's band appears abroad and in films, with critics comparing his groundbreaking compositions to those of Stravinsky. Meanwhile, Benny Goodman becomes a successful bandleader, Fats Waller is one of the country's most popular entertainers, and Art Tatum brings his lightning-fast fingers to jazz and the art of improvisation.
Swing dancing continues to be popular, leading to the development of the big band sound.
Despite continued segregation in American society, Benny Goodman becomes the first white bandleader to hire black musicians. Swing bands become the rage, with Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Lunceford, Glenn Miller, and Artie Shaw leading some of the most popular. Swing is more popular than ever, but it has become somewhat predictable and many ears search for a newer sound. They find it in Kansas City with the roaring, stomping sounds of the Count Basie band. Basie heads for New York where he records and influences nearly everyone.