Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)  Of all the contributing factors, this event is considered to be the first that led to the decline of Big Band era.

2)  Stan Kenton was known for being an especially creative and experimental band leader. Nonetheless, he maintained the Big Band tradition of having a theme song as a signature. What was his band's theme song?

3)  This bandleader was probably the most respected of all. He was the total package: a musician, composer and arranger who elevated the genre with multiple performances at Carnegie Hall. He even was honored by the U.S. Postal Service with a limited edition series of stamps bearing his profile. Who was he?

4)  Who invented scissors?

Answers:

1)  Most consider the nail in the coffin to be the musician strikes, but by that time much of the permanent damage had already been done. Large numbers of musicians had been drafted to serve in WWII, gas rationing made touring difficult for both the bands and those attending shows.  Also there was a 20% tax on entertainment which discouraged dancing. A postwar recession kept many people, who also were beginning to raise families, at home.  Eventually maintaining a Big Band became impossible; they were priced out of the market (http://jazzprofiles.blogspot.com/2011/10/big-band-renaissance.html).

2)  "Artistry in Rhythm"

3)  Duke Ellington

4)  Leonardo Da Vinci