Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director and violinist.
As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s, Whiteman produced recordings that were immensely successful, and press notices often referred to him as the \"King of Jazz\". Using a large ensemble and exploring many styles of music, Whiteman blended symphonic music and jazz, as in his debut of Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin. Whiteman's work on symphonic jazz influenced many jazz musicians, directly or indirectly, such as Miles Davis, Gil Evans, the Modern Jazz Quartet, and Wynton Marsalis.
Whiteman recorded many jazz and pop standards during his career, including \"Wang Wang Blues\", \"Mississippi Mud\", \"Rhapsody in Blue\", \"Wonderful One\", \"Hot Lips (He's Got Hot Lips When He Plays Jazz)\", \"Mississippi Suite\", \"Grand Canyon Suite\", and \"Trav'lin' Light\". He co-wrote the 1925 jazz classic \"Flamin' Mamie\". His popularity faded in the swing music era of the middle 1930s, and by the 1940s he was semi-retired from music. He experienced a revival and had a comeback in the 1950s with his own network television series, Paul Whiteman's Goodyear Revue, which ran for three seasons. He also hosted the 1954 ABC talent contest show On the Boardwalk with Paul Whiteman.
Whiteman's place in the history of early jazz is somewhat controversial. Detractors suggest that his ornately orchestrated music was jazz in name only, lacking the genre's improvisational and emotional depth, and co-opted the innovations of black musicians. Defenders note that Whiteman's fondness for jazz was genuine. He worked with black musicians as much as was feasible during an era of racial segregation. His bands included many of the era's most esteemed white musicians, and his groups handled jazz admirably as part of a larger repertoire.
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