The 1940 Apollo Jam Session: A Swing Era Super-Session
This legendary photo from the July 1, 1940, issue of DownBeat captures a moment of pure musical explosion. The legendary Apollo Jam Session took place on June 14, 1940, during the height of the Swing Era.
Text from the Apollo Jam Session Scan
New York-The Apollo Theater jumped so violently June 14 it almost landed across the river. A bash organized to welcome Coleman Hawkins on his opening day at the house found these high-priced, higher-talented men taking part. Left to right-Benny Carter, alto; Hawk on tenor, Count Basie, at the piano; Charlie Barnet, tenor, and Lester (Red) Young, tenor. They took 20 choruses to Lady Be Good. Also present were Tom Dorsey, Bunny Berigan, Joe Marsala, Roy Eldridge, Gene Krupa and Pete Brown. Photo by M. Smith.
Star Power and Performance Details
The stage featured the greatest musical minds of the century. Most prominently, the photo shows Coleman Hawkins, Lester “Prez” Young, Charlie Barnet, Count Basie, and Benny Carter. Furthermore, the original DownBeat report notes that Roy Eldridge, Bunny Berigan, and Gene Krupa also joined the fray. Tommy Dorsey and Joe Marsala rounded out this incredible Apollo Jam Session lineup.
Atmosphere at the Iconic Apollo Theater
The Apollo Theater had a fixed capacity of 1,506 seats. During this era, major events often reached “standing room only” status. Indeed, a notably mixed crowd packed the venue. Estimates suggest that 40% of the audience was white during the week, jumping to 75% on weekends. These fans traveled uptown specifically to experience this brand of Harlem “jump.”
This session stands as a testament to the raw energy of the Harlem scene at its peak. You can hear these legendary jazz musicians on our live radio stream and explore more in our Swing Era Magazine Scan Archive.