The back of the salons. From jitterbugging and lindy hopping of the 1930s to jive, swing, and boogie woogie of the same decade, music of the '30s was a vibrant era full of soulful melodies. Born from blues pioneers such as Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters, musicians took jazz tunes to a new level with up?tempo rhythms and intricate harmonic progressions for the growing audience to enjoy. Stride piano players like Fats Waller, Williams Basie, Art Tatum ushered in an original genre of toe?tapping numbers bringing a blend of modern influences from Europe with darker traditional African?American stories. Music during this exciting period provided harmony among people during war economics and societal struggles while they hit the dance floor with memorable exuberance.