Downbeat

In music, the downbeat is the first beat in the measure, usually considered the most important beat in a melody. It takes its name from the conductor’s baton, which is raised at the beginning of a number and moves down on the first downbeat.

Down Beat is also the name given to a Chicago-based magazine which began covering the world of "jazz, blues and beyond" in 1934. The magazine is known for its "Reviews" section where Jazz critics rate new recordings using a one to five star rating, the annual Reader’s Poll, published in the December issue, and the annual Critics poll in the August issue. The results of the surveys are the basis for induction into The Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame.

Except for the title and the artists featured, the AFRS WWII jazz program Downbeat had no association with the magazine. In contrast to most programs on commercial radio at the time, Downbeat did not feature the artists playing live in the studio, instead the different acts came into the studio to play and comment on their records. Downbeat was a part of the AFRS lineup from 1943 until 1948 and was shipped to AFRS Broadcasting facilities around the world on 16-inch, 30-minute 33 rpm transcription disks.