The Blues, Swing, and Beyond

            The Blues is such an important musical genre in the development of American music. This music was a representation of the black communities of the Deep South and was full of expression and emotion. This music was the inspiration for many future artists, so the development of the Blues is very important. One of the pieces I always made sure to play for my students was one of the first talked about in this chapter. “St. Louis Blues” is a piece written by W. C. Handy, but made famous by the blues singer Bessie Smith. Her haunting performance really makes the audience feel the sadness that people associate with the Blues. “Although Smith was by no means a rural blues singer herself, she approached the song as one intimately familiar and comfortable with many of the varied oral traditions of African American music, and consequently her performance treated Handy’s composition with considerable—but never inappropriate—freedom” (Starr & Waterman, 2014, p. 133). This quote is the exact reason Bessie Smith made this piece relatable and popular among blues fanatics. Listen to the recording below to get a sense of her vocal style:

            “That Black Snake Moan” is a great example of the Blues with that country edge. The recording by Blind Lemon Jefferson adds the layer of the guitar riffs to his very specific vocal styling. It is noted that the guitar playing doesn’t supply us with the typical chord changes we expect to hear from the Blues. I like this element because it really has you focused on the lyrics. I actually feel that the saddest part about all of this is how unfairly these musicians were treated. Blind Lemon Jefferson was denied any profits of his talents and was buried in an unmarked grave in Texas. It is sad to see these important musicians treated in such a way, but maybe that is what makes the Blues full of so much feeling.

            Though it is not always the choice of music I would listen to, I really enjoyed “Blue Yodel No. 2,” written and performed by Jimmie Rodgers. The hillbilly and country feel makes it very fun to listen to. The “boom-chick” of the guitar playing is a very common feel of music such as this. The yodel is something that someone would not originally think would be a part of the blues structure, but Jimmie Rodgers does a nice job blending the two ideas together without sounding campy. “Rodger’s performance of this song conveys a sense of freedom through unpredictable phrasing and of course through the yodels that occur between stanzas” (Star & Waterman, 2014, p. 149). The Cater Family contributes to the hillbilly genre with their recording of “Gospel Ship”. I have always been a fan of the Carters, especially in the later years with June and her influences on Johnny Cash. The carters use their rich harmonies to really develop the sound of this country music.

            Now we look more into the development of Jazz and head into the era of Swing. Swing music is one of my favorite forms of Jazz because of its up-tempo dance-like feel. It is hard to listen to great swing music and now have the urge to at least tap your foot. “Wrappin’ it Up” by Fletcher Henderson does just this. The sounds of the saxes all playing together makes the music sing! The walking bass provides the quick pulse that just takes you onto the dance floor. The form of this piece is also much more extensive and developed than what is heard with the blues. I also like that our listening brought us to a Benny Goodman piece other than “Swing, Swing, Swing”. “Taking a Chance on Love” gives us an example of swing music that is slower paced, but still offers that ability to make you tap your foot. This orchestration and arrangement by Fletcher Henderson show just how rich a jazz ensemble can make a piece of music.

            Finallly, we looked into the classic country with “New San Antonio Rose.” Written by Bob Will and performed by Bob Will and His Texas Playboys is a fun fast paced classic country song. We get the similar AABA form from Tin Pan Alley. “The vocal takes us through the entire thirty-two-bar AABA structure of the song, Duncan’s singing supported with soft harmonies in the brass and reeds and occasionally interrupted by Wills’s trademark vocal interjections” (Starr & Waterman, 2014, p. 183). We also experience Latin music in the swing era with music such as “Brazil” by Ary Barroso and performed by Xavier Cugat and His Waldor-Astoria Orchestra. This music also has that Latin rhythm one expects with the fast rhythm section and the lush string harmonies. This music is meant for dancing!

Resource:

Starr, L., Waterman, C. (2014). American popular music: From minstrelsy to MP3. New York: Oxford University Press.