Musc 200 1st Edition Lecture 9 Outline of Last Lecture I Jimmie Rogers cont II Country Developments a Movies b Honky Tonk III TPA in the 1940s a Big Band Swing b Big Band post WWII c Importance of BB music IV Introduction to Mutations Outline of Current Lecture V Cultural changes leading to Rhythm and Blues VI Changes in the Music Industry VII New Technological Developments VIII Styles of Rhythm and Blues a Junk Blues b Guitar orientated electric blues Current Lecture Cultural changes leading to Rhythm and Blues Many African Americans were moving from rural areas to cities Post WWII many had extra income and spent it on music WWII was viewed as the fight for freedom o Many African Americans fought and sacrificed a lot for this fight for freedom o Fighting in the war meant they went to different countries and could more easily see how terribly they were treated in the U S o In other countries they weren t treated as second class o Going home to the U S they could see the contradictions of fighting for freedom but being subject to discrimination and segregation o Renewed dissatisfaction with racism which had an impact on music o African Americans didn t identify with the Big Bands and wanted something more urban modern and danceable These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute Rhythm and Blues emerged with influences from the big band s rhythm section but sounding unique to the African American culture Changes in the Music Industry 1939 radio resented ASCAP records were the most powerful force and got along with ASCAP 1939 National Association of Broadcasters created BMI Broadcast Music International o BMI royalty rights collection agency Not affiliated with a record label Signed artists that ASCAP didn t want primarily African American music and country For 10 months in 1940 radio boycotted ASCAP songs which allowed BMI artists to make it on the radio like never before New Technological Developments New reel to reel tape recorders were much cheaper and had a much higher sound quality Transistors small and reliable amplifiers that produced little heat unlike the previous vacuum tubes LPs black vinyl 33 revolutions minute 20 minutes side strong light and cheap to ship New technology made it easier for small businesses to make sell and distribute recordings o Emergence of local record labels o 1950s could create a record label with fairly inexpensive equipment o Music industry began to become more independent rather than centered on the TPA publishing houses Local labels signed artists in the town to serve the local market o Gave the opportunity for rhythm and blues artists to be recorded Television emerged around the early 50s and was originally very expensive o Began to take over the market for radio o Demolished radio dramas comedies soap operas and other radio programs Radio became more news and music focused Radio stopped paying a lot for national feeds running on wires from NYC and other major cities and instead began to play records from local artists Styles of Rhythm and Blues These 4 styles are divided either by tendencies not a specific style genre or a genre 4 styles Jump Blues Guitar Orientated Electric Blues Chicago Blues Gospel Influenced Rhythm and Blues 1 Jump Blues most significant o o o Post war blues aesthetic Condensed big band kept the rhythm section but with only one or two instruments in the brass and reed sections Gave a modern and new vibe Drums were central and driving o o Back beat 2nd and 4th beats that were emphasized on the snare drums Took elements from Boogie Woogie blues Bass lines left hand was played on the bass Melody right hand can be heard behind the vocals Drew on older Blues traditions and big band to create a new urban sound Listening Choo Choo Ch Boogie by Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five Instrumentation o Rhythm section is the heart Bass walking lines one note per beat Piano chords Drums shuffle rhythm emphasized 2nd and 4th backbeats rhythmic drive o Couple of reed saxophone and brass instruments Verse Chorus form where the verse has the 12 bar blues chord progression but the chorus is different The piano solo is in 12 bar blues Lyrics intense rhymes using language common with African Americans creating a strong African American identity Saxophone solo o Overblown blow hard against the reeds to create a buzzy noisy and bright sound More urban and modern than the smooth TPA o Solos built around riffs Riff little rhythmic phrase giving interest energy and excitement Can vary and change within the song Rhythmic and riff based melodies Listening Wild Wild Young Men by Ruth Brown Backbeat accents No gliding it s strong and aggressive Background sounds are derived from Boogie Woogie bass lines Not exactly in 12 bar blues but similar Saxophone solo overblown punchy and driving Listening Shake Rattle and Roll by Joe Turner Bigger backbeat and overblown sax Sexist lyrics but this wasn t unique to this genre Sexism and traditional gender roles were seen in TPA and basically all American pop music as well 2 Guitar Orientated Electric Blues Electric guitars are more delicate and gentle than acoustic guitars acoustic guitars take more physical strength to play but electricity amplifies the sound of electric guitars so you don t have to strum really hard This allowed for long and flowing lines that linked notes together 1950s electric guitar placed in the center of the ensemble T Bone Walker set the stage for the sound of rhythm and blues Listening Strollin with Bones by T Bone Walker Reed and bass in the background Electric guitar at center Rhythm piano and rums Listening Early Every Morning by B B King King redefined what the electric guitar could sound like Long flowing phrases weaving the lines together Plays the entire chorus of 12 bar blues without a pause Backbeat on 2nd and 4th Short 1st phrase longer 2nd phrase then even longer Expect the phrase to end but then he would link and add notes for fluid phrasing with smooth bends giving a virtuoso sound