Genre Analysis Brief History of Blues The Blues The term refers to - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Genre Analysis

Brief History of Blues

“The Blues” — The term refers to the "blue devils” — Melancholy — sadness — depressed mood — the term is found in George Colman's one-act farce “ Blue Devils” (1798).

Blues origins — African-American slave communities — Late 1800’s/ Early 1900’s development — "Deep South" of the United States

Blues origins — Spirituals — Work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants — Rhymed simple narrative ballads.

African Influence - “Griots” — Oral poets called “Griots” have spread the history of the people through music for centuries. — Some characteristics were carried though to the earliest blues music including: — Rhythm patterns — Expressive but rough vocal production — Call and answer between vocal and insrtument — Very little if any harmonic change

African Influence – “Instruments” — African-Americans largely in slave communities from 1700 – 1900 continued to express themselves though music with whatever instrumentation they could. — Being poor, western instruments were often unobtainable; leading to self-made instruments such as a Diddley-Bow or an instrument you already had, such as the body (stomping and clapping) or voice. — Many home-made instruments derived from African string instruments

“Diddley-Bow” & “Cigar-box Guitar” — The Diddley-Bow continued to act mainly as an entry- level instrument in the 1900s for youth who may later graduate to a guitar. — Electric Blues guitar great, Buddy Guy learned on a home-made 2-string Diddley-Bow — The Cigar-Box Guitar became another affordable option with extended possibilities — The use of a glass or metal object as slide to alter the pitch is commonly used — Some artists have forged a career using a Diddley-Bow or Cigar box guitar as part of their repertoire such as: Lonnie Pitchford — Seasick Steve —

Blues Form develops — The African characteristics were combined with the influences drawn from the introduction to Western European/ White music: — hymns sung in churches — influence of 3 chords into blues music — short verses equal in length

Cyclic Form — Repeating progression of chords — (eventually certain common progressions found) — Call and response scheme commonly found in African and African-American music.

Form: progressions — Popular performer Bessie Smith, helped the widespread use of the 12-bar blues form during the 1920s and 30s. — 8 and 16-bar forms are also popular — Eg. Ray Charles’ "Sweet 16 Bars.” — Odd-bar numbers are found occasionally — Eg. Walter Vinson’s "Sitting on Top of the World” is a 9-bar progression

Form: The 12-Bar Blues framework — Harmonic progression of 12 bars in a 4/4 or 12/8 time signature. — 3 different chords played over a 12-bar scheme. — I - Tonic Chord — IV - Sub-Dominant — V – Dominant (turnaround) — AAB Vocal (Question, Question, Answer) over the top.

12 Bar form — Two of the first published blues songs, — "Dallas Blues" (1912) – Hart Wand — "Saint Louis Blues" (1914) – WC Handy, were 12-bar blues featuring the AAB structure.

Pentatonic & Blues Scales — Blues often uses notes from the Pentatonic scale: — Frequent use of the: — flattened third — flattened seventh — Even including the flattened fifth or tritone (between Perfect 4 th & 5 th ) in the melody. (Blues Scale).

Style — The Shuffle rhythm combined with Walking bass and Call & Response scheme creates a trance-like rhythm and groove . — Many songs can even center around one chord or be based around one main riff. — Use of bent notes is also popular. — Lines are often sung following a pattern closer to a rhythmic talk than to a melody.

Lyrics — Often a ‘loose narrative’. — About personal woes in a world of harsh reality: — a lost love — the cruelty of police officers — oppression at the hands of white folk — Troubles & hard times. — Often contain elements of hope and the prospect of better times ahead.

Lyrics — Blind Lemon Jefferson's "Rising High Water Blues" (1927) tells about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927: "Backwater rising, Southern peoples can't make no time I said, backwater rising, Southern peoples can't make no time And I can't get no hearing from that Memphis girl of mine."

Lyrics — Although not typically, lyrics could also be humorous and raunchy as well: "Rebecca, Rebecca, get your big legs off of me, Rebecca, Rebecca, get your big legs off of me, It may be sending you baby, but it's worrying the hell out of me." From Big Joe Turner's "Rebecca”

Larger Influence — The Blues form, progressions, scales, lyrical and musical characteristics and ideas would influence many genres including; — Jazz — Country — Rhythm and Blues — Rock ‘N’ Roll

Country Blues styles — Hill-country and Piedmont Blues — Less harmonic change, more percussive and drone heavy — Influence from and to European Folk and Country styles — Delta Blues — Greater harmonic change and rhythmic variation inc. the shuffle beat — Most influential on later Urban Blues styles and Rock’N’Roll — Common use of slide and rough and expressive vocals

Country Blues styles — Hill-country and Piedmont Blues — Sonny Terry — Brownie McGhee — Blind Willie McTell — Mississippi Fred McDowell — Mississippi John Hurt (Fingerpicking) — R.L. Burnside — Delta Blues — Charley Patton — Son House — Leadbelly — Robert Johnson — Memphis Minnie — Bukka White

Alan Lomax – Southern Prison music and Leadbelly

The Great MigraOon 1910-1940’s — African-American southerners move to Northern cities and Western cities including: — Chicago — Detroit — New York — Kansas City — Los Angeles — Formerly rural living communities have become urbanised

The Great MigraOon 1910-1940’s

Post WW2: Blues becomes Urban/Electric — Former acoustic solo performers from the South gradually become accompanied by other like-minded and influenced musicians in new tight knight communities in the big cities such as Chicago — Amplification enters first as a requirement to help guitars and vocals to be heard above drums and a busier environment — A progressive opening of blues music to a wider audience, especially white listeners follows

TransiOon to Urban Blues (Chicago/ Electric Blues) 1940’s – 1960’s — Developmental artists — Muddy Waters — Howlin’ Wolf — John Lee Hooker — B.B. King — Buddy Guy — Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Sister Rose\a Tharpe

Howlin’ Wolf – Smokestack Lightning - Live

B.B. King - Live @ Sing Sing Prison, N.Y., 1972

Late 60’s – 70’s: Blues “Rocks” — In the 1960s and 1970s, a hybrid form of Blues-Rock evolved. — Ironically, the Blues influence was brought back to the USA after a host of bands from the “British Invasion” found inspiration in Chicago Blues as well as earlier, lesser known Delta musicians including; — Robert Johnson — Mississippi John Hurt — Skip James — Son House — J.B. Lenoir

Late 60’s – 70’s: Blues “Rocks” BriOsh Invasion bands — Influence eminent with bands including: — The Rolling Stones — The Beatles — The Animals — The Kinks — The Yardbirds — Led Zeppelin — Cream — Eric Clapton was a catalyst

Cream – Live @ Royal Albert Hall Reunion Concert - 2005

Late 60’s – 70’s: Blues “Rocks” American Blues & Blues-Rock arOsts — Influenced by the Original &British versions: — Freddie King — Albert King — Johnny Winter — Bonnie Raitt — Ry Cooder — Janis Joplin — Jimi Hendrix — Aerosmith

Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company Live at Monterey Pop FesOval 1967

Prominent arOsts: 80’s & 90’s — Stevie Ray Vaughan — George Thorogood & the Destroyers — Gary Moore — Charlie Musselwhite — Corey Harris — Keb’ Mo — R.L. Burnside — Jon Spencer Blues Explosion — Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Live

Prominent Blues arOsts today — Buddy Guy (80) — Joe Bonamassa — Beth Hart — Derek Trucks — Eric Gales — Ana Popovic — Seasick Steve — Jeff Lang (Aus) — Geoff Achison (Aus) — Ash Grunwald (Aus)

Seasick Steve - Live

Blues influenced Rock & Pop acts today — The Rolling Stones (again) — Gary Clark Jnr. — The Black Keys — Jack White — The White Stipes — The Racontuers — The Dead Weather — John Mayer — Ben Harper — John Butler Trio (Aus)

The Rolling Stones – Blue & Lonesome – In the studio

Gary Clark Jnr. - Live

Instruments

Instruments

ProducOon — Documenting what is already there as best as possible opposed to building the performance from behind the desk. — It is about the “musicians performance”. It is about capturing: — The interaction between musicians — The interaction between musicians and their instruments — The “feel”, “passion”, “emotion” — The magic in the room.

ProducOon — Little use of effects and processing. — Capturing the sound of the instrument in that room. — Recording “Live” in the room. — Visual communication between musicians and even engineer. — Getting the performance out of the artist.

Joe Bonamassa Live in N.Y.