Adam Nussbaum’s profile as a drummer gained significant recognition when he stinted/recorded with Steve Swallow, John Abercrombie, Michael Brecker, Dave Liebman, and John Scofield, among many others. On The Leadbelly Project, his first work as a sole leader, he draws from the American roots, focusing on treasured repertoire by the influential blues and folk singer/songwriter Lead Belly, but still adding a couple of kindred compositions of his own. Besides being a powerful singer, Lead Belly was a dedicated 12-string guitar strummer. Hence, the choice of two guitars to revive the rawness of his bluesy tones through an entirely up-to-date perspective doesn’t feel particularly surprising. Playing in tandem yet resorting to sweet-tempered counterpoint, guitarists Steve Cardenas and Nate Radley join the drummer in a quartet rounded out by saxophonist Ohad Talmor. …show more content…
The tune, feeling like an indulgently polished minstrel song damped in folk charisma, has Nussbaum showing his habitual drumming sophistication, first with brushes and then with drumsticks. Conceived as a subtle quadrangular conversation, “Green Corn” embarks on a harvesting folk dance propelled by the glistening brushwork of the bandleader. It feels more untreated than the recognizable “Black Girl (Where Did You Sleep Last Night)”, a traditional American folk song that was extensively recorded by Lead Belly between 1944 and 1948 and gained high popularity in the 90s with a terrific unplugged version by the grunge band Nirvana. Nussbaum’s version is played Frisell-style at a 5/4 tempo. There’s something reggae-ish on “Bottle Up and Go”, but the rhythm is lost somewhere by the end to favor a more rock-based texture that is further emphasized on “Black Betty”, a standard of the blues, here buoyed up by a double-guitar
“Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday conveys the inhumane, gory lynchings of African-Americans in the American South, and how this highly unnatural act had entrenched itself into the society and culture of the South, almost as if it were an agricultural crop. Although the song did not originate from Holiday, her first performance of it in 1939 in New York City and successive recording of the song became highly popular for their emotional power (“Strange fruit,” 2017). The lyrics in the song highlight the contrast between the natural beauty and apparent sophistication of the agricultural South with the brutal violence of lynchings. Holiday communicates these rather disturbing lyrics through a peculiarly serene vocal delivery, accompanied by a hymn-like
upon the natural ability of the race in song and is acknowledged to be Dunbar's
The Irish song “The Dingle Set” features a fiddle, a flute, and many other instruments, including stringed instruments, clapping and human voices. This piece is set to a very quick tempo that only changes when it abruptly stops at the very end of the piece and it is in a duple meter with a very distinct melody played by a fiddle with harmonies underneath it. All of the instrumental parts are either homophonic with the melody or the piece can be considered polyphonic with other parts playing underneath such as a stringed part outlining the downbeats. It has two sections, the first of which has the pattern AABB twice with the whole ensemble playing full. After that, the ensemble drops out the the fiddle plays both parts solo, then variations
While listening to “Walking Blues” and “Blue Moon of Kentucky” similar instruments can be heard in the background. Both of these songs feature guitars. Son House, while singing, is playing his guitar with bent notes. He also used his notable slide technique to create a unique sound. In “Blue Moon of Kentucky” Presley featured Scotty Moore on the Electric Guitar and Bill Black on the Bass. The instrumentals in this song helped create an upbeat tempo that would lead to sucess. While there are many similarities there are also a number of
Keith Fischer, predominately a rhythm guitarist and vocalist is a former X factor contestant and has written, recorded, performed and opened for the likes of Don Felder (Eagles), Mondo Rock, Shannon Noll, Al Perkins (Eagles) and Diesel. Keith is not at all shy from rocking out at word go, interacting with and engaging the audience to take part in every one of his shows.
	For as long as anyone can remember, B.B. King has reigned as the "King Of Blues." With his Gibson guitar named Lucille, along with his unique vocals, king has put out some of the most down-home sounds in African-American music.
band's sometimes classical sound. Leroi plays a Haynes closed hole C foot flute, a Yamaha
musically gifted some might say, he and his siblings formed a band called "The Hot Rods" performing at their family owned gas station from time to time. While he attended college at Oklahoma State University, James was in the college production of "Bye Bye Birdie". While in college James was a member of the Delta Tau Delta frate...
"Crude with a tang of the Indian wilderness, strong with the strength of the mountains, yet, in a way, mellowed with the flavor of Chaucer's time--surely this is folk-song of a high order. May it not one day give birth to a music that shall take a high place among the world's great schools of expression?" (47)
Jimmy Page played guitar, Robert Plant was the vocalist, John Paul Jones played bass guitar and the keyboard, and John Bonham beat the drums. The group had the complete set up for a band right off the start. They produced their first record in thirty hours to complete their deal with the old Yardbirds. They toured Scandinavia for awhile also to complete their obligations to the Yardbirds.
“West End Blues” begins with a 12-second trumpet solo that displayed Armstrong’s wonderful range and demonstrated the syncopated styling unique
snappy guitar tune with the modest voice of Jerry to back it up has driven these
Before he made his last song before his death, Pete Welding mentioned he couldn’t play uninterested even if he wanted to. It was well known that Montgomery felt like he was trapped by the music industry to make old renditions his most popular tunes from his old albums. The main thing that stood out was as he moved to larger labels, his popularity grew as he went to the larger labels. Also mentioned earlier, his techniques solidified his place as a legendary jazz improviser. The way he plucked his melodies and chords was unlike his fellow guitarist. His skills as an improviser are also undervalued, as he was an iconoclastic improviser. When he passed away he was considered as one of the best selling jazz artists of his time. According to Academia, Montgomery’s impact was important because “The high degree of sonoric individuality and distinctiveness he had attained”. The fact that he had no formal musical education prior made it more astonishing that he his the icon he is today besides his lack of knowledge prior. Before his death, he produced some great solos improvised by himself, which made it more unique. The influences had spread around the world ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Muzak. His legacy will live on forever, from either his play styles or his influence being used by Icons who embraced
Cahoon, B. (2004, January 1). Rhythm and Blues Music: Overview. . Retrieved May 28, 2014, from http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/rhythm-and-blues-music-overview.
While Stevie Ray was establishing himself, in the late 70’s as a Blues guitar master his talent allowed him to transcend this genre bringing Blues music back into relevance in the American music scene. With his astonishingly accomplished guitar playing, Stevie Ray Vaughan ignited the blues revival of the '80s. (Erlewine 2014) Recreating a time in American music history that rivaled blues greatest blue musicians of the 1940’s and 50’s. Veteran blues artists Etta James, B.B. King and Buddy Guy directly attributed the mid-'80s revival of their previously ebbing careers to Stevie Ray. Stevie Ray played the guitar with the passion of Jimi Hendrix and Stevie often paid homage to his inspiration by recording covers of music legend Jimi Hendrix. Third Rock from the Sun and At the end of Stevie’s life the Hendrix song Voodoo Chile (Slight return) were signature songs that considered iconic to Stevie Ray Vaughan’s live music performance.