other forms of music, blues was only recorded by memory and passed down through generations through live performances. The blues began in the North Mississippi Delta post Civil War times. It was heavily influenced by African roots, field hollers, ballads, church music and rhythmic dance tunes called jump-ups. This eventually developed into music that was set up in a call-and- response way so that the singer would sing a line and he would then respond with his guitar. The blues, a uniquely American
The contribution of Blues music to the development of many other genres of music is very significant. Jazz, rock music and country and western are just some of the styles that owe a lot of their progression from the original blues. Blues was originally grown out of the hardships endured by many generations of African Americans, and first arose from the rural Mississippi region, around about the time of the dawn of the 20th century. The style developed from work shouts (known as arhoolies), and became
The Importance of Music in “Sonny’s Blues” James Baldwin, an African-American writer, was born to a minister in 1924 and survived his childhood in New York City. The author is infamous for his pieces involving racial separatism with support from the blues. Readers can understand Harlem as a negative, unsafe environment from Baldwin’s writings and description of his hometown as a “dreadful place…a kind of concentration camp” (Hicks). Until the writer was at the age of twenty-four, he lived in a
Music Gives Me the Blues “The Blues are the roots; everything else is the fruits”-Willie Dixon. The blues has deep roots in American history, particularly African-American history. How can something so simple become a massive tree whose roots transcended through different genres? According to Biography.com, W.C. Handy, “the father of the Blues,” brought the Blues to the mainstream in1912 with the hit “Memphis Blues.” After the public heard the twelve note structure with the deep bass lines, the
Every other day in music history, the teacher would tell us that everything comes from something no matter what it may be. When our class got the topic of blues, we watched a documentary explaining how blues brought the many different cultures together and how it was originated. Blues also known as ragtime is a type of jazz created with a twelve bar pattern. It had rhythms and melodies that had a specific style. Blues did not just affect people, but it was added to other genres of music that we listen
Stable Blues is one of the most important moments in the jazz history, which helped this genre of music get wide recognition outside of New Orleans. In New Orleans, where the jazz music started, music was not a luxury, it was a necessity. Ethnicities represented in New Orleans were as follows: French, Spanish, and African, Italian, German, and Irish (Herbert Asbury, 1938). This unique combination provided a unique mix of cultural influences which gave birth to such unique styles of music: ragtime
Blues is such an interesting genre of music because of it’s range of possibilities that the artist have. In the beginnings of blues in New Orleans, there were multiple variations of beats played in the songs, but eventually the standard blues songs would fit into a 12 beat frame. I specifically use the word ‘fit’ because there is so much emotion and heart that is played out in the blues. In the earlier half of blues popularity, the songs seemed to be a yell for help from these black men with sorrowful
rhythm and blues as a type of music. It also aims at creating a clear and deeper understanding of this type of music, the nature, the style and the vocals involved. It may be very relevant to those who aims at soaring in this art but lacks understanding of what it entails. It will also be informative to those who like this kind of music, but lacks deeper understanding of the music. The research will be through research from books, journals and websites. Introduction Rhythm and Blues mostly abbreviated
Blues music is very similar to jazz music and is a part of it, although it has a distinctive count, since it is 12 bars usually. The two genres developed around the same time. Blues tunes usually express hardship and their roots can be traced to work songs and spirituals. On Monday February 5th 2018, I was able to attend the “Ain’t I a woman” concert held by the school of music. This program was the 22nd annual African American Heritage Institute Concert. The concert was a chamber music theater which
younger brother in James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues”, has suffered from a heroin addiction which caused him to separate from both his parents and his older brother. The essay portrays two brothers who struggle with their difficult Harlem environment, cultural issues, and their emotional detachment from one another. As the brothers struggle with their inner conflicts and outward environmental struggles, they are reunited through a common theme in the essay: music. Baldwin empowers Sonny with a gift of extraordinary
The Influence of Music: An analysis of Sonny’s Blues Throughout history, humanities have been used as a way to soothe the masses. In the ancient and Middle Ages, exposure to art and literature was limited to wealthy since they were the only ones with enough riches to appreciate the classic works. The plebeian masses were mainly illiterate and because of this music was one of the only sources of entertainment that they had at their disposal. Over time music became a way to unite people, in the Middle
Jazz and Blues Music of the American South and New Orleans Music may be believed to be one of the most ancient kinds of art. Music appeared when the world was created. It existed in sounds of nature like singing of the birds, the sound of waves, the wind songs. Yes, music has a long history and in different periods a lot of artists found their inspiration and satisfaction in music. Music has great power: it may cheer up or upset, it may bring back the feelings which a person felt, it may influence
he title of Sonny’s Blues gives away one of the story’s main focuses: music and what it represents to different people. James Baldwin creates characters who see music, especially jazz music, much differently from and who represent the views of people in the real world. Baldwin explores the good and bad views of music by creating a character who lives because of music and characters who believe music is evil and a nuisance. To Sonny, music represents the goodness in life and the joy that life can
Blues singers have always drawn on their environment for inspiration in their lyrics as well as in the sound of their instruments. Unlike the traditional folk singer who will often sing of events that happened many years previous to their own experience -sometimes referring to events spanned by centuries. It is true there are a handful of “blues ballads” such as “John Henry”, “Stack 0’ Lee” or “Frankie & Albert/Johnnie”, which have persisted in black song but they are the exception to the rule -
In itself, music has intrinsic value. From Ludwig Van Beethoven to Miles Davis, instrumental music can stand on its own legs, and have meaning that transcends grammatical meaning. However, the implementation of words that are either spoken or sung creates a new genre, and a different aesthetic. In a sense, this is literature juxtaposed over rhythm and melody. This has the effect of giving a more concrete meaning to the music, and more emotion to the words or lyrics. It is a matter of taste, and a
The Power of Music in James Baldwin's Sonny's Blues At first glance, "Sonny's Blues" seems ambiguous about the relationship between music and drugs. After all, the worlds of jazz and drug addiction are historically intertwined; it could be possible that Sonny's passion for jazz is merely an excuse for his lifestyle and addiction, as the narrator believes for a time. Or perhaps the world that Sonny has entered by becoming involved in jazz is the danger- if he had not encountered jazz he wouldn't
In the story, Sonny’s Blues, James Baldwin uses music, jazz, and hymns to shape the story and show how it shapes Sonny’s life and how music is inherent to his survival. All of this is seen through the older brother’s eyes; the older brother is the narrator and the reader begins to understand Sonny through the older brother’s perspective. Baldwin writes the story like a jazz song to make a story out of his father’s past and his brother’s career choice and puts them together, going back and forth
Blues helped with the formation of jazz which in return helped with the formation of popular music. Blues jazz songs and blues singing, aided as a standard and inspiration for songwriters and singers. Popular musicians hence, copied the three dimensions of the blues; (1) the physical performance of classical blues singers, (2) its feeling style and (3) its form. The “blues” style was fostered in early-twentieth- century popular music and was least influenced by European music. The vocals of the blues
Blues has played an extreme role in todays’ music. The music genre of blues, helps us express ourselves in which you can feel it from the ubiquitous in the jazz to the blues scale and the specific chord progressions. To start off, the blues is musically originated by African Americans in the deep South of the United States. Growing up in a southern household, I was used to listening to a variety music, but blues was always most listened to. Every time I listen to blues, the lyrics often deal with
Baldwin’s Portrayal of Music in “Sonny’s Blues” Music is an application of human creativity through instrumental and/or vocal sounds, which express emotions of the writer and are appreciated by others for its beautiful sound. A powerful emotional tool that may enlighten and entice some, as well as mystify and repulse others. Either way it is an art form that invokes a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts for listeners to comb through. In the short story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin music plays a vital