Rhythm and Blues PostWar Blues After WW II
Rhythm and Blues
Post-War Blues • After WW II, blues develops into: – Jump blues – Electric (Chicago) blues – New Orleans style – Doo-Wop • Collectively called R&B or rhythm and blues -industry term for “race music”
R&B • • • Strong crossover appeal Frequently involves mixture of styles Most defined by strong rhythmic activity
Jump Blues • Descended from swing jazz – Stripped down instrumentation: 2 -3 horns + percussion section – Plus a blues shouter – male vocalist with strong, supported blues voice
Jump Blues • Up-tempo numbers with boogiewoogie feel • Riff-based accompaniments – Rough, “honking” instrumental timbres • • • Four- or eight-beat style beat “Slice of life” vignettes Showmanship important
Louis Jordan • “Father of rhythm and blues” – Showman, comic, and bandleader • Ex. Choo-Ch-Boogie – Shuffle style beat – Boogie-woogie walking bass – Riff-based – Verse/chorus blues form • Verse = 12 bar blues • Refrain = 8 bar blues
Urban or Electric blues • Country blues carried north to cities • New style starts to develop in Chicago – Drums, bass, harmonica and/or piano added to singer+guitars – Role of each instrument specified
Urban blues • Forms: • • – 12 or 16 bar (aaab) blues – blues verse/chorus Often riff-based Strong rhythm section Amplification used Aggressive and extroverted: shouted vocals, hard timekeeping
Muddy Waters (Mc. Kinley Morganfield, 1915 -1976) • Major influence on urban blues • Ex. Hoochie Coochie Man – Waters (guitar), piano, bass, harmonica – Verse/Chorus blues form • 16 bar blues; first 8 verse, 2 nd 8 chorus – Stop time: 1 1/2 beat riff, 2 1/2 beats for vocals – Dense textures – Shuffle rhythms
New Orleans R&B • Afro-Cuban influences prominent in New Orleans R&B • Major influence: Professor Longhair (Roy Byrd)
• • Professor Longhair's Blues Rhumba Walking bass Boogie-woogie piano Shuffle rhythm PLUS “reverse” clave rhythm 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + XX X XX rather than… 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + X X 3 + 4 + X
Fats Domino • Influenced by Professor Longhair and Latinflavored boogie-woogie • Signature characteristic - fast, even triplets • Laid-back style • Ex. Mardi Gras in New Orleans – Dense textures, often polyrhythmic as well – Clave rhythm – 12 -bar blues
Doo-wop • Gospel quartet sound, but with secular lyrics • Name from vocal percussion effects nonsense syllables in accompaniment
Doo-Wop • Somewhat more pop influenced than gospel • • • Harmonies slightly more complex Tempos often slower Sketchy instrumental accompaniment, but not usually significant
Doo-Wop Examples • The Chords - Sh-Boom • The Penguins - Earth Angel • The Flamingos, I Only Have Eyes For You • Similarities and differences?
Doo-wop: characteristics • • Verse and refrain form Triplets in accompaniment Shuffle rhythms Pop influence evident
Gospel-Influenced R&B • • • Sam Cooke Ruth Brown Ray Charles
Gospel-Influenced R&B • • • Gospel fervor, exuberance - “Getting Call and response (often) Elaborate, gospel-style singing – Melismas – Blue notes, inflections happy”
Ray Charles, 'What'd I Say” • Gospel influences – “Getting happy” – Vocal/instrumental call and response – vocal style – Hammond organ • R&B – Lyrics about relationship – Electric bass – Horn section, percussion – Verse/refrain form
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