Hootchie cootchie man

I am a blues fan so it is really a treat to hear Muddy Waters from his early days and the Chicago electric blues style.  I expect John Lee Hooker to jump in on the chorus here since this is definitely his style as well.  I listen to a lot of Eric Clapton and it is very obvious that he listened to a lot of these two artists as he was growing up and developing his playing style.  Clapton adopts and adapts a number of these techniques in his blues oriented recordings - including a cover of this that he has done.

Having grown up in Chicago in the '70s you could still hear some of these groups playing outside on makeshift stages in the summer on the south side.  In particular, we used to go to Bluesfest in Grant Park downtown and this is very reminiscent of what we would hear there.

Here's another of my favorite Muddy Waters tracks:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9rBw5E0lqQ

Mambo No. 5

I have heard portions of this before - probably as background music in a movie or TV show - but I don't think I have heard the entire thing until now.  When I saw the title, I wondered if it was the same song as the '90s hit, but it turns out that it is not.  Upon listening to it a second time I realized what it is... the opening has some strong similarities to the theme from the I Dream of Jeannie TV show.

It is easy to see how this would get people dancing.  It does have a rather infectious rhythm to it.  The brass is a bit overpowering at times, but that probably was part of the appeal.  As a brass player I do like a strong brass sound, but at some points here the trumpets are a bit piercing. 

Choo choo ch'boogie

I love this!  The uptempo blues based sound is definitely a precursor of developing rock and roll.  It is interesting to read that this was a strong influence on Chuck Berry and it is easy to see how this type of style led to a number of the songs that Berry would do later.

As I listened to it I thought of the scene in the first "Back to the future" movie where "Marvin Berry" calls his cousin "Chuck" and holds the phone out for him to listen to the "new" sound he has been looking for that Marty McFly is playing at that moment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1i5coU-0_Q

Nancy (with the laughing face)

This is the classic crooner phase of Frank Sinatra - before his voice got rough from years of smoking and booze (and hanging out with mobsters... but that's for another day!)  It makes it easier to understand why the girls went so crazy for him in his early years - he was definitely handsome and this is a great example of the smooth voice that he had in those early years.

This particular song is a great example of what the text calls "light music" of the time - a simple sentimental ballad.  Although Sinatra always remained identified with the big band sound in many ways, this is a good example of his "softer" side.  In particular, the use of strings as opposed to the more standard reeds and brass stands out here.

Cool water

In listening to this it brings back a lot of memories for me.  No, I hadn't been born in 1947 when it was recorded, but the Sons of the Pioneers were favorites of my paternal grandparents - hardworking farmers in Michigan.  I was born 10 years after this recording and whenever we would visit my grandparents this is one of the groups whose music was often playing, along with Johnny Horton (I can still remember the words to "The Battle of New Orleans") and Roy Rogers & Dale Evans.

I also grew up in the time when TV westerns were quite popular.  I used to watch "Gunsmoke" every week along with Roy Rogers, the Lone Ranger, the High Chaparral, etc. so this is getting into very familiar territory for me.  As I listened to this, I could close my eyes and picture Roy Rogers singing a song like this as he rode across the high plains in the West looking for a cool oasis to water his horse.

Brazil

I am ashamed to admit it, but I have never heard the original of this song before.  I have only heard it in the various iterations listed in the guide: the duet between Donald Duck and the parrot, Terry Gilliam's use of it with the movie of the same name, the disco hit by the Ritchie family, etc.  It is indeed a revelation to hear the song in its original context without all the slapstick layers that have been added to it over the years.

It is good to hear a samba tastefully done by a group that obviously is familiar with the style and is able to provide variety through the free treatment in the opening section leading to the steady dance rhythm once the entire ensemble gets going.  It is also great to hear all the different variety of percussion instruments used here - many of which had not really been well known in American vernacular music prior to this time.

Black snake moan

Blind Lemon Jefferson certainly has a different sound than we are listening to today.  But in hearing this song it immediately becomes clear that it is in classic 12 bar blues form.  The AAB form of both the lyrics and the music jumps right out.  The vocals are a barely contained wail about the challenges that he faces on a regular basis - he is blind and parentless, obviously poor by not having a home capable of keeping out the snakes, he has to deal with bedbugs, etc.  This is almost a caricature of the blues - everything that could go wrong has done so!

I note that Blind Lemon is considered the first country blues star.  What I kept thinking of in listening to this was the regular routine on "Hee Haw" of the song "Gloom, despair, and agony on me..." with its pentultimate line of "If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all"!

One o'clock jump

When Count Basie first begins on the piano all by himself, it is somewhat reminiscent of some of the ragtime piano playing of Scott Joplin.  When the rest of the band starts to kick in, however, it clearly becomes swing era.  This is especially true once the call and response between the reeds and the brass gets going.

I really liked the comment in the listening guide that the band sounded so relaxed that "one has the feeling that the band could probably go on all night, as long as there were still soloists waiting in line to play".   As I have stated in previous posts, one of the characteristics of superb players is that they take things that are difficult to do and make the look like they are incredibly easy!

Paper doll

This is quite a change from most of what we have listened to so far.  The simple guitar accompaniment is the first thing that grabs your attention.  Next is the fact that the solo voices over that simple guitar background - again a very simple vocal line.  The lyrics are very plaintive - a man who has obviously been hurt several times by "real dolls" who have been stolen away by "flirty guys" with their "flirty eyes".

It does set things up for an interesting transition when the second soloist comes in at a faster tempo and then the rest of the quartet joins in together.  The vocal harmonies here are delicious and point to some of the close harmony doo-wop groups that will develop further down the line.

In the mood

My first exposure to this classic tune was not listening to Glenn Miller but rather in high school pep band. We just thought it was a fun, uptempo piece to play.  Listening to Miller's band play it on this recording gives a real sense of how they not only had fun playing it, but also how they really used dynamic contrast to keep the repetitive nature of the tune from becoming boring.

In particular, I enjoyed watching the video clip of them playing it with the faces of the different players as the got quieter and quieter in each repetition, the trombones striking poses from side to side and then everyone kicking loose when the trumpets come back in with the loud statement of the theme.  The piano player looked like he was going to fall off his chair.  I know it was staged but it really added to the entertainment value of the clip.

As the text pointed out in Chapter 1, this is really in 12 bar blues form, even though it doesn't sound much like John Lee Hooker.

Caravan

As with most of Duke Ellington's arrangements, the key word here is "subtle".  He constantly shifts instrumentation, phrasing and rhythms to create an extremely interesting tableau of sound.  The drummer keeps a subtle but steady beat as the wind players weave in and out.  It is easy to see how this would create in the mind of the listener the mysterious "Orient" that few of them had ever visited but most had preconceptions about from the movies of Rudolph Valentino and others.

It was also interesting to see in the video version that the melody is being played on a valve rather than a slide trombone.  Since it is rarely used, it does add to the mysterious quality of the whole piece.

This is actually the first time I have heard this original version.  I previously had heard numerous covers of the tune by others.  My favorite of those is the one by Chicago from their "big band" album:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1UebqSsg3c

Not nearly as subtle, but I love the driving Latin rhythm of that version!

Taking a chance on love

After reading the text's description of "sweet" contrasted with "hot" swing bands and the placement of Benny Goodman in the latter category, I was somewhat surprised that the first half of this arrangement sounded so smooth and, to my ears, "sweet".  What I mean is that the reeds are playing with a very mellow sound and the brass are consistently playing muted or softly if unmuted. 

It is reasonable that this type of sound would be maintained behind a vocal solo so that the soloist can be heard.  After the vocalist is finished, then the brass take a more prominent role with a somewhat firmer tone.  I am sure that some of these issues also have to do with the type of song being presented.  This is essentially a ballad, so the quieter tone is appropriate.  It is just not what comes to mind for a group defined as "hot".  Perhaps a song that is more uptempo would make that distinction more clear...

Wrappin' it up

This is an extremely entertaining call and response between the reeds and the brass.  The constantly shifting back and forth definitely keeps things interesting.  The constantly driving walking bass helps keep things moving.  It is also interesting to see the development of the swing style of the coming big band era.

The alternating solos between saxophone and trumpet also provide the opportunity to shift the backgrounds for added variety.  I also notice the use of "punches" by the brass as a response to the calls from the reeds - again a prominent characteristic of big band swing style - as is the frequent use of soli playing by an entire section.

St. Louis Blues

Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong take us now to the heart of the classic blues.    While the blues does not always mean a mournful song, this one is and it makes one feel the raw emotion of sadness and regret that Bessie Smith conveys so well. The call-and-answer between Smith's vocals and Armstrong's trumpet is exquisite.  He matches her vocal lead in extremely creative ways - never playing two phrases exactly the same.

As noted in the guide, there is the interesting "form within a form" where the B section of the typical 12 bar blues AAB form has an internal AAB contained within it and an added unique little melody before returning to the original to conclude.

I love 12 bar blues (big fan of B.B.King) and so it is great to see how this very rich form is starting to take shape through these examples.

The Blues are brewin'

I know this is not on the official list, but... wow!  Billie Holliday and Louis Armstrong together on this really make this a treat.  I had not seen this particular clip before.  While Armstrong doesn't really have the prominence here that he does in many of his other songs, hearing Billie Holliday sing the classic blues style much more than makes up for it.  It is easy to see why she became so popular.  She really knows how to deliver a song!

I got rhythm

Hearing Ethyl Merman again makes me smile.  As the listening guide notes, she was the "famous belter of songs".  I remember hearing her on TV quite often when I was a child and I remember her always letting it go full throttle whenever she sang.

This is no exception.  She lets it all hang out and the emphasis is definitely on rhythm because the lyrics are hardly deep poetry.  It is uptempo and exciting and Merman's energetic performance certainly adds to that.  As noted in the guide, the verse has more prominence here than it normally does in other Tin Pan Alley songs.  The structure is AABA in both the verse and refrain although it doesn't quite complete the final A section in the verse before returning to the refrain.

How deep is the ocean

It always is a pleasure to listen to Bing Crosby's voice.  As the one video pointed out, the timing of his appearance was perfect - his baritone voice was perfectly suited to being picked up and recorded by the new electric microphones.  This is clearly from his early period - his voice hadn't yet developed the fullness which would characterize it in later years.  However, even in these early years it is easy to see the developing smooth crooner style which will become his hallmark throughout his long career.

The structure here is clearly similar to what has been discussed in other songs of the period.  The verse serves merely as an introduction to the refrain, which is then repeated interspersed with instrumental interludes for variety.  Crosby also makes extensive use of changing dynamics to build the song to a climactic ending.

April Showers

One thing I noticed about Al Jolson's singing is that, in trying to pronounce clearly so as to be understood, he tends to overdo it so that it comes out sounding like "April-a Showers-a...."  That may have been the style at that time, but listening to it today it quickly becomes distracting and somewhat irritating.  However, it did make a little more sense after reading the listening guide's description of his background in stage theater singing prior to the invention of electric microphones and his continuance of that style in performance even after it was no longer necessary due to amplification technology.  The habits developed for live performance can be difficult to overcome in the more intimate setting of recording.

The two renditions do create different moods.  The earlier one is more raw and unrefined while the later version with the jazz orchestra backing is much smoother - particularly in the use of saxophones in smooth, mellow ranges.  Seeing as this second recording is in conjunction with Guy Lombardo's orchestra that also makes sense.  I am old enough to remember Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians being featured on almost every New Year's Eve televised celebration when I was a child and they always had that smooth mellow sound.

It does become clear in listening to these Tin Pan Alley creations right on the heels of the more freewheeling New Orleans style jazz groups.  It helps to understand how these two very different styles have each shaped modern American music in their own ways.

My Blue Heaven

This is an interesting contrast after the somewhat frenetic style of many of the Dixie jazz pieces.  It was helpful that I had read the description to understand the role of the verse here, because it would otherwise be puzzling as to why it did not return at all.  I have noticed this same pattern with some of the Christmas songs that also came out of the Tin Pan Alley tradition - a verse that serves merely as an introduction to the frequently repeated refrain.  Now those make a bit more sense.

This recording makes an interesting use of the cello for both the introduction and the interludes between repetitions of the refrain.  I also found the warbling whistling a bit unusual and am glad for the listening guide's coverage of the "bird" thematic elements to make it easier to place this all in context. 

The form does seem much easier to follow than the Dixie jazz pieces - probably because this song and others like it are being "manufactured" to accommodate a more "white" audience.

East St Louis Toodle-oo

This tune really showcases Duke Ellington's skill as an arranger.  The timbres are constantly shifting and changing as he sets different moods in the various interludes by changing the instrumentation of both the soloists and the background.  The creative use of mutes by the lead cornet player, along with vocal growls, also helps to vary the textures of the sound.  Shifts from minor to major and back again also help to maintain the interest by continually creating variety.

The drummer's use of splash cymbals is unexpected but it is a nice lead in to the muted cornet duet and the alternating clarinet duet.  The return of the original dark muted cornet theme sets the stage for a quite mysterious ending.  It is easy to see from this why people often said that, although Duke Ellington was a pianist, his real instrument was the entire orchestra.

Dipper Mouth Blues

King Joe Oliver and his Creole Jazz Band were the first to really break out to gain a national audience with this recording.  In listening to this, I was struck by how effortless it sounds.  The good ones always make it sound that way!  The sweet clarinet part soaring above the rest of the ensemble is particularly enjoyable. king Oliver's masterful use of the plunger for wah-wah effects here is also fantastic to listen to.

I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that a young Louis Armstrong was playing second cornet in this band during its heyday, before going on to become the living legend that he later was.  While we know that famous people had to start somewhere, it is often interesting to come across them in some of the stops they made on the way up to the top.

Tiger Rag

With this we are starting to get into what we tend to think of as classic Dixieland jazz - the high energy interplay of cornet, clarinet and trombone with a rhythm section of banjo/piano/bass and drum set keeping things driving behind them.  There is also the frequent use of stop time with different instruments taking turns filling in the gap.

There does not appear to be a particularly identifiable melody anywhere other than in the later section where the trombone gliss section has led to our mental association with the words "Hold that tiger".  The focus is more on the weaving back and forth between the cornet and clarinet of rapidly changing parts over a walking bass line provided by the trombone.

Castle House Rag

This certainly is an energetic piece of music.  The fast tempo and the constant use of 16th notes give it almost a frenetic quality.  It also has more harmonic complexity than most of the previous examples on our listening list - the descending bass line through the first section and the ascending chord sequence in the second section.  There also is more variety of instrumentation than we have seen so far - the introduction of the bells in the middle section comes as a bit of a surprise.

The structure is somewhat difficult to follow since it changes so rapidly and frequently.  The listening guide outlines it as AABBACCDEEF.  Quite a bit of contrast - but it certainly keeps your interest as it moves rapidly through the various segments.  I imagine it must have made quite an impression on those who first heard it.

Stagolee

My initial reaction on first hearing is that it reminds me of some of the songs of Jim Croce.  I realize that this is from a much earlier period and thus the influence would run the other direction, but that is the first association that came to mind.  Croce has long been a personal favorite with his story songs that seem to follow directly from this tradition being exemplified here - the songs telling stories of "bad men" who eventually get their comeuppance either ending in prison, severe injury or death.  (eg: Bad, bad Leroy Brown http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvwDohEEQ1E and You don't mess around with Jim  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4qUXcXuMSE)
In reading through the narrative in the listening guide and its description of the genesis of this "bad man" character in the post Civil War south as a cathartic figure, it does make sense why this would resonate with so many former slaves who were severely oppressed even while they were technically "free".  It would seem that some of this also is reflected in some of today's urban African-American music - particularly in some strains of rap and hip-hop.
It is noticeable in listening to Stagolee that the harmonic backing is becoming more sophisticated than many of the previous examples.  Also the guitar playing is moving closer to what we are familiar with in some current fingerplucking styles used even now in ballads and country music.

Long John

This is obviously a work song used to help a large group coordinate the timing of their efforts on projects where it is vital to all move at the same time.  This struck me as also being in the similar tradition as some sea chanties which also served the same purpose for sailors pulling on ropes to raise sails and such.  I use "What do you do with a drunken sailor?" with my guitar class as an example of the same type of issues.  It works there because it has a very simple chord progression of only two chords.
The immediate call-and-response technique used here makes it very easy to follow.  The leader directs the progression of the story as he moves from stanza to stanza and the group provides the immediate echo each time.  The melody is fairly simple, which is important for a large group to be able to follow on the fly, yet the leader does provide interest by varying it from time to time and the group follows.
Although the lyrics used here do speak specifically of outrunning the law, it also seems likely that early versions would have focused more on the plight of runaway slaves being pursued by slave catchers.  Both versions would rightly make use of the imagery of being chased by dogs and trying to reconnect with loved ones.

Coo coo

My initial reaction upon first listening to this was that this is a direct antecedent of what we today call the Blues.  After hearing the slow opening followed by the short banjo interlude I was expecting to hear a rough form of 12 bar blues.  That didn't materialize, but the song does demonstrate some of the techniques and characteristics which later developed into that form - namely call and response, repetition of opening lines of each stanza as the second line.  However, there are also some significant features that had not developed yet such as the adding of a B line to complement the first two A lines or the use of contrasting IV chord for the second A line.  In fact here there does not appear to be much harmonic variety in the banjo part, although there is variation in the single lines being played above the lower drone.
The call and response form of the lyrics hints at the story of a man questioning and trying to understand an independent woman.  In some ways she is portrayed as a bit of a "golddigger" who is always seeking a "sugar daddy" to provide her with the things she needs and/or wants.
This early use of the banjo is a part of the African tradition which was brought from that continent to North America by those forcibly brought here as slaves.  This tradition helped enrich American music, particularly by this stream which primarily developed in the antebellum South but has gone on to become the underlying basis of much of modern American music.

Early music

Barbara Allen - I have heard this song before since it is often used as an example of early American music.  However,  I was somewhat surprised to learn from the reading just how old it is.  I had not realized that its roots go all the way back to the 1600s in England, with its earliest documentation being in 1666.  It is a part of the British ballad tradition and had been brought to America by the early British settlers.
I had not heard this particular version before. With the use of a single, unaccompanied woman's voice it creates a very haunting atmosphere.  The repeated rise and fall of the melodic line can become quite hypnotic after several repetitions.  The lyrics present a story of a man on his deathbed who is dying from his unrequited love for the woman of the title.  When she does finally come to see him, she is very cold towards him and he subsequently dies.  However, shortly afterwards she dies as well, and they are buried in close proximity to each other.  Subsequently, a rose grows out of his grave and briars out of hers and they entwine around each other so that they are together for eternity.
Without even having guidance from the reading, it seems clear that this is one of the direct antecedents of the country music tradition of sad songs of either unrequited love or of love once possessed but tragically lost.

Soldier's Joy - This is described in the text as part of the string band tradition branch of what eventually became what we now call country music.  Before the days of recorded music, these were the principal means of providing music for communal events such as dances and weddings.
These two versions provide some interesting contrasts: The first uses a combination of instrumental and vocal.  The melody uses a structure of A-A1-A-B and the lyrics follow a similar pattern.  The second utilizes strictly instrumental without vocals and, as the spoken introduction indicates, a lower tuning than standard (D tuning).  The song seems to be characteristic of the style often used for square dancing and the instrumentation seems to be violin (fiddle),banjo and/or guitar and bass with some sort of simple percussion backing. 

Finally...

Finally received my copy of the textbook today so I now have the code to download the mp3s and begin the required listening and blogging assignments.