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Although the enslaved African people who were brought to America could not bring their musical instruments with them, they did not forget their musical traditions. Some slaves were not allow to speak their native language in American and added their own traditions styles to European American songs and Dances. They passed on traditional African musical styles from generation to generation. Gradually, several styles of African American music emerged in the United States.
Today, two of the best styles are Blues and Jazz. The blues most likely began as solo singing. Blues have come from story songs, called ballads, and other songs that were sung at lively dances. Blues Singers Made slight changes to original melodies and rhythm ion order to add emotional expression, including sounds of moaning or crying. The emotions expressed were often sad and mournful. Later on, instruments such as the guitar, banjo, and harmonica were added to accompany solo blues singing.
Eventually the piano, bass, drums, brass, and wood wind instruments were also added. Today, musicians follow a specific form or pattern of phrases when they sing or play the blues. One of Americans most famous blues Singers was Bessie Smith (1894 - 1937). Bessie was known as the Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith Was Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Bessie's career began when she was 'discovered' by none other than Ma Rainey when Ma's revue, the Rabbit Foot Minstrels, was passing through Chattanooga around 1912 and she had the occasion to hear young Bessie sing. Ma took Bessie on the road with the show and communicated, consciously or not, the subtleties and intricacies of an ancient and still emerging art form. Bessie started working small-time traveling tent shows, such as Charles P. Bailey troupe and Pete Werleys Florida Cotton Blossoms, carnivals, and honky-tonks. Her first recording, Down Hearted Blues, was released in the spring of 1923. Though released without special promotion, it was an immediate success, and had sold over two million copies by the end of the first year of release, an immense number for that time.
Bessie started touring on the best race artist vaudeville circuits booked by the Toby, or TOBA, short for Theatre Owners Booking Associations, but also thought to stand for Tough on Black Artist. During the mid-twenties Bessie toured the entire south and most of the major northern cities, always as the star attraction on the bill. She was the highest paid Black entertainer in the country at the time, completely booked at $ 1500 a week, while her records remained hot. Bessie's last recording sessions in 1933 billed as a comeback, was in large measure a sentimental gesture by producer John Hammond. Her last New York appearance was in 1936 at a Sunday afternoon jam session sponsored by United Hot Clubs of America at the original Famous Door on 52 nd Street. John Hammond's departure to Mississippi to bring her back to New York, September 27, 1937, to record again, on her way there Bessie Smith was in an automobile accident just below Clarksdale, Mississippi on the main road to Memphis.
Her right arm was nearly severed in the crash, and Bessie died from loss of blood. In a 1937 article by John Hammond he reported that Bessie Smith died after being denied admission to a hospital because of her skin color. However Hammond has since admitted his report was based on hearsay, and those since interviewed who had direct knowledge of the events have made it clear that this was not the case. Bessie Smith had a huge sweeping voice, capable of strength and tenderness, which Bessie left behind 160 recordings. Another amazing jazz legend is Billie Holiday (1915 - 1959). Billie was born Wednesday, April 7, 1915 in Baltimore, Maryland.
Billie Holiday grew up living with her grandparents and an older cousin while her mother left to work in New York City. Billie Holiday played a banjo and guitar, he and left to tour with a jazz band. Billies relatives abused her and neglected her. Growing with no one around her to depend on, Billie had to start working. She ran errands and cleaned apartments for people in her people in her neighborhood.
When Billie got older she went to New York to live with her mother-but her mother had other plans. She moved Billie to a room in an apartment house where she was once again left to fend for herself. Billie started singing in clubs. When she was fifteen, she had to sing the same songs over and over again for customers. To keep the music interesting, Billie changed her voice and timing slightly while repeating the same lyrics.
She claimed that she never liked to sing a song the same way twice. She loved the styles of Louis Armstrong and the great blues singer Bessie Smith, and learned to use her voice like an instrument, a skill that helped her attract the attention of talented jazz bandleaders. Later, in life Billie got in a recorded deal with Vacation Records. In 1935, she began making a series of recording with Teddy Wilson, a talented jazz pianist. Billie made records with him and other musicians over the next six years and recorded many popular songs. Other singers may have had a wide range and stronger projection than, Billie, but her combination of an instrumental approach and her special feeling made her unique.
Once her name was noticed Billie started touring with the Count Basie orchestra for years. In the year 1938, she went on the road with Artie Shaw's all- white band. While touring in the south, Billie would have to stay on the bus while the band went to whites-only restaurants. So when it comes to this Billie decided to stop touring to begin a solo career.
Although Billie recordings are full of life and joy, by her 30 's Billie suffered from depression and mood swings. Her personal problems worsened when she became addicted to drugs and alcohol. As Billie tried to recover from her addiction, she had a comeback period during the mid- 1950 s. As Billie tried to recover from her addiction, she had a comeback period during the mid- 1950 s. She performed at Carnegie Hall (a legendary, New York concert hall) and toured in Europe. She always made beautiful music and made many great recordings in spite of her physical and emotional problems.
Sadly, Billie was never able to overcome her drug addiction. Her health began to fail and Billie died when she was 45 years old. Jazz probably began in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the twentieth century. It started as a mixture of many different types o...
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Research essay sample on African American Blues Jazz
