After
completing the listening for this week, which included American jazz music from
1917 into the 1930s, a few central themes and questions came to mind. I noted a
continuous relationship with the commercialization and simplification of music
introduced into the main stream culture. While listening, I wondered how
musicians, who did not compose music, were able to be creative before the use of
improvisation. I recognized how the lack of technology, specifically social
media, made it possible for musicians and their songs to stay relevant longer. Lastly, I noticed the beginning of the trend
of credit for “hits” going more to the performer than to the writer. Below I
will detail these concepts with examples from the listening.
“The
Castle House Rag”, by James Reese Europe, catered to the dance style of Vernon
and Irene Castle. While the Castles’ dance moves and Europe’s music were new
and fresh and edgy, their success came greatly in part of their ability to “water
it down” for their customers; Americans. The Castles put together combinations
of simplified tango dance moves so that it could be easily learned and repeated
throughout a song. That component of the dance transfers over to Europe’s “The
Castle House Rag” as you can see with the repeat of sections in its AABBACCDEEF
form. Additionally, the integration of the waltz in the C section is possibly a
strategic break for the dancers from the new fast paced moves to a slower, more
familiar, and less skilled dance style. While “The Castle House Rag” did wonders
for getting Americans involved in the new dance and music movement, I wonder
what would be different in the composition if Europe had not considered commercialized
motivations.
The
Original Dixieland Jazz Band and King Joe Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band both
brought respectable music to Americans in the jazz era, but modern day critics
view Oliver’s ensemble as “the first authentic evidence of a mature jazz style” (Starr & Waterman, 2014, page 87). If you
compare the recordings of ODJB’s “Tiger Rag” to Oliver’s “Dipper Mouth Blues”
one very noticeable difference is the use of improvisation. Both groups
furthered improvisation in jazz music, but King Joe’s ensemble’s use of a solo
section is more elaborate than the ODJB’s use of “collective improvisation.”
Additionally, Oliver’s ensemble, which included trumpeter Louis Armstrong, made
use of various mutes to create new and exciting sounds.
Technology
did many great things for the American music industry during this time period,
including the development of the electric microphone for recording. This microphone
inspired the recreation of a popular 1921 hit “April Showers” over a decade
after the original release. While technology allowed for both of Al Jolson’s “April
Shower” recordings to be popular, I believe that the lack of technology also
contributed. Modern day technology allows for us to enjoy “new” music with a
push of a button through many different avenues (radio, computer, cell phone,
television). The instant gratification that we receive by having this music on
demand pushes us to want more new music constantly. I do not believe that
Jolson would be able to re-release his song the same way in today’s music industry,
even with a newly founded technological advance.
“I’ve
Got Rhythm” performed by Ethel Merman is a very powerful song for many reasons beyond
Merman’s full throttle voice. This is the first suggested recording in the text
that is performed by a woman and the recording date is 1947! Jean Ritchie’s “Barbary
Allen” (page 21) was recorded later in 1960. Although the lyrics of “I’ve Got
Rhythm” were written by a man (Ira Gershwin), the words are very inviting for a
female singer. The order of the lines, “I’ve
got rhythm, I’ve got music, I’ve got my man”, places emphasis on the singer’s
love of music and choice to place her love music first (before her “man”). I
first saw Merman perform a part of “I’ve Got Rhythm” on the I Love Lucy show in
an episode from 1964. Her musicianship and stage presence is to be admired and should
be credited for the development of later female performers.
Starr, L., & Waterman, C. (2014). American
popular music: From minstrelsy to MP3 (4th ed.). New York: Oxford
University Press.
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