Musicians Flashcards
1
Q
FISK JUBILEE SINGERS
A
- College choir from Fisk University
- Sang Spirituals
- Performed @ World Peace Jubilee in Boston
- First large-scale exposure that the general population had to African-American musical forms
2
Q
MAMIE SMITH
A
- Urban blues singer
- Performed “Crazy Blues” with her Jazz Hounds in 1920
- First recorded example of Urban Blues
- Incredibly popular, increased exposure to jazz
- Dixieland instrumentation
3
Q
BESSIE SMITH
A
- Known as “Empress of the Blues”
- Tough life reflected in her music
- Recorded St Louis Blues in 1925, written by WC Handy, performed with Louis Armstrong.
- So popular they made a movie of it!
4
Q
ROBERT JOHNSON
A
- “King of Delta Blues”
- “Father of Rock & Roll”
- Great guitar technique, disturbing vocal quality
- Unremarkable early life, disappeared during early Depression, came back awesome (supposedly sold his soul to the devil)
- Only 41 short tracks, 29 songs
- Epitome of the Delta Blues style
5
Q
SCOTT JOPLIN
A
- “King of Ragtime,”
- Hybrid of Marches & West African music
- Introduced syncopated African dance music to the public at Chicago’s World Fair.
- Formally studied Western Tradition
- Elevated Ragtime with WT
- Parlor music (to show good breeding)
- Wrote Maple Leaf Rag, sold 1,000,000 copies
6
Q
JAMES REESE EUROPE
A
- First AA brass band leader
- Organized Clef Club to train and promote AA musicians
- First brass band to play dance styles
- Partnership with Vernon and Irene Castle
- Castle House Rag
- Brought ragtime to European audience
7
Q
BUDDY BOLDEN
A
- First “King” of New Orleans
- Cornet player
- Never recorded
- Big Four Creator, possibly one of the main inventors of swing
- responsible for “habanera rhythm”
8
Q
KING OLIVER
A
- Cornet King of New Orleans
- Led one of the best NO jazz bands, King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band
- Mentor to Louis Armstrong, bringing him to Chicago in 1923
9
Q
JELLY ROLL MORTON
A
- pianist and composer
- First to publish a written jazz piece, “Jelly Roll Blues”
- First jazz arranger
- Combined arranged and improvised passages
10
Q
LOUIS ARMSTRONG
A
- Vague birthdate
- Dippermouth
- Satchelmouth
- Cornet to trumpet player
- Second cornet with King Oliver in Chicago
- Married Lil Hardin who managed his career
- Had major impact on the genre in 1924 and 1925 with Fletch Hend in New York as featured soloist
- Defined jazz as a solo art form
- Peak solo artistry with Hot 5 and Hot 7 “West End Blues” and “Hotter Than That”
11
Q
FLETCHER HENDERSON
A
- House band at Roseland Ballroom
- Let Louis solo in 1924-1925
- Amalgamated the styles of his best musicians into his writing
- One of the first great big band writers/arrangers
- More arranged passages, less improv
- Tried to “make a lady” out of jazz
12
Q
BIX BEIDERBECKE
A
- Influential trumpeter just after Louis
- Lighter tone, harmonically advanced, narrower range, cool thoughtful style, less swing than Louis
- Influenced by French impressionists, Debussy and Ravel
- Made jazz appealing to whites
- Also played piano
- Played with Frankie Trumbauer and Paul Whiteman
13
Q
HARLEM STRIDE PIANISTS
A
- Symbol of the Harlem Renaissance
- Tried to mimic entire bands with “boom chick” sound
- Influenced swing
- Art Tatum was a stride virtuoso
- James P Johnson was the “King,” wrote Charleston, taught Fats
- Fats Waller also influential
14
Q
BENNY GOODMAN
A
- “King of Swing” clarinetist
- Launches the rise of swing with Fletch arrangements at the Palomar in 1935 in LA
- 1938 Carnegie Hall with integrated band
- Played with Krupa, Hampton, Charlie Christian, etc
15
Q
BILLIE HOLIDAY
A
- Poet
- Very expressive and sincere
- Often sang bluesy tunes
- Rich timbral coloring
- Lots of inflection
- Sang “Strange Fruit”
