Writing about Music Listen to the compilation tape carefully once or twice, and then choose one piece to explore in depth. You may NOT write about Bessie Smith's recording of "St. Louis Blues" or Paul Robeson's recording of "Go Down, Moses." Listen to your chosen piece two or three more times (...

Bessie Smith "The Empress of Blues" as she is known to the blues community. She grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Her family was very poor and she was left alone as her parents were taken from her, just before she was an adult. She was a large woman about 200 pounds and stood six feet tal...

What is Jazz? According to the dictionary, jazz is defined as, "A kind of syncopated, highly rhythmic music originated by Southern blacks in the late 19th century" ("Jazz" 232). But, everyone should at least agree that jazz is the mother of all music, and is referred to as ...

American popular music from the 1930's reflects the cultural and social characteristics that shaped the American identity during the period. The music of the thirties is important when trying to understand the American people during a time of new technology, a massive growing in the population ...

Jessica Pilot An epiphany is a moment In "Sonny's Blues" we see the relationship of two brothers, both from two very different world emerge into something deeper. Both deal with their two different lives, one chooses to go about it more traditionally, and be a school teacher, the other fi...

Bessie Smith, known as the "Empress of the Blues," was the most influential and controversial classical blues singer of the 1920s. During her prime, her powerful blues voice sold almost a million records and gave her a weekly salary of about $2000, placing her at the top of the blues charts. Tho...

Ferdinand Joseph "Jelly Roll Morton" LaMenthe was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 20, 1890. As a child he began to learn how to play the piano at age 10 years old. He was taught by Tony Jackson, composer of songs like "Pretty Boy" and other hits. Tony Jackson is among t...

1928-This was one of the most important years of the 1920s. During this year inventions and new technologies led the way to a new society. In 1928 the first commercial televisions were being produced. Blacks and women were beginning to play an important role in American culture. Amelia Earhart ...

Chris Fouts Louis Armstrong : "Satchmo" Louis Armstrong, also known as The Great Satchmo, was one of the greatest musicians in the United States during his time. The actual date of Louis Armstrong's birth has been debated over time. Some say that he was born on July 4th, 1900. Others say t...

J.J. Johnson was born James Louis in Indianapolis on January 22, 1924. At the age of nine, Johnson became very interested with music thus learning the piano with a church organist. He took further interest in music once he attended Crispus Attucks Senior High school playing the. He started out pl...

Cabell Cab Calloway III lived an exciting and sometimes turbulent life - from street hustling as a young boy to performing in movies as well as for presidents. Cab is probably best known for his many years of live entertaining around the world. From his early days performing at such speakeasies as t...

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday was born April 7th, 1915, in Baltimore. Her original name was Eleanora Fagan. Although her father, Clarence Holiday, was a guitar/banjo player in Fletcher Henderson's band, she didn't break into the music world until her late teens. After being si...

Billie Holiday was known, as one of America's most memorable and influential all-time great jazz vocalist. The inspiration for many aspiring singers today, Holiday had a singular voice steeped in aching emotion and fueled by an uncanny sense of swing. She not only stamped her distinctive signat...