HISTORY OF BLUES

Intersession: Popular Music

Early Blues

Early blues music had its

roots on Southern
plantations.

Many of its lyrics and

rhythms come from slave
songs and West African
culture.

Early blues artists include

Robert Johnson, W.C. Handy,
and Ma Rainey.
The earliest known blues
song was Memphis Blues.
(W.C. Handy)
Blues often gets divided into
two categories:

Rural-only a banjo or guitar

Urban- Full instrumentation

Ma Rainey

Early Blues: Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson was born

in 1911 in Mississippi.
Legend has it that he sold
his soul to the devil to
become the greatest
guitarist alive.
He is widely regarded to
be one of the most
influential musicians of all
time.
He was poisoned in 1938
by a jealous husband after
Robert Johnson flirted with
his wife.

Blues Explosion

During the 1950s the blues

became electrified and
began to work its way into
popular music and culture
with the beginning of Rock
and Roll music.

The Great Migration of Blacks

from the rural South to the
urban North also lead to a
change in Blues music from
rural blues to urban blues.

Important artists of the time

period include Howlin Wolf,
Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley,
and B.B. King.

Rock Meets Blues

In the late 1960s many British

and American Rock artists
began to incorporate the blues
more heavily into their music.
Muddy Waters toured the
United Kingdom in the
1960s, he is credited with
spreading the blues abroad.

This lead to a revival of

important blues artists from
the past, like B.B. King and
Buddy Guy.

Important artists of this era

include: The Rolling Stones,
Eric Clapton, Janis Joplin, Jimi
Hendrix, and Led Zepplin

1970s to the Present

Stevie Ray Vaughn had

tremendous success during
the late 1970s and 1980s until
he died in a plane crash after
playing a show in Wisconsin.

The Blues continues to

influence guitar players of
every type of music.

Today the influence of the

blues can be heard in the
music of the Black Keys,
Alabama Shakes, and John
Mayer

The Blues remains to be the

root of all popular music.

HISTORY OF JAZZ
Intersession: Popular Music

The Origins of Jazz

Jazz music is usually

traced back to ragtime
music made popular by
Scott Joplin.

Jazz music developed its

own distinct style,
incorporating influences
from blues, ragtime,
classical music, and
African rhythms.

Early Jazz musicians

include Jelly Roll Morton,
Buddy Bolden and Louis
Armstrong.

The Jazz Age

During the Prohibition Era

and the 1930s, jazz
became the most popular
music in the United States.

Jazz was key in bringing

White and Black audiences
together.

Swing music, a form of

jazz was the dominant
dance music of the time.

Key artists of the time

include: Count Basie, Duke
Ellington, Billie Holiday,
and Benny Goodman.

The 1950s 1970s:

Experimenting

Bebop:
Much more challenging
and demanding music.
Point where jazz switched
from dance music to an
art form
Thelonious Monk, Charlie
Birdman Parker, and
Dizzy Gillepsie

Cool Jazz:
Calmer and smoother
than bebop.
Music to relax to.
Miles Davis & Art Blakey

The 1950s 1970s:

Experimenting

Free Jazz:
Inspired by bebop.
Not much structure, more
experimental.
Charlie Mingus, John
Coltrane, Ornette Coleman

Experimental Jazz:
Incorporated different
world musical styles.
Strange or non-traditional
instruments
Miles Davis & Frank Zappa

Jazz & Hip Hop

Jazz has had a

tremendous influence
on many types of music,
especially hip hop.
What is considered to
be the golden age of
Hip Hop sampled jazz
heavily.
Artists include: A Tribe
Called Quest, Pete Rock
& C.L. Smooth, Nas,
Outkast, and Shabazz
Palaces