Blues
What is Blues music?
A style of music that tells emotional stories about struggles and life experiences.
What is Jazz music?
A lively style of music with lots of energy and improvisation (making it up as you go)
Name 3 famous jazz musicians…
Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, etc.
Why was Blues and Jazz music so influential during the Harlem Renaissance?
Blues and Jazz helped African Americans express themselves and share their stories.
Where is Harlem located?
New York.
What were some popular Blues instruments?
Guitar, Harmonica, voice, etc.
What were some popular Jazz instruments?
Piano, trumpet, drum, saxophone, double bass, etc.
Who was John Lee Hooker?
John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues that he developed in Detroit.
What genres of music did Blues and Jazz influence today?
R&B, Rock, and Hip-Hop.
When did the Harlem Renaissance take place?
End of WW1 to mid 1930s.
Who was the most famous blues singer?
B.B King.
What was Louis Armstrong’s famous hit song?
“What a wonderful world.”
Who wrote “Empire of the Blues”?
Bessie Smith
What was a club that was popular for African-American musicians to perform at?
Cotton Club/Apollo Theater.
What was the original meaning of the word “Jazz”?
It was originally used as a slang term and didn’t mean music at all.
Who was known as the “Empire of the blues”?
Bessie Smith.
What was the first Jazz song that incorporated a piano?
Harlem Stride.
What was Ma Rainey often known for?
Her strong emotional voice.
How did Blues and Jazz music help African Americans in Harlem?
Helped African Americans feel proud of their culture and it spread new ideas and sounds across the U.S.
What help keeps the history of the Harlem Renaissance alive today?
Museums and documentaries.
What pattern does Blues music often use?
Hint: It’s still used in many songs today
12 bar blues.
True or False: A jazz performance is full of secret hand and body signals.
True, musicians communicate with each other non-verbally.
At what age did Duke Ellington start playing the piano?
7 years old.
Who helped popularize “scat singing”?
Louis Armstrong.
What ended the Harlem Renaissance?
The Stock Market Crash of 1929 and The Great Depression.