Armstrong - West End Blues Flashcards
1
Q
Context
A
- 1928
- Hot 5
- 12 bar blues in Eb major
- Armstrong on Trumpet
- Robinson on Trombone
- Strong on Clarinet
- Hines on Piano
- Carr on Banjo
- Singleton on Percussion
2
Q
Intro
A
- Begins with an arpeggiated Cm11
- Gb Blues note
- Syncopation through the triplet sequence
- Effortlessly hits top C
- Descending sequence with blues notes
3
Q
1st Chorus
A
- Hetrophonic
- Trumpet and clarinet in thirds with melody
- bass piano and banjo comp
- F sharp appog to G
- Falling 4ths and 6ths
- Ends with a rising sequence
- series of scotch snap rhythms
- Leaps to dissonances of the prevailing chord
4
Q
Structure
A
12 bar blues
5
Q
2nd chorus
A
- Trombone solo with a bock a de bock cymbal
- Tailgate between G flat/G natural (blues)
6
Q
3rd chorus
A
- imitation between clarinet and armstrong
- clarient is low pitched
- auxiliary notes from clarinet
- apog from vocals
- sequential arpeggios from the vocals
7
Q
4th chorus
A
- piano solo
- piano is florid and virtuosic playing around the Eb added 6th chord and F minor
- Due to the florid nature o the solo, it is a clear departure from ragtime
- short expressive being more of the ragtime style recall Armstrong’s phrases
- Bar 51 based in arpeggiation from Armstrong’s solo
8
Q
Final chorus
A
- final trumpet solo
- controlled top Eb from armstrong held for 4 bars
- rapid semiquaver Ab7/9 repetitions
- syncopated phrase channeling ragtime
- demisemiquaver triplets
- scotch snap descending sequence
9
Q
Final Cadence
A
- Cm into Cb6 (tritone of ii)
- Implied plagal cadence
- closing mordent from Armstrong
