Listening Exam #1 Flashcards
Understand 5 key points about each song
My Blue Heaven was performed by, music by, lyrics by and in what year
Performed by Gene Austin, music by Walter Donaldson, lyrics by George Whiting in 1924
My Blue Heaven was
the best selling record of it’s era
My Blue Heaven is in …
AABA form
Appeal of My Blue Heaven…
appealed to a multitude of persons through representing a familiar and comfortable version of the “American Dream”, although it is the music refrain that holds the most appeal. It is a great tune that once remembered, is remembered for good and with affection.
The choice of… (in My Blue Heaven)
a solo cello (discreetly accompanied by the piano) immediately set the record apart from others. It creates the song to be more intimate.
St. Louis Blues music and lyrics, performed by and recorded in…
Music and lyrics by W.C Handy Performed by Bessie Smith accompanied by Louis Armstron (cornet) and Fred Longshaw (reed organ) recorded in 1925
St Louis Blues combined…
elements structural elements from Tin Pan Alley and elements from Country Blues. The form being AABA with 12 bar blues.
W.C. Handy…
Turned the AABA form into a AABC form to try and make the song less monotony in the song.
St Louis Blues uses…
A call and response technique
St. Louis Blues …
song accentuates the feeling of helplessness and despair through Bessie Smith’s singing and accompanied by the organ, allowing the moaning in her voice to exemplify the feeling of hopelessness and despair.
That Black Snake Moan written…
written and performed by Blind Lemon Jefferson. Recorded in 1926
Blind Lemon Jeffersen
was highly suspected that Jeffersen NEVER played the song the same way twice. He hugely relied on improvisation in this song.
The lyrics… (of Black Snake Moan)
portray a blunt realism to the realities of poverty and erotic desire.
The form of the song (Black Snake Moan)
is six-three line stanzas set to essentially the same music and repreated lines of the text are set to the same repeated music.
Black Snake Moan represents
Jeffersen himself, his environment, his sexual partner, the nature of their interaction and the way they both feel about that interaction. This is a huge difference from the attitudes deployed in main stream Tin Pan Alley songs.
Gospel Ship Written…
written by A.P Carter, performed by the Carter Family and recorded in 1935
Gospel Ship was
one of the most famous examples of white gospel music by the Carter Family
The style of Gospel Ship…
is humble and unpretentious. They sang this song with a very plain style that listeners saw as humility and devotion marking authentic religious faith
Gospel Ship by The Carter Family…
exemplifies the general importance of sacred music in Southern culture and the popularity of commercial recordings of this music.
The lyrics of Gospel Ship
expresses the feeling of many “hillbillies” who endured the scorn of sophisticated higherclass people. Although the song argues that the faithful will have the last laugh in heaven
Five Facts About My Blue Heaven
- It was performed by Gene Austin, writen by Geoge Whiting, music by Walter Donaldson recorded in 1924
- The best selling record of it’s era
- Held a strong appeal - lyrics based on “american dream” also the refrain was very remembered
- Solo cello (along side piano) sets it apart
- AABA format
Five Facts About St. Louis Blues
- lyrics and music by W.C. Handy, performed by Bessie Smith and accomplices in 1925
- combines elements of a Tin Pan Alley song with Country Blues
- uses structure of the AABA format, although uses AABC because W.C. Handy wanted to avoid monotony
- Uses a call and response technique with Bessie Smith and the instruments
- Bessie Smith’s singing along with the organ really exemplifies the feeling of hopelessness and despair in her voice.
Five Facts About Gospel Ship
- Writen by A.P. Carter, performed by The Carter Family and recorded in 1935
- one of the most famous songs in White Gospel music by the Carter Family
- Marks authentic religious faith due to the humility and authenticity of the song and the humbleness in which the Carter Family sang it
- sacred culture of southern music and popularity of commercial recordings
- expresses the feeling of many hillbillies against more “sophisticated” people
Five Facts About Black Snake Moan
- writen and performed by Blind Lemon Jeffersen and recorded in 1926
- highly suspected Jeffersen never played the song the same twice
- uses six-three line stanzas
- represents himself, his environment, his sexual partner, their erotic encounters and how they both felt about those encounters
- has a blunt realism in his lyrics regarding poverty and erotic desire
Taking A Chance On Love was…
compose by Vernon Duke, lyrics by John Latouche and Ted Fetter, arranged by Fletcher Hendersen; performed by BENNY Goodman and his Orchestra, recorded in 1940
Taking A Chance On Love reached…
reached number one on the Hit Parade chart published in the influential trade journal Billboard in 1943
Taking a chance on love represents …
a common aspect of the repertoire of big bands - orchestrated versions of popular Tin Pan Alley songs
The singer of Taking A Chance on Love is …
sang by Helen Forrest who, although not heard of today, was seen as one of the greatest big band crooners. Her warm, fluid voice and clarity of phrasing was admired by musicians and she eventually worked with three of the most prominent bands of the swing era. (those of Goodman, Artie Shaw, Harry James)
Taking A Chance on Live is in …
Thirty-two-bar AABA song structure, including an interesting 24 measure instrumental introduction
5 Interesting facts about taking a chance on love
- composed by vernon Duke, lyrics by John Latouche and Ted Fetter, performed by Benny Goodman and his orchestra, arranged by Feltcher Hendersen. Recorded in 1940
- represents a common aspect of the repertoire of big bands - “orchestrated versions of popular Tin Pan Alley songs”
- sang by Helen Forrest - one of the most renown female crooners, was admired by many musicians and worked with three of the most prominent bands of the swing era
- reached number one on Hit Parade chart published in the influential trade journal billboard in 1943
- thirty-two bar AABA song structure - including 24 measure instrumental introduction
Caravan was
compose by Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington, arranged by Duke Ellington, performed by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, recorded in 1937
Caravan is in
thirty-two bar AABA form.
Caravan begins with
drummer, Sonny Geer, whose role in the Ellington band was much different than the competing bands. His contribution was broadly musical - Ellington never wrote drum parts for Geer. He relied on his innate sense of direction.
Caravan’s arrangement is…
enlivened with “exotic” precussion and bluesy jazz improvisations.
Caravan has been
recorded by a wide variety of musicians over the years including Nat King Cole, Chet Atkins, the Carpenters, the Ventures. It has also appeared in movies such as Oceans Eleven, and TV shows such as The OC and The Simpsons
Five Facts About Caravan
- composed by Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington, arranged by Duke Ellington, performed by Duke Ellington and His orchestra recorded in 1937
- Caravan is in thirty-two-bar AABA form
- begins with an instrumental by the drummer Sonny Geer - relied on his sense of direction (never had music written for him)
- enlivened with exotic percussion and bluesy jazz improvisations
- Recorded by many musicians, in movies and TV shows
Brazil was
written by Ary Barroso, performed by Xavier Cugat and His Waldork-Astoria Orchestra, recorded in 1943
Brazil is
one of the most recorded songs of ALL TIME. perhaps has become familiar through repetition as a staple of tourist trade, performed in hotel bars, ballrooms worldwide
The musical logic of Brazil is …
centered on two elements: 1. a one-measure syncopated pattern repeated over and over to create momentum and 2. a sweeping meoldy with ABCD form which never repeats itself in the same manner as a Tin Pan Alley song
In Brazil…
the arrangement and rhythmic pattern and melody are tossed from instrument to instrument and extra measures are introduced at important transition points.
It could be argued that the structure of Brazil…
the formal structure and musical texture of Brazil, a song, that to this day functions as an emotionally saturated symbol of Brazilian national identity
