Popular song - Jazz: Sinatra And Crosby (OCR) p120-121 Flashcards
The blues was an…on jazz musicians
Important influence
Which jazz singers used key features of blues styles in their performances?
Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday
When did the singers rule grow in importance?
In the 1930s the singer’s role grew in importance
Why did the singers role grow in importance in the 1930s?
As the technology of putting a soundtrack to a movie developed and improved, songs and their singers featured much more in Hollywood films and musicals
Singers have always played an important role in…
Jazz
Why world many bands have a singer?
They were useful for slower ballads or faster novelty numbers
In the 1920s what was one of the main functions for a band?
To provide music for dancing
What were characteristics of songs in the 1920s?
A song might be performed as a largely instrumental number, with only one or two verses for the singer
How popular were jazz soloists and bands?
There was a large following, people would know the names of bands and individual soloists
Did record- buying become more popular?
The record buying public bought more songs and the concept of hit songs developed
In the 1940s, what was the most profitable part of the record industry?
Hit songs were beginning to be the most profitable part (the concept of hit songs had developed)
What are key features of jazz? 7 things
1) swing and syncopation
2) blues inotation and timbre
3) improvisation
4) Scat
5) Rhythm section
6) Walking Bass
7) Woodwind (known as ‘reeds’) and brass instruments
Why were Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra so important?
They were the most important characters in the development of ‘star’ singers
Why was Bing Crosby so important?
He was the first singer to successfully develop a singing style for recording, cultivating a natural, relaxed and unforced tone, and showing a real understanding of microphone and recording technology
What was Bing Crosbys time like? (RUN)
Natural, relaxed and unforced
What was Bing Crosbys early repertoire like?
Witty, syncopated jazz pieces and more romantic numbers
Comment on Bing Crosbys singing style in relation to lyrics:
Conveyed emotion without exaggeration or sentimental melodrama
Where was Bing Crosbys singing style influenced from?
His singing adopted the style and techniques of jazz, particularly from working with Louis Armstrong
What did Crosby adopt from Louis Armstrong?
Armstrong’s scary singing was very influential and Crosby adopted this technique
What did Crosby explore in his career?
Major part in the recording, film and television industries
How long was Bing’s career?
Long career of over 50 years
Frank Sinatra continued Crosbys…
Pioneering work for the next generation of audiences
Was Frank Sinatra popular amongst the young?
He became one of the first teen crazes, similar to the latest hysteria over Elvis Presley
Which band did Sinatra sing with?
Tommy Dorsey’s band from 1940
What did Sinatra learn vocally?
Learnt a legato style and smooth phrasing from singing in long breaths, rather than dividing a line into several short phrases (as 1930s singers tended to do)
What are adjectives to describe Sinatra’s singing?
Immediate, natural and intimate
What did Sinatra’s vocal style mean for the audience?
It told a story and invited the audience to follow the meaning of words
When did Sinatra go solo?
1942
In 1942 he developed…
His own lush, romantic style (with help of arranger Axel Stordahl)
Why did many of Sinatras songs have a large group of strings?
To create a rich, opulent sound
What type of songs did Sinatra sing?
He performed and recorded the standards by the great song composers of the 1920s and 1930s. Other singers followed his lead in the choice of material to sing
What happened to Sinatra in the early 1950s?
A decline in popularity
After a decline in popularity in the 1950s, what did Sinatra do?
He carried his approach, he recorded a series of albums for Capitol (1953-1961), developing the idea of a concept album to suit the new technology of the LP, the idea of arranging songs in a sequence that made sense as a whole became a model for later recording artists
What was Sinatra’s repertoire like?
He had a huge repertoire of songs, including faster numbers, disposing a wide expressive range
