Blue Dog Coalition

Have you ever wondered why a song became so popular? Or why you always happened to get that one song stuck in your head? Well, those questions have been answered by Robert Jourdain in his nonfiction book Music, the Brain, and Ecstasy. Jourdain begins his book with the simplest aspect of sound, the first puzzle piece of how music became a worldwide sensation that can be seen in basically every culture on Earth. That puzzle piece is hearing, and how our ears have evolved to understand, interpret,…

culture in of itself. Blues and Jazz roots run deep into American History, clear back in 1600-1800’s; when slavery was a customary thing. African Americans working all day in the fields singing spiritual hymns with heavily syncopated rhythms, creating a style of music that was initially disliked called Ragtime. There laid the foundations for Blues and Jazz.…

only drum solo in the set, as well as a trumpet solo, and a melodic saxophone solo. The arrangement, done by Mark Taylor, differed from the original as it was very inspired by Latin jazz. In addition the band played the Benny Carter ballad Who’s Blue which featured one of many unorthodox but well done trombone solos. The group's last piece, Shake It But Don’t Break It, featured a heavy swing beat and ended the entire set with a short piano solo before the brass blasted…

During the civil war, John William “Blind” Boone was black and born in Miami, Missouri, May 17, 1864. Because of his brain fever, he was forced to remove his eyes. He was almost blind from birth and that was a way he named as “blind” Boone. Regardless of poverty, disability, and racism, he became a well-known composer and musician. Also, it is worth finding his valuable characteristics and understanding how his musical inspiration affected American popular music. Despite his blindness, he had…

astonished that the books are real. He sees the truth The color blue is present around Gatsby more than any other character. His gardens are blue, his chauffeur wears blue, the water separating him from Daisy is his "blue lawn" (9.150), mingled with the "blue smoke of brittle leaves" in his yard. His transformation into Jay Gatsby is sparked by Cody, who buys him a "blue coat"—and he sends a woman who comes to his house a "gas blue" dress (3.25). Before you tie this up under one simple label,…

events. The only way to explain these changes is to start at the beginning. These changes started as early as, or even earlier than the 1920’s. That is where we will begin all the way until today’s music. In the 1920s music was dominated by blues and jazz. The blues primarily came from African American slaves mostly in the south. A lot of the songs would portray the troubles of prejudice and racism that African Americans endured during these times. One singer from the 1920’s that explain the…

“Americana is contemporary music that incorporates elements of various American roots music styles, including country, roots-rock, folk, bluegrass, R&B and blues, resulting in a distinctive roots-oriented sound that lives in a world apart from the pure forms of the genres upon which it may draw.”( americanamusic.org) Aaron Copland was an American composer who instilled a great sense of nationalism in the American people through his many works of music that became known as the standard of the…

Wilson Pickett was an icon before he knew it. There was always something special about him. Wilson Pickett is a singer/songwriter and made it to the top and remained there until he died. Songs like “In the Midnight Hour” and “Mustang Sally” got him inducted into the Hall of Fame. Wilson Pickett had a rough childhood, but he changed that and made his life the success he was and still is today. Wilson Pickett was born March 18, 1941 in Prattville, Alabama. Wilson grew up singing in Baptist church…

country music was one of the earliest genres in modern American history. The birthplace of country, or early folk music, was in Bristol, Tennessee. This developing style is a mix of folk music from the British Isles, church hymns, and African American blues. By the early 1900s, the recording industry was booming and brought about many new talents. In 1927, Ralph Peer of Victor Records noticed that most musicians had to travel to New York to make their debut, therefore, he took recording to the…

The concet I attended is called Azesu (Maria Marquez) held in the California Jazz Conservatory. Azesu is comprised by Grammy winners David Pinto on bass, Omar Ledezma on percussion, Sheldon Brown on reeds, Alan Hall on drums and Jonathan Alford on piano. They plays songs from the Latin American Songbook and originals which represent the diverse musical heritage of its members. Featuring the vocals of Maria Marquez and Omar Ledezma, Azesu is a true hybrid group combining the rhythms of the…