Blue

strongly influenced by two specific genres known as the Blues and Ragtime. Before formally taking on the name blues, the blues originated within the slave communities of the south as spritual songs and narrative ballads. As African and European musical cultures began to merge, the blues became a unique blend of both African and European musical traditions that did not exist anywhere else before its emergence in the United States. Eventually the blues…

have the blues? It can be described as a feeling of grief or loneliness and having internal despair. Having the blues can be temporary, just due to having a bad day. One can feel permanent blues due to emotional baggage from the past or outside forces causing stress to a person. Nevertheless, the feeling of blues was first expressed through various worksongs and spirituals sung by displaced Africans during the American slavery period. Black writers soon expressed the blues emotion through blues…

American Blues Music is a distinctive art form that encapsulates many complexities of culture and race in American society. Throughout the 20th century, the impact of the blues on music and culture has transformed and reacted to a changing landscape of musical culture and perspectives on race. The preservation of blues music has been difficult due to many factors, including limitations of technology, mass media bias, and our narrow definition of what makes the music and the culture of the blues…

time period. One of these great innovators was George Gershwin, who created Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin’s introduction of a new music style in his first performance sent waves around the country that pulled in people of all music preference. The musical genius, Gershwin, created a new rhythm and style by combining Classical and Jazz music. In the time before Gershwin rose to fame for his song Rhapsody in Blue, Jazz was constantly changing with the time period. Jazz first arose as an exciting new…

genres ranging from the old days to the twenty first century is the blues. When you think of the blues, you tend to think about personal adversity. A common theme in the genre of blues is that people talk about problems they are having, any feeling of regret they may have, and feelings of betrayal. However, the blues is also about overcoming those personal adversities and saying what’s truly on your mind and heart. The concept of blues originated from the hardships that African Americans…

The blues are in essence the story of a musician’s life. All the pain they have felt in their lifetime goes into the beautiful music that they enchantingly produce. James Baldwin’s short story, “Sonny’s Blues”, is written to tell the pain of Harlem in its lifetime, and the escape route those who live there take. “Sonny’s blues” has a broad focus on grace, escaping, and the black community. “Sonny’s Blues” indirectly focuses on grace. In the short story Grace is the name of the narrator’s…

Listening to Jazz for the Soul Jazz is widely regarded as one of the most influential types of music in American History. Since it’s formation, jazz has represented the literal sound of freedom for many African Americans. James Baldwin’s “Sonny's Blues,” tells the coming of age story about a young man named Sonny and his life as an aspiring jazz musician. To become one of the great jazz musicians Sonny must focus on listening to those around him including his older brother. Ironically the…

Response Essay #4: “The Blues” Deriving from the soulful spirituals and purposeful work songs the blues was born in the Deep South. African American sharecroppers developed a new outlet allowing them to channel their sorrows into something others enjoyed. Many musicians wishing to further distance themselves from the south and all the negative connotations associated with the area, decided to move northward. They themselves and their music were not always welcome as middle class African…

short story Sonny’s Blues, James Baldwin uses darkness and light to demonstrate struggle, addiction, loss of innocence and transformation as both brothers teeter between the different shades of the blues, using music as a way to bring them both to redemption. When light is used in stories readers can very easily relate it to happiness,…

answer. However, a silver lining rose to help pass the time, Blue Hawaii had just come out. Imagine, beaches filled with warm sand and surfers testing out waves in the distance. Not to mention, the perfect sunny days and streets filled with smiling faces. Mary and her best friend Pat longed to see the new movie starring Elvis Presley, but, neither of them could drive. At this point, it seemed like there was no way they would be able to go see Blue Hawaii. How would they ever get through those…