Blues

The Blues have been around for a long time. In fact, “the blues flourished from African American folk music, such as work songs, spirituals, and the field hollers of slaves” (Music Pg. 357). The exact time frame in which blues music originated is unknown. However, during the 1980s blues music was gaining popularity in rural areas of the south. Blues music speaks to the soul and heart. During a period in time where African Americans were physically and systematically oppressed, the Blues gave…

Blues is a simple and timeless American music. It is a folk music that collided with new media and commercialization. Blues influenced the development of many other styles of music, such as jazz, rock and roll, and soul. The roots of blues stem from Africa but this music was born in the United States. In 1865, the American Civil War freed American slaves and by 1900 the blues appeared in the south. Many of the newly freed slaves came from different tribes, but the blues gave them a new language…

“Sonny’s Blues.” The stories main themes are suffering, racism, and artistic expression. The suffering of Sonny who was addicted to drugs, and feels like his brother does not understand him. The suffering of black people in America because of racism, and how creating art is an outlet to take anguish and turn it into magnificence. “Sonny moved, deep within, exactly like somebody in torment.” Sonny is trying to find his path, his place in life; this is reflected in the way that he plays the…

many but also possessed the capability of bridging racial differences. If a listener was able to seep into the core of jazz, they would recognize that its improvisation and swing feeling was derived from the popular genres of ragtime and blues. Ragtime and blues share several similarities as well as differences, though each…

James Baldwin wrote Sonny’s Blues the short story. In Sonny’s Blues, the narrator is self-analyzing his experiences with different family affiliate such as his younger brother, mother and Sonny. In the story both the narrator and Sonny are apart with seven years difference in age. The narrator was dissatisfied with Sonny at first on his passion in becoming a musician. He thought it was an aspect Sonny was going through and maybe it would go away. The older brother indulges Sonny with…

Everyone has a place that is special to them, and mine is Blue Marsh Lake in Reading Pennsylvania. Blue Marsh is a serene and calming place that is without the traffic sounds of everyday life. As soon as I step out of the vehicle at Blue March Lake, the warm sun on my skin and the sounds of the water engulfs me in a blanket of peace. Whenever I head out to this special lake, I know I can prepare myself for complete relaxation. Another reason I enjoy Blue Marsh is it sounds so different than the…

Blues artists have historically represented a politically aware approach to artistic expression as it is rooted in slave songs. Rap music serves as a contemporary version of this as it too stems from African traditions such as black vernacular. Both of these genres of music use african retentions to maintain the spirit of their culture prior to their enslavement, recalling a time when they were free. The elements they incorporate from their past are a reminder to their communities that they are…

saxophonist based in Paris, Logan Richardson, released interesting albums in the past to make us curious about his next step. Shift, his Blue Note debut, was recorded with the illustrious Pat Metheny, Jason Moran, Harish Raghavan, and Nasheet Waits, but the new album, Blues People, features a new band whose exploration of sound allows a sensible coexistence between post-bop, blues, hard rock, hip-hop, and electronica. Throughout the 14-song repertoire, a past and present reflection on black…

Authored by James Baldwin, “Sonny Blues” tells of a story of blues musical style and its relation to African-American discrimination. Located in the northern part of Manhattan New York, Blues became popular in the Harlem district during the 1920’s. An African American community, Harlem is not only home to promising artists but also a haven for drugs and gangs. In a time of racial hatred, Harlem introduced a never before heard musical style in form of blues. Along with racial and political issues…

V. series The Blues and American Masters, applies his love for music history to capture the stunning spiritual saga of an art form cultivated by what was then diametrically opposed racial identities. The plot focus on the black character Grimes, combined with Finestra’s enduring fascination with blues music, establishes this transcendental, cross-racial divide quite gracefully. It begins from the first moment Finestra hears Grimes, as he sheds soft tears while listening to the blues musician’s…