1. Blues Evolved from African-American work songs and spirituals
Based on "folk holler" (slaves would holler to the empty fields) & spirituals
Lyrics often speak of the agony of desertion, betrayal and unrequited love (love not returned)
One form – "levee camp blues" or labor songs. Sung during hard, strenuous work 1

2. Blues African vocals with white man's guitar added
Pattern (12-bar blues) like in Hound Dog
Bars
Chords – I IV I V IV I
Combination of black melody & rhythm with white harmony and meter
Form can change. This is basic framework to start with. Musician would improvise with this structure in mind. 2

3. Jazz Jazz music originated with slaves.
In the African tradition, they had a single-line melody and a call-and-response pattern, but without the European concept of harmony.
In the early 19th century an increasing number of black musicians learned to play European instruments.
Another influence came from black slaves who had learned the harmonic style of hymns and incorporated it into their own music as spirituals.

4. Jazz
Begin with a basic melodies and musicians take turns improvising or “taking a solo” on the melody.
Melody
Improv

5. Jazz
Syncopation – shifting the accent to the weak beat or off-beat

6. Jazz
Syncopated rhythms reflected African speech patterns, and the African use of pentatonic scales led to blue notes in blues and jazz. (lowered 3rd, 5th, & 7th)

7. Ragtime Based on the military two-step march
Rhythms are "ragged" and syncopated (putting emphases on weak beat)
Mostly played on the piano 7

8. Ragtime Most famous ragtime composer – Scott Joplin
Called "King of Ragtime"
Moved from South to urban North
Songs – "Maple Leaf Rag" & "The Entertainer" 8

9. Famous Jazz Musicians
Louis Armstrong (called the Great "Satchmo") – "Potato Head Blues," "West End Blues," "St. Louis Blues"
Duke Ellington – "Caravan," "Take the 'A' Train"
Miles Davis – "So What"
Jazz influenced Gershwin – "Rhapsody in Blue" 9

10. George Gershwin
Born in 1898 in Brooklyn, NY to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants
Birth name – Jacob Gershovitz
Began musical training at 13
His first song was published when he was 17 & it earned him $5.

11. George Gershwin
Teamed up with his brother, Ira, in 1924 to write musical comedies for Broadway
Went to Paris to study with the same teacher Aaron Copland took from. She denied giving him lessons because she feared that rigorous study would ruin his jazz-influenced style
While in Paris, he wrote An American in Paris
Died of a brain tumor at the age of 38

12. Gershwin’s Music “I Got Rhythm”
Rhapsody in Blue (rhapsody – an instrumental composition of irregular form often incorporating improvisation)

13. Jazz Music today Glenn Miller Orchestra
Ray Charles
Many, many more….