Rhythm and Blues
Post-War Blues
• After WW II, blues develops into:
– Jump blues
– Electric (Chicago) blues
– New Orleans style
– Doo-Wop
• Collectively called R&B or rhythm and blues -industry term for “race music”
R&B
• Strong crossover appeal
• Frequently involves mixture of styles
• Most defined by strong rhythmic
activity
Jump Blues
• Descended from swing jazz
– Stripped down instrumentation: 2-3
horns + percussion section
– Plus a blues shouter – male vocalist
with strong, supported blues voice
Jump Blues
• Up-tempo numbers with boogiewoogie feel
• Riff-based accompaniments
– Rough, “honking” instrumental timbres
• Four- or eight-beat style beat
• “Slice of life” vignettes
• Showmanship important
Louis Jordan
• “Father of rhythm and blues”
– Showman, comic, and bandleader
• Ex. Choo-Choo-Ch-Boogie
– Shuffle style beat
– Boogie-woogie walking bass
– Riff-based
– Verse/chorus blues form
• Verse = 12 bar blues
• Refrain = 8 bar blues
Urban or Electric blues
• Country blues carried north to cities
• New style starts to develop in Chicago
– Drums, bass, harmonica and/or piano
added to singer+guitars
– Role of each instrument specified
Urban blues
• Forms:
•
•
•
•
– 12 or 16 bar (aaab) blues
– blues verse/chorus
Often riff-based
Strong rhythm section
Amplification used
Aggressive and extroverted: shouted vocals, hard
timekeeping
Muddy Waters (McKinley
Morganfield, 1915-1976)
• Major influence on urban blues
• Ex. Hoochie Coochie Man
– Waters (guitar), piano, bass, harmonica
– Verse/Chorus blues form
• 16 bar blues; first 8 verse, 2nd 8 chorus
– Stop time: 1 1/2 beat riff, 2 1/2 beats for vocals
– Dense textures
– Shuffle rhythms
New Orleans R&B
• Afro-Cuban influences prominent in
New Orleans R&B
• Major influence: Professor
Longhair (Roy Byrd)
Professor Longhair's Blues
Rhumba
Walking bass
•
• Boogie-woogie piano
• Shuffle rhythm
• PLUS “reverse” clave rhythm
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 +
XX X
X X XX
rather than…
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 +
X
X
X
X
3 + 4 +
X
X X
3 + 4 +
X
Fats Domino
• Influenced by Professor Longhair and Latinflavored boogie-woogie
• Signature characteristic - fast, even triplets
• Laid-back style
• Ex. Mardi Gras in New Orleans
– Dense textures, often polyrhythmic as well
– Clave rhythm
– 12-bar blues
Doo-wop
• Gospel quartet sound, but with secular
lyrics
• Name from vocal percussion effects nonsense syllables in
accompaniment
Doo-Wop
• Somewhat more pop influenced than gospel
• Harmonies slightly more complex
• Tempos often slower
• Sketchy instrumental accompaniment, but
not usually significant
Doo-Wop
Examples
• The Chords - Sh-Boom
• The Penguins - Earth Angel
• The Flamingos, I Only Have Eyes For You
• Similarities and differences?
Doo-wop: characteristics
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Verse and refrain form
Triplets in accompaniment
Shuffle rhythms
Pop influence evident
Gospel-Influenced R&B
• Sam Cooke
• Ruth Brown
• Ray Charles
Gospel-Influenced R&B
• Gospel fervor, exuberance - “Getting
happy”
• Call and response (often)
• Elaborate, gospel-style singing
– Melismas
– Blue notes, inflections
Ray Charles, 'What'd I Say”
• Gospel influences
– “Getting happy”
– Vocal/instrumental call and response
– vocal style
– Hammond organ
• R&B
– Lyrics about relationship
– Electric bass
– Horn section, percussion
– Verse/refrain form