Module 2

One of the most important contributions to the ideas of American popular music was the inclusion of African American Popular music. One of the leading composers and songwriters was Jim Europe. One of his biggest accomplishments was creating a black symphony orchestra specializing in the music of African American Composers (Starr and Waterman, pg. 83). One of his most enjoyable and influential songs was his “Castle House Rag,” which contains elements of both ragtime and marching band music.  The way Europe created a flowing use of dynamic contrast, adding and taking away new instruments and containing improvisation between performers. Ragtime was began to dwindle after the ending of World War I, which took the focus to Jazz Music. Jazz Music became the next big social dance scene and set the stage for “African Americanization” of ballroom dance music (pg. 85).  “Tiger Rag” is strongly syncopated like “Castle House Rag,” but there isn’t one strongly identifiable melody (pg. 87) causing the listener to pay attention to other aspects of the composition.  When not allowing for an identifiable melody, musicians are able to make each performance their own without having to be compared to other musicians.

As the Jazz style further evolved overtime, the ideas of melodic phrases would become introduced into jazz charts. One song, “Dipper Mouth Blues,” by King Joe Oliver incorporated these melodic “motifs” and would contain improvisation around those melodic ideas (pg.88). Jazz would forever be evolving in the years to come allowing for the style to constantly change and grow into what we know as Jazz today. Much like other composers through different eras, Oliver’s contributions to Jazz would spread to other composers of jazz such as Louis Armstrong (pg.89). The jazz craze represented the intensification of African American influence on the musical tastes and buying habits of white Americans (pg. 92), even though the world of dance orchestras remained strictly segregated (pg. 93). As new styles would spring from these concepts, black musicians would begin to appeal to white audiences.  

As new styles begin to emerge in “East St. Louis Toodle-Oo” by Duke Ellington. The characteristic sound of the trumpet as demonstrated by classical composer began to be experimented. Duke Ellington used the trumpet to created a different characteristic sound that would become iconic of jazz music. The trumpet would begin to growl mimicking the use of scat singing, another quality of popular music discussed in this module. This piece would incorporate many soloists that provide different techniques and sounds for other instruments. The Washingtonians recording of “East St. Louis Toodle-Oo” was one of the most infamous renditions of the famous Ellington song. Recorded in 1927 (pg. 100), featured trumpeter “Bubber” Miley which was a South Carolina native similar to Dizzy Gillespie. This is quite close to home since I used to live in Cheraw, SC. I feel that the Jazz style was and continues to be heavily influential in the musical history of the state that I currently live in.

Possible one of the most influential piece of music in the 1900’s “I Got Rhythm” by George and Ira Gershwin is known as a “standard,” a song that has withstood the test of time and has become a touchstone for nostalgia (pg. 117).  The Tin Pan Alley era placed a great deal of emphasis on syncopation that was iconic of the African American Style. The original melody is based on the pentatonic scale that provides a very simple melodic line on the piano. Another amazing use of rhythm throughout the entire piece allows for the audience to keep the tune in their head because of the repetition of the pentatonic scale as well as the repetition of the melody.  Similar to other Jazz composers, Gershwin provided a creative way of incorporating music of earlier musicians, which formed jazz into a “standard” that we continue to teach in our classes today. My Jazz band still continues to play the music of these iconic composers.