rhytm what did i do to be so black and blue armstrong

When it comes to the development and innovation of jazz, few names deport every bit much weight every bit Louis Armstrong. His contributions comprise many of the distinguishable elements of jazz, including scat singing, improvisation, solos, and swing style. A unique song timbre, and strong graphic symbol immune him to transcend racial stereotypes and get pop among many groups. The success of "(What did I do to Be So) Blackness and Blueish," originally written by Harry Brooks and Andy Razaf, aptly illustrates the power of his music in a country wrought past racial tensions. Although his interpretation of the song significantly differs from the original, information technology is uniquely representative of the characteristics of jazz in the 1920s.

Syncopation, polyrhythm, rhythmic repetition, and swing way or blues are considered to be common elements of jazz music in the 1920s. Louis Armstrong exhibits many of these characteristics in his rendition of "(What Did I Exercise To Exist And then) Black and Blueish. " The distinct licks and breaks of his trumpet that tin exist heard in the commencement moments of the vocal illustrate his fondness for improvisation. Afterward, Armstrong's gravelly vocals are complimented past familiar jazz instruments like the piano, tenor saxophone, trombone, and trumpet to create a slow bluesy rhythm. At this time, Armstrong combined solo improvisation with New Orleans Style jazz to further innovate his sound. By the mid-1920s, jazz songwriters were "the most sophisticated generation. . ever assembled" (Deveaux p. 95). Inspired by Armstrong'southward improvisation, writers were able to create music that was more sophisticated than "blues and ragtime strains that had served their predacessors" (p. 95). Armstrong's innovations in improvisation, singing, repertory, and rhythm helped propel Armstrong'due south fame in the 1920s and solidified his role equally "the single almost important figure in the development of jazz" (Deveaux p. 108).

Today, "(What Did I Practise To Exist So) Black and Blue" is regarded as i of America's first "racial protest songs" (Singer p. 219); Nonetheless, the song was originally intended to outright mock the hardships faced by blacks. New York gangster Dutch Schultz ordered Andy Razaf to write the song for the 1929 Broadway musical "Hot Chocolates. " Schultz envisioned a "colored daughter" on stage singing about how hard it is to be "colored" (Vocalizer p. 216). After refusing, Razaf was threatened at gunpoint past Schultz until he conceded to write the vocal. Adamant to write information technology in his own way, Razaf evaded Schultz' intentions and "stripped bare essences of racial discontent that had very rarely if always been addressed past any African American" (Vocalist p. 219). The sympathetic all the same humorous tone taken by Razaf was well received by audience members after it was slipped into a tryout operation but before its Broadway opening. The song grew in popularity largely because of Razaf's poignant commentary on "interracial prejudice betwixt lighter- and darker-skinned blacks" (Vocalist p. 217).

Later hearing the song and recognizing its significance, Louis Armstrong created his own rendition by heavily altering the vocal'south lyrics and underlying meaning. By omitting much of the original song's satirical elements, Armstrong created a song that possesses a more sincere and realistic tone. He begins with the lyrics: "Cold empty bed/springs hard as pb/feel like old Ned/wished I was dead/what did I do/to be so black and blue. " The first lines of both the original song and Armstrong's rendition portray the poverty associated with African American life; Yet, Armstrong's version presents a slightly darker and more hopeless depiction of African American morale during the 1920s. For instance, where the original song contains the words "Pains in my caput", Louis chooses to include the words, "wished I was dead. " Armstrong ultimately removed much of the original vocal's text only retained its core message with the lines, "My but sin is in my peel/What did I do to be then blackness and blueish? "

In add-on to differences in class and text, Louis Armstrong's performance of "(What Did I Exercise To Exist Then) Black and Blue" occurred in a more serious setting and contextual groundwork. Where the original vocal was intended to surprise and charm a predominantly white audience in a Broadway theatre, Louis Armstrong sought to brainwash others with its message in an intimate style. When get-go performed by Edith Wilson on a stage "awash in white", the original song "induced loud laughter in the audience" (Vocaliser p 218). Andy Razaf "craftily littered the opening verse with humorous, minstrel-like images" in order to satisfy Dutch Schultz's demands only bravely decided to include his own sympathetic message (Singer p. 219). He did this, knowing full well that if Schultz was displeased with the result, it could have meant the terminate of his life.

In contrast, Louis Armstrong chose to ship a message by offset recording the vocal for Okeh's "white" characterization rather than it's "race" label (Singer p. 220). By both removing the satirical elements and accenting the sullen aspects of the original, Armstrong created his own argument about the oppression of Blacks. His nuanced vocals and distinctive trumpet playing creates an atmosphere and tone vastly different from the original. Armstrong'south subsequent performances and recordings increased the vocal's popularity and helped it become a historically significant protestation against discrimination.

At the time of the vocal'due south release, racial tensions in America were at an all-fourth dimension high. Cheers to Armstrong'south mainstream acceptance and popularity, his letters reached a broad range of audiences and helped start conversations about topics that were formerly taboo. For this reason, I believe that Louis Armstrong was a uniquely effective abet for racial tolerance and equality. Equally Armstrong's influence grew, his music was able to educate more and more people virtually the hardships faced by African Americans. The resulting cultural and political ramifications transcended his popularity as a musician. Despite growing up in a fourth dimension of poverty and segregation, Armstrong was always generous and welcoming. In the 1950'southward, Armstrong was "widely accustomed equally a national administrator of good will" (Deveaux p. 109). His colleague Duke Ellington described him as "the epitome of the kind of American who goes beyond the rules, a truly practiced and original man" (p. 109).

Louis Armstrong'due south cultural and political significance was evident when the musician traveled to Africa in 1956 and performed his vocal "(What Did I Do to Be Then) Black and Blue" to a crowd of 100,000 people. His rendition "brought Prime number Minister Kwame Nkrumah to tears" (Deveaux p. 125) and inspired many. Jazz ambassadors, including Louis Armstrong, were loved and respected throughout the world for their "brilliant creativity, their irreverence, and their wit, and for all the means in which they voiced their affinities with peoples struggling for freedom" (Von Eschen p. 258). During his tours in the South, Armstrong exclusively performed with an integrated band comprised of both blacks and whites. On July half dozen, 1971, the expiry of famed Louis Armstrong was "mourned worldwide" (Deveaux p. 125).

In decision, Louis Armstrong'due south rendition of "(What Did I Do To Be So) Black and Blue" was a significant milestone not only for the history of jazz, but as well for the history of civil rights in America. His innovations and talent precipitated a shift in how jazz composers approached song writing. By making significant changes to the original, Armstrong was able to emphasis the political message behind "(What Did I Do To Be And then) Black and Bluish" in a way that exemplified the emotions of African Americans in the 1920s. His influence on the music of his era both as an instrumentalist and as a vocaliser remain "unmatched" (Deveaux p. 107).

15 Apr 2020

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