My topic was the music in the 1920's. The 1920's was known as the Jazz Age, and rightfully so. It was those ten years where the Jazz genre boomed! African Americans brought the genre to America. Event though it was later acceptable for whites to play jazz music. Many influential jazz musicians included, Fletcher Henderson , Paul Whiteman, Duke Ellington, and the famous Louis Armstrong.
Fletcher Henderson was a Georgian born in 1897, Fletcher was a talented piano player along with being one of the best composers in 1920. He led a band which started around 1925, with Howard Scott, Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Dixon, Kaiser Marshall, Buster Bailey, Elmer Chamber Charlie Green, Ralph Escudero, Don Redman, and Lois Armstrong himself. The band stayed together for quite a while and performed numerous songs while they were together. The most popular where "Gin House Blues" and "Soft Winds", both of which are still be perfomed by many bands today.
Paul Whiteman was born in Colorado in 1890. Whiteman was a symphonic jazz director, and is known as the "King of Jazz" Whiteman is mostly known for mixing jazz with orchestra pieces to make many of his very popular hits including, "Wang Wang Blues" "Mississippi Mud" "Rhapsody in Blue" "Wonderful One" "Hot Lips" "Mississippi Suit" and "Grand Canyon Suite" He is also known for bring the dancing to Jazz music popular, because people said he would dance as he directed which simply made them want to get up and dance to the music that was being produced. Whiteman's popularity dimmed as the swing era of the 30's and 40's began.
Duke Ellington was born in 1899 in Washington D.C, Ellington was a composer, pianist, and a director. Ellington himself written over 1000 songs. As said by Bob Blumethal of the Boston Globe said "in the century since his birth, there has been no greater composer, American or otherwise" Not only did Ellington's music stretched out to jazz, it also was influenced by blues, gospel, film scores, pop, and classical music. Throughout Ellington's 50 years as a composer he received nine Grammys for his songs, "It don't mean a thing" "Cocktails for Two" "Ellington at Newport" "Diminuendo and Crescendo in blue" "Far East Suite" "Black, Brown and Beige" "Black and Tan Fantasy" "Take the "A" Train" "Mood Indigo"
Louis Armstrong was born in 1901 in New Orleans, Armstrong is one of the most popular jazz musicians of all time. Armstrong played the trumpet and cornet in many bands, also as a solo artist. He wasn't just a amazing trumpet player, but also an extremely good singer. Including scat singing which is kind of like singing random words and syllables, but put together to sound like a song. Some of Louis Armstrong's greatest songs included. "What a wonderful World" "Hello, Dolly!" "Sittin' In the Sun" "Mack the Knife" "A kiss to Build a Dream" "It Takes Two to Tango" "That Lucky Old Sun" and "Kiss of Fire"
Jazz music wasn't the only the music in the 1920's the top ten songs of the year were
:
2. West End Blues - Louis Armstrong
4. Ain't Misbehavin' - Fats Waller / Louis Armstrong
5. T For Texas (Blue Yodel #1) - Jimmie Rodgers
6. In The Jailhouse Now - Jimmie Rodgers
7. The Prisoner's Song - Vernon Dalhart
8. The St. Louis Blues - Bessie Smith / Marion Harris
9. Ol' Man River - Paul Robeson / Al Jolson
10. Makin' Whoopee - Eddie Cantor/ Paul Whiteman (Bing Crosby
I personally enjoy some of the jazz genre, I was in the Harlan Jazz band for 3 years and played the drum set and I realize tthat it is a lot harder than any other kind of musician. I enjoy many of these jazz hits from the 1920's, and I liked this topic.
Swanee- Al Jolson
Rhapsody in Blue-
Comments
Great job!