Discussing and Writing About Two New Orleans Songs

Two New Orleans Songs

TA: Leslie Chavez

To participate in discussion, read the following, including the instructions in the “DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT” below— and then click on “Post New Entry” above (login to see the button) to submit your post. 

Court Carney’s “New Orleans and the Creation of Early Jazz,” (2006) raises issues like diaspora, commercialism, racial difference, and the urban/rural dichotomy, as influences in the formulation and evolution of jazz. Listening to the tracks in our “Two New Orleans Songs” listening list, consider how this music’s dynamic background in cultures such as Creole, French and Spanish, as well as variation of musical influences such as brass band, ragtime, dance music and blues, contribute to the ways that musicians worked together. How is the music impacted by social issues such as the relationship between blacks and whites and how does this relationship affect the music in return? Carney describes New Orleans Jazz as “something produced outside the framework of mass culture,” and its growth and alteration is essential in its crossing over to the mainstream American music scene. In this topic, we’ll address some of the ways that music is affected by this process, and speculate on what might be lost and gained.

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DISCUSSION (Due October 29 — or submit by October 25 at noon to get TA guidance toward an essay): Choose two recordings (of the same song) from “Two New Orleans Songs” listening list. Compare them in terms of one of the following elements: 

(1) Instrumental arrangement—how do the layers of instruments interact? How does the interaction change from one part of the song to another? — you don’t have to be certain of what’s what in the instruments of the band; simply describe what you hear.

(2) Improvisation—how do solo musicians vary their approach, or their expression, in different sections of the recording? Indicate when a musician breaks from the melody to improvise, and try to describe how the improvisation feels, and what it expresses to you.

After thinking about one of the issues above, consider whether what you hear in this song reflects anything you have learned about its time, or its place in the evolution of jazz. 

Your thoughts, in about 150-250 words, should be posted to this webpage, by clicking on the “create new post” button on the upper left corner. (You’ll have to login to see it.) 

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ESSAY (Due October 29 — if you choose to write an essay in this unit): Choose two recordings (of the same song) from the “Two New Orleans Songs” listening list. 

First, describe the musical content of the songs using terms and techniques you have learned in class. These fall into two main categories: 

a. form — recognizing repetition and contrast within a melody 

b. melody, accompaniment, and the role of improvisation in both — recognizing that some aspects of any recording are planned in advance (related to a composition, or an arrangement of a composition) and some are a matter of individual musicians’ personal, immediate expression. 

Second, making reference to the Court Carney article, and concepts in both the Barker and Taylor chapter and the Elijah Wald chapter from Unit 1, consider the relationship between an “authentic” tradition beginning in turn-of-the-century New Orleans, and the developed concept of New Orleans Jazz as it is gradually popularized and internationalized. 

All of the New Orleans songs given here have similarities: the standard components of jazz (syncopation, layered rhythms, and improvised elements) and even some elements of the blues. But they also contrast with one another. Given Carney’s summary of the cultural influences on this style, what can you say about how the songs differ from one another? Consider issues like performance style (by a singer or instrumental soloist), syncopation, relationships between melody and accompaniment, and the amount of improvisation used. 

Your essay, in the form of a post to the Two New Orleans Songs Essays page, is due on October 29 at noon.  It should be about 600-800 words long.  Double-check your facts, and proof your work to make sure your peers will understand your argument and your ideas.  Please write clearly and concisely — big ideas count more than big words.

When you are done, please take time read your peers’ posts and essays, compare and contrast your thoughts, and continue discussion.

St. Louis Blues

I listened and compared the Original Dixieland Jass Band’s 1923 version of “St. Louis Blues” to Djamgo Reinhardt’s 1935 version and heard more differences than similarities. In the Original Dixieland version, off that bat you are able to hear a Latin flavor touch to the song. The trumpets hit right away and your hands are swaying back and forth before you realize that this is a jazz song. In the center of the song you hear lyrics unlike the other version and you are able to feel the artist pain because of how the notes are dragged out and held onto. You hear more than one trumpet, but when that soloist trumpet hits, you know whoever is playing this means business.  No other solo sounds anything like this in any other versions of this song. I bet that every time this song it performed the solo always has a new note or expression in it. The noise coming out of the speakers is loud and hard, while still letting you swing your hands to the harmony. Djamgo Reinhardt’s version sounds as if you are watching a movie in black and white without anyone speaking. When it first comes out it sounds as if the artist is way out of tune but eventually he snaps into a slow, peaceful melody. It fades into a more sexual feel of jazz which I have grown up on as referring to as jazz. Half way through the song, thenotesare hit louder and harder and feel as if they are jumping out of the speakers. The tone of the song becomes faster and starts to repeat itself before jumping into a solo as where the first version f this song starts to slow down near the end.

"St. James Infirmary"

In Sweet Emma Barret’s version of “St. James Infirmary” there are many components that differ from Louis Armstrong’s version. First of all, the drumming sounds as if it were taken out of the marching band. It consists of militaristic rolls and rudiments that would be heard within the marching bands percussion section. The tuba takes the place of the bass instrument allowing other instruments to play their melodies on top of it. The piano is also striding and playing lead melodies every so often. About half way into the song the vocals drop out allowing for a clarinet solo to take lead. Then the clarinet drops out and is followed by what I believe is a trombone solo. After the trombone solo, piano takes the lead melody. There is an alternation between these three instruments that keep the melody of the song going. 

In Louis Armstrong’s slightly faster version of “St. James Infirmary” it is played with a less wide arrangement of instruments, focusing primarily on piano and trumpet. The drumming is much less of a marching style but a “stirring soup” technique on the snare, quietly keeping rhythm beneath the rest of the band. The piano plays a fundamental part in the song like in Barret’s version keeping time and holding down rhythm as well as playing right handed melodies. The lead  melody is held down solely by the trumpet unlike Barret’s version, where other instruments alternate taking the lead. 

1932 vs. 1935

The St. Louis Blues performed by Sidney Bechet in 1932 and the St. Louis Blues performed by Django Reinhardt in 1935 are similar in some ways yet also different in many other ways.  Sidney Bechet’s version of St. Louis Blues is played with an arrangement featuring brass instruments, like trumpets and trombones, along with reed instruments, such as saxophones.  This collaboration contained many different background components during the big band section of the arrangement before the improvisations begin.  The main rhythm is set by one trumpet with other brass instruments and reed instruments playing slightly different melodies in the background.  The entire melody of the piece has a depressing feel to me.  When the improvisations play, even they are somewhat depressing, beginning fast, but ending in lower, slower pitches.  The trumpet acts as a wake-up call to me because it plays a high, loud pitch on its solo out of nowhere.  This depressing feel could be due to the Great Depression that continued to rage through America at that time.

The 1935 Reinhardt version of St. Louis Blues is much different than the piece recorded just three years earlier.  This piece features string instruments, like guitars and violins, instead of brass and reed instruments.  The beginning of the arrangement is slow like the 1932 version, although the main rhythm is set by a guitar picking notes with a background guitar playing chords.  The background in this song matches the main rhythm more than the 1932 version, which had the background music playing more of a variety of beats.  The tempo picks up halfway through the song and the piece starts getting catchier.  To me, this collaboration felt less like a big band than its predecessor.  It felt like it was just a couple of music buddies relaxing at home and jamming on their guitars, where as the 1932 piece definitely feels like a big production is being put on.

 

St. Louis Blues

     For the St. Louis Blues, i listened to two different versions: The Original Dixieland Jass Band that played in 1917, and Sidney Bechet that played in 1932. After listening to both versions of the song, i can conclude that although both versions of the song have genearlly the same tunes, the two versions are played very differently. First of all, the version by Sidney Bechet gives off a more orchestraic feeling to it, where, there are a lot of different instruments playing the song, the band also plays very loud with many high pitched wavey notes to it, all that makes it more of a large orchestra rather than a small group of musicians. However, on the other hand, in the original version, the whole song put more emphasize on the trumpet. Also, there isnt as much melody in the original version as there is in the Sidney Bechet version, meaning that there is a lot of improvisation in the song.

     Lastly, what i noticed was that the Sidnet Bechet version of the song had a lot of solos by different instruments such as the trumpet, saxaphone, trombone, etc. and all of them were rehersed beforehand, you can tell because the solos are very confident and bright, they had to have a lot of practice before hand. However, in the original version, there was mainly only the trumpet that stands out. Plus, there is actually singing in the original version, whereas the Sidnet Bechet was purely instrumental.

St. Louis Blues versions

I am comparing Djamgo Reinhardt’s version of “St. Louis Blues” to a version of the Original Dixieland Jass Band. It is obvious from the beginning that these two versions are very different. In the beginning of Djamgo Reinhardt version, the melody is slow and unstable. It sounds as though Reinhardt is tuning in his instrument before he actually plays the song. This slow melody turns into a more fast pace and more “jazzy”tune. As he carries on and hits the end of the song, he melody becomes much louder and faster than it was in the beginning.

 On the other hand, The Original Dixieland version of the same begins with the sound of the turmpets. It has a more diversed and different sound than the other version. I would suggest that the sound we hear in this verison came from South America because it seems to have a “spicy” flavor. In the middle part of the song, the emotions that are felt by the artists can be felt because of the lyrics we hear. A listener begins to her several different trumpets. However, at the same time, it is clear who is the soloist and who is following the rhythms. 

Sidney Bechet's "St Louis Blues" vs. Bessie Smith's

  Sidney Bechet helped to promote the popularity of jazz outside of the South through vast traveling and recordings that made the folk music of New Orleans into a musical culture nationally known.  Bechet incorporated ragtime with the blues and brought a definitive clarinet technique with strong variations accompanied with pitch.  Though his Creole instructors teaching him the Creole musical culture, Bechet was able to integrate a variety of styles into his early jazz music.  He composed in jazz, concert work forms, and pop-tune through his talent in the clarinet and soprano saxophone.  In Bechet’s, “St. Louis Blues”, his playing evokes a feeling of soul and up-beat happiness.  All notes played in this song are very precise and on cue with other players.  Each of his clarinet solo’s during the “St. Louis Blue’s” seemed to be played “in the moment” creating a sense of improvisation and emotion in the music.

         In Bessie Smith’s, “St. Louis Blues”, an entire different atmosphere is created through her strong, powerful voice and sense of sadness in her soul.  Smith’s music focused more on social protest, rejecting conventional public values concerning women.  A more personal vibe is created in Smith’s version, while Bechet seemed to evoke a more social vibe.  The blue’s during the late 1800s were highly focused on personal pain and promoted a sense of community amongst women.  The way in which Smith sings with 3 line stanza’s, she leans away from improvisation and more towards a serious expression

St. Louis Blues

I am comparing the original Dixieland Jass band’s version (1917) of St. Louis Blues with Sidney bechet’s version (1932). In Sidney Bechet version, the trumpet and clarinet are both playing the melody together, with the trombone in the background answering their calls. Each instrument, at some point takes a turn to interject an idea in-between melodies. When entering the solo section, the clarinet comes in playing lower in the register, using long held notes with a lot of vibrato. Then immediately in the next section he brings it up a few octaves, almost like whining. The trombone next solos, playing off of the repetitive harmony of the clarinet and trumpet. The trombone solo almost augments what is going on in the background, making it a fuller sound. As the band approaches the end of the song, the intensity builds by them playing high notes, until it is brought around into the tonic to finish out the tune. In comparison the Dixieland version, is much more upbeat, at a faster tempo. It feels lighter, not as much emphasis is on the length of the note, but more on the attack of the note. When the singer comes in, I think his whiney voice really reflects how he has the St. Louis blues, and after that section, the band reflects that by playing higher pitch, and high pitch solos. The clarinet solo in comparison is played in higher pitch to the Sidney bechet version, with the trombone accompaniment, which almost sounds like it is some man fumbling along the street. At the end of this version, it sounds more like they are ‘marching’ into the end rather than building intensity like the bechet version.

St Louis Blues Rienhart vs Bechet

St Louis Blues is played by both Django Rienhart, and Sidney Bechet, two very different jazz musicians who play this song and produce something all their own. Django Rienhart shows musical influences from Creole, French, Spanish with his use of the guitar. Rienhart’s is the lead guitar for the most part there is the only instrument you hear the second guitar is heard throughout the song assassinating with the melody. Like most jazz songs there is a turn around. Sidney Bechet rendition of St Louis Blues is different from Rienharts, you can tell from the big band sound that these musicians were influenced by brass band ragtime, dance music and blues. Bechet plays the saxophone he is one of the few to play this instrument and lead a jazz band. In his St Louis Blues there are more soloist, for example there is a piano player, and a clarinet then Reinhart’s, who just had himself.  In Bechet’s St Louis Blues because it is longer it has a lot more turn around basically every time there is a soloist. The instruments also play with one another to assist with the melody and frequently rotate the primary sound between different instruments. 

Two New Orleans Songs- St. Louis Blues

In the Original Dixie Jazz Band’s version of “St. Louis Blues,” trumpets are front and center. The sound of the piano in the background can also be heard, and the wail of the trombone is prominent throughout. Sidney Bechet’s take on the song is louder, the brass is clearer and cymbals are brought in sparingly in the song. Bechet’s version also has a more consistent beat and he does not interject with vocals at any time in the song. He also performs a trumpet solo,

            Sidney Bechet interjects with a trumpet solo in his entirely instrumental song, while the Original Dixie Jazz Band sings in their version, a reflection of the improvisation by both performers in an attempt to make the song their own.

Also, I found a video of Minnie Mouse performing this song. It was really interesting to see Disney’s take on Jazz during this time and it is worth watching in order to think about Hollywood’s perception of Jazz and how it was interpreted for children.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIIKXOhJmtw