Listening Journal #2

Listening Journal #2

            The early 20^th century saw a craze for ragtime music continue and the development of jazz. Syncopated rhythms were strange but exhilarating to white Americans at the time who experienced a disorienting effect (Starr & Waterman, 2014, p. 80). Social dance was a large part of musical experience, and Vernon and Irene Castle helped to make ballroom dancing popular for Americans. Castle House Rag is one of the songs composed by James Reese Europe for the Castles. The lightly syncopated music was designed to accompany the Castle’s dance routines. The instrumentation in the 1914 recording includes violins, cellos, banjos, brass, and percussion instruments. The structure of the song in fairly complicated with six distinct sections. However, there is a larger loud-soft-loud structure that helps the piece feel complete without a return to the A theme. The audio recording is poor owing to the fact that it was recorded before the invention of microphones. The ensemble would have to record in front of a large cone similar to the one seen on phonographs.

            Some of the earliest jazz recordings were done by King Oliver and his Creole Jazz Band. Though he wasn’t the first to have a record labeled as jazz, the Original Dixieland Jazz Band has that distinction (Starr and Waterman, 2014, p. 86), Oliver’s recording of Dipper Mouth Blues is a better representation of a mature New Orleans jazz. The song has polyphony for a majority of the time and features cornet and clarinet solos. King Oliver is best known as the mentor of Louis Armstrong who went on to start his own band and helped to shape the improvisation and style of jazz musicians to follow. The song has three sections (A, B, and C) with a return to the A section as a “shout chorus.” The appeal of this song to white Americans audiences is understandable coming from the earlier ragtime craze. The syncopation is smooth and the style is similar to the ragtime music that came before. The improvised solos and polyphonic texture do set it apart from earlier music and are indicative of New Orleans jazz.

            Alongside the development of jazz music, a great number of “standards” were written by Tin Pan Alley composers. The bestselling record of this era is Gene Austin’s My Blue Heaven. Austin made great use of the microphone and was the one of the first “crooners.” This song is also indicative of a common Tin Pan Alley form. The song begins with a “hook” that lets the listener know immediately what song they are hearing. The typical verse-refrain form is used; a short verse creates a peaceful setting and sets up the AABA refrain. My Blue Heaven was widely popular because of its familiar form, the soft voice on Gene Austin, and the idyllic lyrics that call to mind the “American Dream.”

            In contrast to Gene Austin’s “crooning,” Al Jolson’s recording of April Showers showcases his booming vocals more suited to the stage. In two separate recordings (1921 and 1932) you can hear Jolson’s vocal style. In the first, it is well suited to the primitive recording of the time. However, in the 1932 recording microphones were well established, but Jolson still used his stage voice. In fact, he seemingly embellishes his style to separate himself from the “crooner” style. The song has the same verse-refrain and instrumental hook to begin the song, but the refrain uses an ABAC pattern. The lyrics use imagery from nature (much like My Blue Heaven). The lyrics also had separate meaning for the audience of the prosperous 20s and the later 1932 recording in the Depression. Jolson’s style, while over the top theatrical, did make a profound influence on later entertainers who saw the value of the performer as well as the song itself.

            Another performer who sang in a “theatrical” style is Ethel Merman. Her recording of Gershwin’s I Got Rhythm showcases her ability to “belt” a song. Merman shapes the melody with moments of slowing down, longer held notes, and a final high note. The song itself is of great importance. I Got Rhythm follows the typical verse-refrain format of the other Tin Pan Alley songs discussed before. Additionally, the verse is often skipped in later recordings as was common with songs in this style. However, Gershwin’s verse is of great importance to the overall song and has its own structure (AAB leading directly into the refrain). The refrain has continuous syncopation and propels forward with velocity. The lyrics are highly creative, but feel effortless. The constant offbeat rhythm concludes with an on-the-beat repetition of the rhetorical question “Who could ask for anything more?” I Got Rhythm has been performed by a wide variety of performers and is a quintessential “standard.” The chord structure of the refrain has even given rise to a number of classic jazz tunes particularly bebop jazz songs like Anthropology. The use of I Got Rhythm’s chord structure is so common that the chords are called “rhythm changes.”