backwater blues texture

On September 26, 1937, Smith was en route to a show in Memphis, Tennessee with her companion of many years, Richard Morgan, when he sideswiped a truck and lost control of their car. According to the Theorytab database, it is the 5th most popular key among Major keys and the 5th most popular among all keys. [2], The song has long been associated with the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. Following her death, Smiths legacy continued on as she inspired new artists to display who they truly were. Great cover of blues classic Backwater blues on The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band 2011. album How I Go [3] However, that flood was at its worst some two months after the song was written. Smith did not cut any corners in her songs- she told everyone how the world really was and how she felt about it. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bessie-Smith, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gXShOJVwaM, https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/bessie-smith, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go6TiLIeVZA, 1980: Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, 1989: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1989: Received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 1994: Face was placed upon a US Postage Stamp, 2001: Down Hearted Blues was named one of the Songs of the Century by the National Endowment for the Arts, 2002: Down Hearted Blues was listed on the National Recording Preservation Board by the Library of Congress, 2006: Down Hearted Blues listed in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Bessie actually wrote "Backwater Blues" for the Cumberland River flood that hit Nashville on Christmas morning 1926. The third-sixth verses have the traditional AAB blues pattern, which helps emphasize what she is saying during each verse. This personal depression by extension is about the depression of an entire people, marginalized in the back waters, stricken with poverty, homelessness, suffering social injustice, discrimination, and now hit with this catastrophic natural disaster. What is 12-bar-blues form? Back-Water Blues was one of the best known works of the Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith, recorded for Columbia Records in 1927 with James P. Johnson on piano. Notice, however, that although the form remains the same throughout, pianist James P. Johnson's accompaniment style frequently changes during different verses of the song, as he interacts musically with Smith and attempts to depict the meaning of her lyrics through his playing.\r\rBessie Smith (vocal); James P. Johnson (piano)\r\rRecorded in New York, February 17, 1927 Smith continued on to become very successful with hits like St. The Cumberland River, which flows through the city, rose 56 feet (17m) above its normal level, still a record as of 2014[update].[4]. Train with real songs. Smith's voice not only had this quality, it also possessed a rich timbre and tremendous emotive power. The scene is set with the terrific storm by the female speaker, so depressed that she cant even get out of the door. The song "Backwater Blues" is a blues and jazz standard written by Bessie Smith. The call and response between vocals and piano does what? The a rhyme glues the three-line stanza together. While many latter-day . Datenschutzbestimmungen. homophonic texture. There's trouble taking place in the lowland that night, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Bessie Smith's 'Back-Water Blues': the story behind the song", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Backwater_Blues&oldid=1150358087, This page was last edited on 17 April 2023, at 18:17. It is a flexible approach to pitch (pentatonic base)-BLUES NOTES, descending melodic lines, raw/ gritty timbres, call and response, swing or laid back/flexible approach to the . The blues poems remind us that the American poetic tradition can be traced to African American oral tradition; that great art, great poems come from deep suffering that is personal, historical, and political and could be read on the page as well as sung out loud. Dazu brauchen wir deine Einwillung*. Another way of reading classic blues lyric structure is as weighted-sonic couplets. ). LISTENING part 1 SEIGFRIED CHAP 5. richard wagner germany What is the structure of the lyrics? The flood was a devastating ordeal. However, the blues utility in our everyday language signifies to me that the blues are ingrained into US culture. When it rains five days and the skies turn dark as night, when it rains five days and the skies turn dark as night, then trouble's takin' place in the lowlands at night. Become a Musicnotes Pro - Premium member today and receive 24 titles per year plus take 15% off all digital sheet music purchases and get PDFs included with every song! Her lyrics aid the audience in understanding why she is down. Nonetheless, when she recorded it in 1927 "Backwater Blues" became an anthem for the great Mississippi River Flood. Updated September 9, 2020. El disco e. Hooktheory requires WebAudio and this browser doesn't support it. In "Backwater Blues", the writer retells the incidents surrounding the flooding of Nashville in 1927. Backwater Blues gefllt bisher niemandem. Although Smith is very pleasing to the ears, she seems to be slightly monotone in this piece. The beginning of Down Hearted Blues actually reminded me of Ragtime music slightly. How does the music reflect the lyrical content of the piece? The first line sets the scene, the second line repeats the first for emphasis. The flood was a devastating ordeal. 04 January 2007. Mmm, I can't move no more. Almost half a million homes were destroyed. Death. Instagram oder Facebook auf Songtexte.com geladen werden. Since tab form can't express time interval, I hope you will figure Thematically, write about whatever you feel must be sung. Major keys, along with minor keys, are a common choice for popular songs. Hostname: page-component-75b8448494-knlg2 Major keys, along with minor keys, are a common choice for popular songs. What are the introductory chords that illustrate this? It was covered by Brother John Sellers, Toni Lynn Washington, Meschiya Lake and The Little Big Horns, The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band and other artists. Kevin Young was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. This is historically problematical because that flood began two months after Smith . We were grounded by Amiri Barakas claim in Blues People, in which he conveyed that in the context of Black American culture, music explains history as history explains music. Billed annually at $39.99. La Bouche) [2023 Mix] [Extended Mix] Songtext. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings. Mmm, I cant move no more. Alle Informationen dazu findest du in unseren I make it a point to learn the African American poetic tradition. In this recording of \"Backwater Blues,\" we can hear these techniques at work, and they stand in contrast to the very structured twelve-bar blues form of the song. print music publishers. Smith performed for nearly a decade until Columbia Records signed her in 1923. Bessie Smith. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, courtesy of the Rock Hall Library and Archive, https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/bessie-smith. The song has long been associated with the great flood of the lower Mississippi River in 1927. When it thunders and lightnin' and the wind begin to blow. In our workshop, In the Voice and in the Deep, Blues Poetry, participants and I studied blues music, history, aesthetics, and ultimately blues poetry. Of course, we Americans have historical amnesia. hear how the piano embodies the texture of what is being sung, as if the piano witnesses and takes on the storm and flood alongside Bessie Smith. The rhythm remains constant throughout the song, allowing the melody to flow peacefully during the piece. The song has a homophonic texture due to the use of instruments and vocalization in unison. Cause my house fell down and I can't live there no more. There was evidence of lynchings and unspeakable killings and terrible acts against the black community. The narrator, who presents himself as a victim describes how . Back-Water Blues' was one of the best known works of the Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith, recorded for Columbia Records in 1927 with James P. Johnson on piano. hasContentIssue false. Backwater Blues tells the story of how the speaker is forced out of her home due to flooding waters. Create beats, songs, and musical snippets with built-in music theory, melody guides, and intelligent chord suggestions. Her voice is subversive, defiant despite all odds against her. The song "Backwater Blues" is a blues and jazz standard written by Bessie Smith. One more piece. The vocals to be the focus and the 'response' to be more complex, At times it can sounds almost 'half-spoken'. Considering these notes about the blues inception, the blues endured and scoredif not directly then through derived musical formsthe majority of the United States early nation-building and cultural formation. Lets look at this poem closely. Leadbelly - Backwater BluesTaken from: 16 Greatest Songs (As Pictured)Track no. After discussing blues history, we went over Bessie Smith's "Backwater Blues," then Langston Hughes' "Too Blue," and concluded our study with Jericho Brown's . We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. The third line either comments or reverses the first two lines. "useRatesEcommerce": false AAB e.g. Chin is the recipient of the PEN/Josephine Miles Award, a Fullbright Fellowship, and the Paterson Prize, among numerous other honors. To pack my things and go. Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com. Through an examination of Smith's touring itinerary, the testimony of fellow entertainers who toured with her, newspaper reports, and other documents, it can be shown that the song was composed about a flood of the Cumberland River that struck Nashville, Tennessee, on Christmas morning, 1926. She teaches in the MFA program at San Diego State University. The repetition of her lyrics depict just how saddening her situation is- she is in the middle of losing everything. Sheet music arranged for Piano/Vocal/Guitar in C Major (transposable). Johnson was instrumental in the development of the piano style that emerged from Harlem in the 1920s known as \"stride.\" \r\rIn the age before sound amplification and microphones, a successful singer needed to be able to project. . And I can't live there no more. Study of Smith's touring itinerary, of testimony of fellow entertainers who toured with her, and of contemporary reports indicates that the song was written in response to the flood that struck Nashville, Tennessee on Christmas Day 1926. Though, after repeated listening and reading of blues standards like Backwater Blues, call and response became more than an AAB tercet on page/to my ear. The song has a homophonic texture due to the use of instruments and vocalization in unison. The Mississippi River flood of 1927 was horrific. The rhythm and beat remain constant throughout the song. There were reports that officials behaved in a discriminatory fashion. Today, I hear phrases such as the winter blues and Blue Monday and know that they are not considering this history. There is one integral line throughout the stanza. Baraka attributes this knowledge to his mentor Sterling A. Backwater Blues does not sound as much like the blues as Down Hearted Blues to me, but it is still distinguishable as the blues due to the sad content of the song. Bemoaning the fate of losing a home to flood waters after five days and nights of rain, Smith laments: Thousands of people aint got no place to go. While many latter-day listeners have equated this song with the disastrous 1927 flood of the Mississippi River, Smith actually recorded this before that particular flood had occurred. Yeah, when it's thunderin' and lightnin'. The song is called "West End Blues" and was recorded by Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five in 1928. View Official Scores licensed from. Almost a million people became homeless for a time. The initial first line resoundstherefore necessitates itself perhaps as a question, a declaration, or even a second guessing of this sung things existence to its audience of many or just their self. Writer(s): Smith Este es un disco muy bueno; una gran voz, la Reina del Blues Dinah Washington, y unos temas espectaculares, las canciones de la gran Bessie Smith. As musicologist Dr. David Evans has noted, Back-Water Blues was recorded in February 1927, before the great disaster of April. Adds to the blues feel as the music is seen to reflect the realities of her situation. Designed and built by Hooktheory in California. Content may require purchase if you do not have access. Bemoaning the fate of losing a home to flood waters after five days and nights of rain, Smith laments: 'Thousands of people ain't got no place to go.'. Try listening to Backwater Blues while reading the lyrics; hear how the piano embodies the texture of what is being sung, as if the piano witnesses and takes on the storm and flood alongside Bessie Smith. The first two lines are of almost equal length. The piece uses syncopation to allow variation between the instruments and the vocals. Hier geht's zu meiner Musik auf Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/1EV1CjZHtzJGK5SZyEyKst?si=ya1BsYRcTpSlZeVFtMKekAMeine Musik auf Deezer:https://deezer. The beat does not change because each verse follows the same AAB pattern, which results in the same rhythm continuing on. Second, the first published blues composition is accredited to W.C. Handys Memphis Blues in 1912. Harmonically, what is the piece based on? Smith . There were reports that officials behaved in a discriminatory fashion. Following her death, Smith received numerous awards and honors for her achievements, including: Bessie Smith- American Singer. Encyclopedia Britannica, written by The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Feb 2019, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bessie-Smith. When it rained five days and the sky turned dark as night, Zur deutschen bersetzung von Backwater Blues, Die 10 schnsten Songs fr ein gemtliches Picknick, Die 10 beliebtesten ESC-Songs aller Zeiten, "Sing meinen Song" 2023: Alle Infos, Teilnehmer, Songs & Folgen, "Let's Dance 2023": Alle Tnze aus Show 9 + Songtexte, I'd Rather Be Dead and Buried in My Grave, Udo Lindenberg & Apache 207 - Komet Songtext, Ikke Hftgold, Schrze & DJ Robin - Bumsbar Songtext, Purple Disco Machine & Kungs - Substitution Songtext, Hypaton, David Guetta & La Bouche - Be My Lover (feat. Smith describes how down she is about her life and how she knows there is nothing she can do about it. But the second strophe, the second stanza, we turn inward, and its about personal disaster: I woke up this morning cant even get out of my door, I woke up this morning cant even get out of my door. I think in the best identity poems that the self represents something much larger than the self. 'Cause my house fell down. Bessie Smith had a powerful impact on future blues and Rock and Roll singers, like Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, and Janis Joplin. The poem moves to personal depression. Once more, listen for the turnaround (the melody at the final two bars of each 12-bar progression or last line of each stanza) and hear it transform the melody of one progression/stanza into the next. Back Water Blues by Irma Thomas was written by Bessie Smith and was first recorded and released by Bessie Smith in 1927. She is the author of three collections of poems, most recently Rhapsody in Plain Yellow (2002). I chose these works for how they built upon classic blues (blues that follows the standard AAB lyrical structure and common themes of love, longing, suffering, and travel) by addressing an ecological concern, as in Backwater Blues, or innovating the classical structure, as in Too Blue, and Duplex., I want to encourage reading and listening to early blues poetry and classic blues as a method toward mastering blues aesthetics. This piece draws its material from the song "Backwater Blues" by Bessie Smith and from the historically articulated performance practice that has accrued to it. Backwater blues done called me to pack my things and go. Over her ten year career, she created one hundred and sixty recordings. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like backwater blues, libretto, step interval and more. Furthermore, Baraka notes that Africanisms (retentions of African culture throughout the African diaspora) were not limited to US Black people but that the culture of the Americas contains and is itself influenced by Africanisms. When it thunders and lightnin' and the wind begins to blow. Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out (Bessie and Me). Her powerful voice stands out so much in this song that the instrumental background may not even be needed as supplementation. Writer (s): Smith Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com. Photo credit: Carl Van Vechten, Celebrating Contemporary Books & Writers at the Library, From the Catbird Seat: The official Poetry and Literature podcast, Receive notifications about events, activities, and online resources, Marilyn Chin reads and discusses Bessie Smith's "Backwater Blues", Rhapsody in plain yellow, by Marilyn Chin, Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature. He studied under Seamus Heaney and Lucie Brock-Broido at Harvard University and, while a student there, became a member of the Dark Room African diasporic culture and the aesthetics of the blues. She made almost 200 recordings, including duets with Louis Armstrong and Joe Smith. I have her strong voice in my ear at all times. "When it rains five days, and the skies turn dark as night (x2). The flood from The Cumberland River that struck Nashville, Tennessee on Christmas Day 1926, AAB e.g. Published online by Cambridge University Press: Play the music you love without limits for just $9.99 $3.33/month. Total loading time: 0 She earned her title by displaying her powerful voice to the public for everyone to hear. Bessie Smith tabs, chords, guitar, bass, ukulele chords, power tabs and guitar pro tabs including backwater blues, careless love, nobody knows you when youre down and out, taint nobodys business . Discuss Bessie Smith's performance of "Back Water Blues" as an example of both. *Als Songtexte.com PUR User kannst du entscheiden, welche Inhalte von externen Anbietern wie Youtube, The words vary from one performer to another; this opening verse is representative: When it rains five days, and the skies turn dark as night (2) She uses her voice in this particular form to symbolize that she has given up and that she knows she will never find true love. The lyrics of the song are interpreted with respect to the events of that flood. Marilyn Chin (1955- ) was born in Hong Kong, grew up in Oregon, and received her MFA from the University of Iowa. Theres this rich toughness in her voice that tells us this girl and her people are going to get through this calamity. Not only did she sing, she was also an actress and comedian. Bessie Smith is the best-known of the female \"classic blues\" (or \"city blues\") singers from the 1910s and 1920s (others include Ma Rainey, Ethel Waters, Clara Smith, and Mamie Smith). They relocated the white folks in an expedient manner but corralled the black folks into abysmal camps. C, F7, C, C7, F7, C. Includes 1 print + interactive copy with lifetime access in our free apps. Of course, I learn so much from the Bessie Smiths blues poems. Smith (on vocal with James P. Johnson on piano) recorded it as "Back-water Blues" on February 17, 1927, in New York City. Bessie Smith, commonly referred to as the Empress of the Blues, was born in 1894 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The opening choruses of each performance . Big Bill Broonzy released it on the album Folk Blues in 1954. Log dich ein um diese Funktion zu nutzen. "When it rains five days, and the skies turn dark as night (x2) There's trouble taking place in the lowland that night." Harmonically, what is the piece based on? Back-Water Blues 65th in 1927. Blues on Yellow Marilyn Chin from Rhapsody in Plain Yellow. Down Hearted Blues, her first recording, sold nearly 800,000 copies, firmly establishing her as a new singer in the blues genre. I love writing blues poems. Bessie Smith- Back Water Blues. Youtube, uploaded by TravelerIntoTheBlue, 9 Oct 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gXShOJVwaM. The three most important chords, built off the 1st, 4th and 5th scale degrees are all major . I see myself as an activist Chinese American poet, and I want to show the multiple sides of my literary inheritance. My name is Lex and I am a rising senior at the University of Georgia. Backwater Blues by Big Bill Broonzy was written by Bessie Smith and was first recorded and released by Bessie Smith in 1927. Back-Water Blues, composed by Bessie Smith and recorded by her on 17 February 1927, has long been associated in the popular mind and even by some writers with the great flood of the lower Mississippi River and its tributaries that occurred that year. Brown, who alongside Langston Hughes was a pioneer of blues poetry in the 1920s. One subscription across all of your devices. I have sympathy towards Smith during her performance of this song because she conveys how lonesome she is. Most of us dont remember the great Mississippi River Flood of 1927, but when I read this poem a few years ago during a gathering on the behalf of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, the same issues resoundedneighborhoods destroyed, slow government response, the African American neighborhoods were hit the hardest. Teach music and songwriting in ways that keep students engaged, excited, and inspired. I do not believe in a fixed way to write blues poems or poetry with blues feeling. Download and Print scores from huge community collection ( 1,426,528 and growing) Advanced tools to level up your playing skills. The piano's bass part keeps the rhythm of the piece steady but when doing the 'response', the right hand can complicate this and create interest. [1] Its musical composition entered the public domain on January 1, 2023. In order to interrogate said materials, six recordings by different musicians were chosen and meticulously transcribed. Jazz- Review Questions. She began recording regularly in the 1920s, distinguishing herself as the most successful African American artist of her time with her recording Down Hearted Blues in 1923. A modified 12 bar blues. In this blog post I am going to be looking at and analysing a track by famous New Orleans jazz musician, Louis Armstrong. Has data issue: false I believe the blues represents a range of human experience that can speak on and to that thing that nearly ended someone but the very fact of them living to sing about it encapsulates the blues. It also deals with how said flood displaced several victims and led to the loss of hundreds of lives. This is historically problematical because that flood began two months after Smith recorded her song. Back-Water Blues. Bessie Smith is the best-known of the female "classic blues" (or "city blues") singers from the 1910s and 1920s (others include Ma Rainey, Ethel Waters, Clar. Irma Thomas released it on the album Our New Orleans 2005 - A Benefit Album in 2005. The beat does . The melody is conjunct, making it easy to follow the lyrics of the song and the instrumental portions at the same time. Bessie Smith (Down Hearted Blues, 1923) Jazz Legend. Youtube, uploaded by RagtimeDorianHenry, 3 Jun 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go6TiLIeVZA. Smith, Bessie. Carl Van Vechten Estate/Library of Congress, Washington D.C., photograph by Carl Van Vechten, 1936, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bessie-Smith. Print and download Backwater Blues sheet music by Bessie Smith. Bessie Smith recorded Backwater Blues in 1927, and it became an anthem for one of the most devastating national disasters in US history. Bessie Smith, "Backwater blues", 1927The song "Backwater Blues" is a blues and jazz standard. 15Label: Route 16Year: 1990This CD is from my own collection. "it rained five days and the sky turned dark as night". SKU: MN0121681 The rhythm and beat remain constant throughout the song. for this article. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like backwater blues, libretto, step interval and more. About a thousand people lost their lives. Mchtest du Inhalte von aktivieren? She performed in various minstrel and black vaudeville shows, and as her reputation and fame grew, she performed with many of the other leading early jazz musicians of her time: Louis Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson, and James P. Johnson, just to name a few. The blues poems was more here on American soil, and so I study the blues poems closely and write blues poems to pay homage to all those African American blues masters. Each verse in the song follows an AAB pattern from beginning to end. He attended Rutgers University and Howard University, spent three years in Jericho Brown's first book,Please(New Issues, 2008), won the American Book Award, and his second book,The New Testament(Copper Canyon, 2014), was named one of the best poetry books of the year SterlingAllenBrown devoted his life to the development of an authentic black folk literature. Chris Fisher-Lochhead. Poet, writer, teacher, and political activist Amiri Baraka was born Everett LeRoi Jones in 1934 in Newark, New Jersey. Bessie actually wrote Backwater Blues for the Cumberland River flood that hit Nashville on Christmas morning 1926. This is historically problematical because that flood began two months after Smith recorded her song.

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