Analyzing Charles Mingus 'Weirdest Song'

There was saxophone improvisation during this song and though it was an improvisation it seemed to fit in perfectly with the rest of the song. It was a simple improvisation but was still very powerful. There was also a short trumpet solo that was just as simple yet powerful as the one on the

“Crazy Blues” by Noble Sissle is a cover of the song originally written by Perry Bradford. This timeless piece of history was first recorded on August 10th, 1920 by Mamie Smith and later released on as a vinyl record by Okeh Records.3 Smith’s version of the song was wildly successful, selling 75,000 copies in the first month following its release. Within a year, the record had sold over a million copies, and in all, two million copies were purchased.4 After its incredible success, recording companies rushed to record other African American singers. Noble Sissle’s version was recorded later that same year, and had similar success. Despite the large quantity of blues recordings during the 1920’s, “Crazy Blues” is considered the first successful blues song recorded by an African American artist.9 Ironically, “Crazy Blues” is considered more of a popular song than a blues song despite many references to “blues” throughout the track. Nevertheless, this song paved the way for black music makers into a then predominately-white recording industry, and quickly after its release, a market for black music emerged. Perry Bradford, who wrote “Crazy Blues”, also persuaded several record companies to invest in a music market specifically for blacks.9 After record companies realized the lucrativeness of selling “race

As the time comes to induct new songs in the American Music Hall of Fame, I submit my three choices for admittance, and believe they reflect American culture and have artistic value.

Jokes aside the band did do a terrific job with this piece as Mitchell introduced it with something that teenagers could relate to; television. The song was commonly played in many TV shows that the target audience are known to have seen before. However, I never knew much about this composer or his music. The bizarre, but an expectation from a percussion based performance was that the xylophone took the lead. This was actually wonderful to hear because of how unusual it was to hear. The melodic line was also supported by the upper woodwinds which went together significantly well. The timpani player brings out the beat and the base line. It was almost as if there was a great presence as soon as the piece began because of the timpani because it establishes the quarter-note pulse. I’m not used to hearing a whole section of a string family play together with the brass family and the woodwind family, but they did quite the job together. The string family played the off-beat eighth-notes which totally coincide with the timpani’s pulsing quarter-notes. Then there was the famous glissando in the trumpets and trombones. This glissando reacted to the melody that came from the woodwinds and the xylophone, and according to my research this “reaction” to the melody is a compositional technique known as “call and response”. Hearing this piece live was absolutely magnificent, and I felt like I was in some sort of adventure

The Fabulous Freebirds rocking their way to the ring with a blaring, guitar soundtrack-revolutionary. Cindy Lauper’s cross-promotion with MTV and McMahon Jr.-groundbreaking. Compared to those two, the entries on this list sound like a hobo jug band on angel dust.

For this analysis on Louis Armstrong’s West End Blues, I am going to concentrate on Louis Armstrong and how influential he was in the birth of Swing. He was extremely innovative in the way he played his instrument. Louis Armstrong had a brilliant trumpet sound. His power, range, and his rhythmic approach are all trademarks of his playing in the 1920s and 1930s. West End Blues is still considered one of the most influential and classic pieces in the Jazz Industry. I will explain why by breaking down the song utilizing the five elements of music; form, harmony, texture, melody, and rhythm.

Furthermore this song tells how he doesn't want to be alive and in one lyric he

The next song on the playlist was called “Everything Happens To Me”. The texture to this was very soft as well. The instruments were playing off each other but it was still a freestyle type of song. I think jazz is generally played like freestyle. There was no melody to this song. The rhythm was not existent as well. It was more of a free flowing song. This song had a very quiet dynamic. It sounded very romantic like something out of a movie. The tempo of the song was very slow and mild but the trumpet was going very fast. The cello and the drums had a portion of the song where they fed off each other’s energy and the trumpet was doing its own thing.

The song “If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out” by Cat Stevens, featured repeatedly in the film and on the soundtrack of Harold and Maude (1971), was an original work created for the film. It best represents the film and the ideas portrayed in it through the film’s main characters by relating to them through uplifting lyrics and meanings that can be associated with the pasts and presents of the characters. It describes the way one yearns to live and displays the way the other does.

The Vietnam war was a major event to America because it had major conflicts with personal opinions of the people of 1960’s. In this era, plenty of people were rethinking on why they were fighting in a war that they did not need to be fighting. and joined the anti-war movement. This can explicitly be seen from the type of music that people were listening to at the time. The song that I am going to be analyzing is “Paint it Black” by the Rolling Stones. This song resonated with the persona of the people for multiple reasons because it was a song that was about losing a loved one and dealing with the sadness.

Today, it seems as if men dominate the entertainment industry (mainly the singer/artist category) due to them not having as many expectations or requirements to be able to join it as women do. Since men are dominating the industry, it is more common to hear about their "masculine" identity and experiences throughout their songs. I chose the song Wicked Games by The Weeknd, which was released in 2012 through his first album, Trilogy. I thought it would be interesting to analyze a song that he wrote and produced before he became truly "famous." It is common for artists to change the way they portray themselves (through songs) once fame hits, therefore the earlier the song was produced, the more genuine their lyrics will be. This song

Near the end of the song you can hear some jazz characteristics as you can hear the trumpet instrument. 2. Second Song i. Title “Mongonucleosis” ii.

This song exhibits a bright, happy mood and utilizes all musicians on the album. It has a moderate tempo. Once again, this song does not have a strong, distinctive form. The introduction features the saxophone and trumpet with the bass and drums comping them. The head begins and repeats itself twice. The features soloists go in the order of trumpet (with piano comp), trumpet, piano, and then bass. All solos are accompanied by the drums keeping the tempo. After the solos, the head repeats once, there is a tag, and a sustained note. Just like the songs previously discussed, “Brown’s Town” has an instrument playing a melody being comped by the piano or bass, and the drums keep the swing beat grooving. Overall, I thought the solos were much more complex in this song. I also liked it because it was the first song that had a bass solo (out of the three being

“Strange fruit” first sung by Billie Holiday tells a period in American history when racism was rampant and lynching was a common occurrence. It’s described to have occurred as the seasons changed. The listener can imagine panning through the beautiful scenery of the South and suddenly their eyes are fixated on a magnificent tree with the horror of “burning flesh” hanging underneath. In this song African Americans are the strange fruit hanging, instead of the sweet smell of ripe fruit and colorful flowers. “Strange fruit” was an unprecedented protest song in its time when many turned a blind eye. The lyrics let alone are powerful, but when Billie Holiday sings it the lyrics come to life.

Blues is an African-American music that covers a wide range of emotions and musical styles. “Feeling blue” is expressed in songs whose verses lament injustice or express longing for a better life and lost loves, jobs, and money. But blues is also a raucous dance music that celebrates pleasure and success. Central to the idea of blues performance is the concept that, by performing or listening to the blues, one is able to overcome sadness and find hope.