backwater blues texture

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 (on vocal with James P. Johnson on piano) recorded it as "Back-water Blues" on February 17, 1927, in New York City. The scene is set with the terrific storm by the female speaker, so depressed that she cant even get out of the door. Mmm, I can't move no more. Bessie Smith (Down Hearted Blues, 1923) Jazz Legend. Youtube, uploaded by RagtimeDorianHenry, 3 Jun 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go6TiLIeVZA. La Bouche) [2023 Mix] [Extended Mix] Songtext. She earned her title by displaying her powerful voice to the public for everyone to hear. Although Smith is very pleasing to the ears, she seems to be slightly monotone in this piece. After discussing blues history, we went over Bessie Smiths Backwater Blues, then Langston Hughes Too Blue, and concluded our study with Jericho Browns Duplex (specifically A poem is a gesture toward home). Published online by Cambridge University Press: The Cumberland River, which flows through the city, rose 56 feet (17m) above its normal level, still a record as of 2014[update].[4]. The lyrics are in the often-used AAB blues format. The rhythm and beat remain constant throughout the song. Render date: 2023-05-02T09:42:40.381Z The beat is easy to tap along to, making it easier to focus on her lyrics. "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? Blues on Yellow Marilyn Chin from Rhapsody in Plain Yellow. Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out (Bessie and Me). Bessie Smith's Back-Water Blues: the story behind https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261143007001158, Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. Updated September 9, 2020. The flood was a devastating ordeal. How does the music reflect the lyrical content of the piece? Irma Thomas released it on the album Our New Orleans 2005 - A Benefit Album in 2005. Its musical composition entered the public domain on January 1, 2023. } 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. The poem moves to personal depression. Smith's voice not only had this quality, it also possessed a rich timbre and tremendous emotive power. Writer(s): Smith Another way of reading classic blues lyric structure is as weighted-sonic couplets. When it's . 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. View Official Scores licensed from. Bessie Smith. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, courtesy of the Rock Hall Library and Archive, https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/bessie-smith. Backwater blues done caused me to pack up my things and go, / Backwater blues done caused me to pack up my things and go, / 'Cause my house fell down and I can't live there no more. This is a song poem. There were reports that officials behaved in a discriminatory fashion. SKU: MN0121681 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. Create beats, songs, and musical ideas with built-in music theory and AI from over 30k songs. Kevin Young was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. 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. Adds to the blues feel as the music is seen to reflect the realities of her situation. Chin is the recipient of the PEN/Josephine Miles Award, a Fullbright Fellowship, and the Paterson Prize, among numerous other honors. I see myself as an activist Chinese American poet, and I want to show the multiple sides of my literary inheritance. Back Water Blues by Irma Thomas was written by Bessie Smith and was first recorded and released by Bessie Smith in 1927. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. The third-sixth verses have the traditional AAB blues pattern, which helps emphasize what she is saying during each verse. Big Bill Broonzy released it on the album Folk Blues in 1954. I do not believe in a fixed way to write blues poems or poetry with blues feeling. Has data issue: false Thematically, write about whatever you feel must be sung. Smith performed for nearly a decade until Columbia Records signed her in 1923. Alle Informationen dazu findest du in unseren 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. The backwater blues caused me. 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. This is historically problematical because that flood began two months after Smith recorded her song. 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. What characterizes a blues performance? Dazu brauchen wir deine Einwillung*. The a rhyme glues the three-line stanza together. Her voice is subversive, defiant despite all odds against her. Yeah, when it's thunderin' and lightnin'. . And I can't live there no more. Backwater blues done called me to pack my things and go. Third, Mamie Smith became the first Black blues singer to record a blues record in 1920. It also deals with how said flood displaced several victims and led to the loss of hundreds of lives. Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com. 'Cause my house fell down. "When it rains five days, and the skies turn dark as night (x2). 15Label: Route 16Year: 1990This CD is from my own collection. She teaches in the MFA program at San Diego State University. She believed that her truth needed to be told, so she told it. I cant do justice to this poem, to Backwater Blues, by just reciting it myself. I mean, first, it sets up a terrible storm when it rained five days and the skies turned dark as night, when it rained five days and the skies turned dark as night. El disco e. The repetition of her lyrics depict just how saddening her situation is- she is in the middle of losing everything. Backwater Blues is written in the key of E Major. Today, I hear phrases such as the winter blues and Blue Monday and know that they are not considering this history. Since tab form can't express time interval, I hope you will figure 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. 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. C, F7, C, C7, F7, C. The melody is conjunct, making it easy to follow the lyrics of the song and the instrumental portions at the same time. Discuss Bessie Smith's performance of "Back Water Blues" as an example of both. Harmonically, what is the piece based on? Bessie Smith recorded Backwater Blues in 1927, and it became an anthem for one of the most devastating national disasters in US history. Datenschutzbestimmungen. Bessie actually wrote Backwater Blues for the Cumberland River flood that hit Nashville on Christmas morning 1926. I am majoring in biology and love helping my community! Of course, I learn so much from the Bessie Smiths blues poems. The flood was a devastating ordeal. Nonetheless, when she recorded it in 1927 Backwater Blues became an anthem for the great Mississippi River Flood. 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. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like backwater blues, libretto, step interval and more. We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. 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. Leadbelly - Backwater BluesTaken from: 16 Greatest Songs (As Pictured)Track no. The vocals to be the focus and the 'response' to be more complex, At times it can sounds almost 'half-spoken'. 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 . Her powerful voice stands out so much in this song that the instrumental background may not even be needed as supplementation. When it thunders and lightnin' and the wind begins to blow. Bessie Smith- Back Water Blues. Youtube, uploaded by TravelerIntoTheBlue, 9 Oct 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gXShOJVwaM. She made almost 200 recordings, including duets with Louis Armstrong and Joe Smith. The blues artists who wrote and sang in this era there are famous names in this era such as Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Howling Wolf, and of course, Bessie Smith, who is one of my favorites. "Backwater Blues" (1927) . 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). 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. 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. However, I recommend practicing the classic form (first line repeated in the second line, third line responds to the second, entire poem at least three tercets long) to fully grasp blues aesthetics. Bessie Smith had a powerful impact on future blues and Rock and Roll singers, like Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, and Janis Joplin. 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. Print and download Backwater Blues sheet music by Bessie Smith. In order to interrogate said materials, six recordings by different musicians were chosen and meticulously transcribed. 04 January 2007. What is the structure of the lyrics? The despair is deep, is deeply personal, but it is also metaphorical and speaks to the despair of an entire community. :)---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Title: Backwater BluesLevel: BeginnerCom. 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. The rhythm remains constant throughout the song, allowing the melody to flow peacefully during the piece. Hier geht's zu meiner Musik auf Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/1EV1CjZHtzJGK5SZyEyKst?si=ya1BsYRcTpSlZeVFtMKekAMeine Musik auf Deezer:https://deezer. Backwater Blues by Bessie Smith - Digital Sheet Music, View our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions, Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out. This incident gave birth to an important blues era, now known as the Delta Blues era. The beat does not change because each verse follows the same AAB pattern, which results in the same rhythm continuing on. Chris Fisher-Lochhead. One subscription across all of your devices. The song has long been associated with the great flood of the lower Mississippi River in 1927. Lets look at this poem closely. There were reports that officials behaved in a discriminatory fashion. 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. Designed and built by Hooktheory in California. Total loading time: 0 The piece uses syncopation to allow variation between the instruments and the vocals. 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. Smith continued on to become very successful with hits like St. My name is Lex and I am a rising senior at the University of Georgia. Includes 1 print + interactive copy with lifetime access in our free apps. 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. 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. 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. First, research supports the claim that blues music originated during the postUS Civil War era (186165) and is derived from spirituals and work and field songs of Black sharecroppers of the rural south, particularly the Mississippi Delta. Perhaps the build-up of rain made her anticipate the flood; it was released just as the flood came, and as a result, it became a big hit., Charter Member Directory (Password Protected). Over her ten year career, she created one hundred and sixty recordings. I make it a point to learn the African American poetic tradition. According to the Theorytab database, it is the 5th most popular key among Major keys and the 5th most popular among all keys. Hostname: page-component-75b8448494-knlg2 They relocated the white folks in an expedient manner but corralled the black folks into abysmal camps. When it thunders and lightnin' and the wind begin to blow. Baraka attributes this knowledge to his mentor Sterling A. The lyrics of the song are interpreted with respect to the events of that flood. Smith is believed to be one of the highest paid black performers of her time. Instagram oder Facebook auf Songtexte.com geladen werden. [1] Its musical composition entered the public domain on January 1, 2023. Backwater Blues by Big Bill Broonzy was written by Bessie Smith and was first recorded and released by Bessie Smith in 1927. Not only did she sing, she was also an actress and comedian. The beat does . I love writing blues poems. One more piece. What are the introductory chords that illustrate this? The song has a homophonic texture due to the use of instruments and vocalization in unison. Of course, we Americans have historical amnesia. Play the music you love without limits for just $9.99 $3.33/month. Log dich ein um diese Funktion zu nutzen. What is 12-bar-blues form? Learn to hear chords by ear. Sheet music arranged for Piano/Vocal/Guitar in C Major (transposable). I think in the best identity poems that the self represents something much larger than the self. 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. Great cover of blues classic Backwater blues on The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band 2011. album How I Go 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. 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. [3] However, that flood was at its worst some two months after the song was written. Please download this song, preferably the original 1927 recording by Bessie Smith, and listen to her amazing singing. The song "Backwater Blues" is a blues and jazz standard written by Bessie Smith. Smith describes how down she is about her life and how she knows there is nothing she can do about it. Major keys, along with minor keys, are a common choice for popular songs. The song "Backwater Blues" is a blues and jazz standard written by Bessie Smith. There is one integral line throughout the stanza. For examples of innovative uses of these devices in poetry, visit Jericho Browns Duplex, Evie Shockleys Fukushima Blues, and Kevin Youngs Langston Hughes.. Terrible images came across the television screen and recently with global warming and continuous flooding and natural disasters this poem survives the test of time and can speak to a variety of incidents and international dislocated peoples. We could define and reproduce several devices of blues lyric, such as call and response, and blues turnaround, and surely, we can write sad poems. 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.

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