The Blues
Jimi Hendrix said "Blues is easy to play, but hard to feel." - John Lee Hooker proves it. Robert Johnson, Willie Dixon, BB King, Son House and Muddy Waters helped make the Blues what it is today. The Blues spawned many imitators including several noteable white, English musicians, like Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin and even Black Sabbath. You could argue that The Blues is the grand-daddy of all rock music.
Delta Blues
The Mississipi delta is where the Blues was born, carried over from Africa on the slave ships. The Blues evolved on the cotton fields and over the years spread to the stadiums. Notable Delta Blues artists include; Son House, Willie Brown, Tommy Johnson, Ishman Bracey, Skip James, Bukka White, Mississippi John Hurt, Howlin' Wolf and Elmore James.
Electric Blues
Muddy Waters used electricity to turbo-charge the blues genre. This made the sound louder and harder and it was this that turned-on a lot of white kids to the sound of the blues. The Blues is not about color afterall, it's a spirit, which you can't really fake; "I've said that playing the blues is like having to be black twice. Stevie Ray Vaughan missed on both counts, but I never noticed." B.B. King.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
The Blues WebQuest
Grade 8 Music History Webquest
THE BLUES
Submit your work in a Microsoft Word Document.
Marks are given for correct spelling and grammar .
Please use ONLY the websites provided.
1. "Field Hollers" and "Work Calls" were the earliest types of 'blues' singing. Check out http://afroamhistory.about.com/od/bluesmusic/a/bluesmusic.htm and describe each of these terms. (5 marks)
2. Research black slavery in the United States during the 1850s.
Imagine yourself as either
a) a slave that stays on the plantation OR
b) a slave that takes the daring trek on the underground railway.
Write a 1-paragraph diary entry describing your experience, your daily tasks, the fears that you face, and other people around you. (10 marks)
3. Another popular form of music during this period is called "vaudeville" music.
What happened when "vaudeville" singers came into contact with blues singers?
How do you think this affected changes in blues music?
to answer the questions above. (5 marks)
4. Mamie Smith's songs "Crazy Blues" and "It's Right Here for You" were considered race records. What is a race record, and how did they impact on the popularity of the blues? Check out http://www.pbs.org/jazz/exchange/exchange_race_records.htm for information. (5 marks)
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Mrs. McLeod
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