From my own experience of listening to heavy metal, to me the genre seemed to revolve around more of a loud guitars with deep vocals. Within my research, I find out that the roots of heavy metal may have started out as something different than I expected.

https://www.allposters.ca/-sp/Heavy-Metal-Text-Poster-posters_i9721537_.htm

Heavy metal rises from rock music and this genre uses powerful distorted sound of electric guitar, heavy drums, and heavier bass. The term ‘heavy metal’ was first used in a print in William Burroughs’ 1962 novel: The Soft Machine [1]. ‘Heavy’ was coined in the 1950s during the beatnik era to mean serious or profound, and later defined as something that was heavy, weighty or massive that played a role into band names which incorporated some sort of metal into their name like Led Zeppelin and Iron Maiden [2].

Led Zeppelin was initially called the New Yardbirds when it was formed in 1968 by Jimmy Page and the band also consisted of Robert Plant, John Bonham, and John Paul Jones. Jimmy was the guitarist, Robert played the bass and keyboard, John Bonham sang for the group, and John Paul Jones was the drummer [3].

Led Zeppelins success began in the late 1960’s and continued to the 1980’s before they disbanded after Bonhams accidental death. They released many albums and gave rise to their most notable song, “Stairway to Heaven”, which was featured on their fourth album called “Led Zeppelin IV”. With an estimated 200-300 million worldwide, this makes them one of the best-selling musical artists [4].

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/tags/led-zeppelin/

Song 1: Led Zeppelin – Nobody’s Fault But Mine (1976)

“Nobody’s Fault But Mine” is seen to be one of Led Zeppelins more heavy songs due to the fact that the record “Presence” was recorded while Robert Plant, the lead singer, was recovering from a car accident so the song had more deeper and heavier elements than their typical songs [4]. This song is “a behemoth made from bone-crunching basslines, a maniacal harmonica solo, and its memorable “call-and-response structure”. This song is portrayed as a heavy, blues-rock track that is like “an avalanche grinds down everything in its path” [5]. From the quote, the individual critiqued the song and classified it as heavy metal due to the perception and volumes the song speaks on a heavy metal basis.

Song 2: Led Zeppelin – Communication Breakdown (1969)

The main reason this song is categorized as a metal song is the opening metal riff that is identified. To really mark this down as a heavy metal son, another heavy metal band called Iron Maiden did a cover for Communication Breakdown, which is a respectable heavy band you may have heard of.

Song 3 – Led Zeppelin – Kashmir (1975)

To find a third song, I randomly searched YouTube for a song that I may have heard. I found this one that I surprisingly recognized without even knowing. What caught my attention was from 0:00-0:17 which sounded very familiar to me. When listening to this song, you can hear the guitar riffs and the electrifying drum beat mixes well with Robert Plants vocals. With the combination of all these sounds, it plays well with the heavy metal definition. Robert Plant, the lead singer even said “I wish we were remembered for Kashmir more than Stairway To Heaven” [6].

When taking into consideration everything that was discussed, it is important to take into account what heavy metal really is, and in my opinion, Led Zeppelin capturing this definition. The textbook draws readers into heavy metal by drawing interest on Led Zeppelin and how heavy metal back then is different when compared to the current generation of heavy metal. Led Zeppelin is considered the ancestor of present day heavy metal due to their heavy sounds and guitar-driven songs.

https://vintageposterplaza.com/collections/frontpage/products/led-zeppelin-band-live-portraits-rare-poster?variant=48950796431

Before I chose this topic, heavy metal was not one of the genres I would listen to on a daily basis or at all for that matter. After diving deeper into the topic, I have grown a better understanding and appreciation for this genre from listening to Led Zeppelin and many other bands, while learning about the history of heavy metal.

Bibliography

[1] Martin, Gary. 2018. “Heavy Metal’ – The Meaning And Origin Of This Phrase”. Phrasefinder. Accessed August 10. https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/heavy-metal.html

[2] Ibid.

[3] Fast, Susan. 2012. “Led Zeppelin”. Encyclopedia Britannica

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Led-Zeppelin.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Doscas, Andrew. 2015.”Led Zeppelin: Presence (Deluxe Edition).

https://www.popmatters.com/led-zeppelin-presence-deluxe-edition-2495490060.html

[6] Wall, Mick. 2014. “The Story Behind The Song: Kashmir By Led Zeppelin”. Loudersound.

https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-behind-the-song-kashmir-by-led-zeppelin

 

 

Why did black people don blackface in early American theatre? Explain the power dynamics of blackface worn by black performers.

African –American people were not accepted to perform on stage for most of the 19^th The site of them was not tolerable to white audiences so in order for the white audience to feel more comfortable, they had to put on blackface as if they were Caucasian playing the role of a black person [2].

The interesting power dynamic of black face by black performers allowed the surrendering of the black performer’s power. Blackface was worn as a way to mock the African-American race.

How did ‘Shuffle Along’ reinforce or challenge:

The use of blackface in theater: The use of black face in reinforced or challenged “Shuffle Along” because of the way it was used. Black performers had to use blackface when performing to appear as a Caucasian performing as a black person. This showed that they surrendered their power because it mocked their own race.

The taboo of black sexuality: The observation of the white reaction to the song ‘Love Will Find a Way’ by Roger Matthews and Lottie Gee, the prima donna, was not what Les Walton, a journalist expected as they expressed more discomfort as opposed to rage or revolt [2]. White audiences did not want colored people to show too much affection from black individuals on stage. The audience would applaud if a coloured man serenades a girl at the window, but once he begins to resemble a Romeo, then he has crossed a line due to the fact black sexuality was dangerous to them [2].

Typical rhythms in musical theater: “Shuffle Along” challenged typical rhythms in musical theater because the “changes were often seemed as less rhythmical than mathematical” [2]. This made the pattern and rhythm much more difficult for dancers to follow.

Chorus lines: The chorus lines for “Shuffle Along” were mainly dance jazz, which was performed by stereotypical chorus girls. Josephine Baker was one of the performers on the chorus line.

Which song remains the most well-known from Shuffle Along? Had you heard this song before?

The song that remains most well-known from Shuffle along is “I’m Just Wild About Harry”. It is a song that most people can hum to and it was used as the theme song for Harry S. Truman’s presidential campaign in 1948 [2]. The song was written by African-Americans and was not used again till Barack Obama’s candidacy.

Explain what «patting Juba» meant, and who was Juba (the second Juba). Why is this story included, and how does it tie to our main story?

In the 1840s, P.T Barnum had a white kid in one of his shows named Diamond, the second Juba, who performed Juba or Juber dancing. “Patting Juba” is African dancing, plantation dancing. Juba was the inspiration behind the blacks and Irish-Americans creating tap. Juba was performed by you drumming on your body, slapping your chest and knees and the soles of your feet. Diamond would dance in blackface and Juba was seen as a black thing. Diamond ended up running away in 1841 due to him supposedly being dishonest with financial dealings before Barnum found out. Barnum was without his Juba dancer. He found the best in the world, a young boy that would come and perform for him in replacement of the second Juba. The first Juba was black and had to don the blackface [2]. This ties into our main story with how coloured individuals achieved small victories by donning the blackface.

Here is a video of the Juba Dance for you to have a better understanding what the Juba dance is:

Which claims about the historical significance of Shuffle Along are not exactly true? Who or what should actually claim this title?

Most of the claims that are made for “Shuffle Along” say that it is the first black Broadway show or the first successful one. Which isn’t exactly true because William’s and Walker’s show “Bandanna Land” of 1907-1909 was a black show performed over a decade before “Shuffle Along”. “Bandanna Land” should claim the first black successful Broadway show [2].

Explain the concept of the 2016 show and how it celebrated Shuffle Along. How does it approach the material?

There had been previous attempts in reviving “Shuffle Along” in 1932 and 1952 but both of them failed. George Wolfe, who started the recent revival portrayed it as not a revival, but a transformation. The new title for the show would be “Shuffle Along, or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”. He would not redo the show but instead “he would tell the story of the original creators and cast and how they pulled it off” [2]. This approach would give a voice to various white outsiders during the original show. This was approached through things such as syncopation, dancing and singing which were preserved.

Here is a sample of the performance of “Shuffle Along” when it was performed in 2017:

What new information came to light for you when reading this article, and does it change your perspective on the conditions and challenges faced by early African American performers?

What I learned from reading this article was the challenges African Americans went through in order to do things that they loved. Black performers were treated unfairly and went through many difficulties such as performing through blackface and the discomfort that was expressed upon them when too much affection was shown within their performance.

Look back to the section entitled ‘Minstrelsy and American Popular Music’ in your textbook (page 28), specifically the paragraph that begins “Minstrelsy would give blacks…” – in light of the article, do you feel this paragraph (or the textbook in general) offers a fair perspective on blackface in America? Why or why not?

After reading his section in the textbook, I feel like the textbook does not portray blackface and minstrels in light to what has occurred. It portrays Minstrels as more of a positive thing that contributed to four important firsts that influenced the coming generations of popular music:

“1. It was entertainment for the masses.

2. It used vernacular speech for music.

3. It created a new genre of music by synthesizing middle-class urban song and folk music.

4. It was the first instance of a phenomenon in American popular music that has continued to the present day: that of invigorating and transforming the dominant popular style through the infusion of energetic, often danceable music [1]”.

From the wording of the textbook and how it explains Minstrels, it gives them a positive outlook and that Minstrels were important. It portrays blackface as a positive occurrence. In my opinion, blackface was not a positive portrayal and offers up an unfair perspective of how it is viewed in America.

Works Cited:

[1] Campbell, Michael. 2012. Popular Music In America: The Beat Goes On. 4th ed. Boston, MA: Schirmer.

[2] Sullivan, John. 2016. “‘Shuffle Along’ And The Lost History Of Black Performance In America”. Nytimes.Com. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/27/magazine/shuffle-along-and-the-painful-history-of-black-performance-in-america.html?mcubz=1

Ferdinand Joseph Lamothe was born in New Orleans on October 20^th, 1890. He was a mix of African, French and Spanish ethnicity and eventually changed his last name to Morton, which was used by his stepfather [5].

At the age of 10, Morton began to play piano and a few years later, he was playing in the red light district bordellos. This is where he earned his nickname “Jelly Roll” [5]. He was on the forefront of a movement that would be known as “jazz” when he would have blended styles of ragtime, minstrelsy and the blues, and with undertones of Caribbean dance rhythms [3].

From 1904 to 1917 he roamed around the south as a gambler, pool shark, pimp, vaudeville comedian and a pianist. He began to hit his stride from 1917 to 1922 when he played on the West Coast and then in Chicago. In 1923 and 1924, he began recording piano solos for the Gennett label where they proved to be popular and influential [2]. Some of his most innovative and creative jazz and popular music emerged, such as “King Porter Stomp”, “New Orleans Stomp”, and “Kansas City Stomp” [3]. Beginning in 1926, Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers, a seven or eight piece band that was a New Orleans ensemble style, produced hits such as “Black Bottom Stomp” and “Smoke-House Blues”. The sound and style helped lay the foundation for the swing movement [2].

By the early 1930s Morton’s fame began to become overshadowed by Louis Armstrong and other emerging innovators [5]. Morton recorded again briefly in 1939-1940 but due to his failing health that he blamed on a voodoo curse Morton had to stop. He died in 1941 [3].

Morton faced challenges at the beginning of his career. He was never hesitant to promote himself and claimed he had ‘invented’ jazz, but in reality he was just the first great jazz musician to write down his music. He worked as a young teen in clubs and brothels of Storyville, the red-light district of New Orleans [6]. Working in this environment proved to be a challenge that needed to be overcome. It wasn’t until 1923 where he finally caught a break and signed with a record company where he began to produce and record music.

Morton’s contribution to music is the consideration that he is the inventor of jazz. This is questionable, he is the first to put his jazz style music onto paper, however there is no record of him being the sole inventor of jazz. No question about it though, he had a powerful influence by his ability to play the piano and was a great musician people still adore to this day.

“King Porter Stomp” is a piano solo that was recorded by Morton in 1923. I chose this song because it shows the emergence of swing-era jazz that Jelly Roll Morton helped establish. This song is one of his first recordings he did and it represents the brilliance as to what was in store for the years to come.

“Black Bottom Stomp” by Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers is a jazz composition that was recorded in 1926 [2].  His band was more New Orleans style which is a seven or eight piece ensemble. In this song you can hear trumpet, clarinet, trombone, piano, bass, drums and others. I chose this song because this was one of the first recordings with his band. The way Morton is able to incorporate two-beats and four-beats into this song and in among other structures of music. It is fascinating in how he was able to achieve this style. This song is personally one of my favorites that I heard of Jelly Roll Morton’s work.

“Doctor Jazz” is a third song I found interesting. It was recorded by Jelly Roll Morton and his Red Hot Peppers in 1926. This song was a great example of early New Orleans style jazz. There is an increasing in intensity towards the end of the song and various solos from the members on different instruments. In this song you can hear Jell Roll Morton’s piano solo and him singing for a bit.  I chose this song because it was one of his songs I could not stop tapping my foot to as I kept listening to it on repeat.

Works Cited:

[1] Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopedia. n.d. Jelly Roll Morton. Accessed July 18 18, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jelly-Roll-Morton.

[2] n.d. Ferdinand “Jelly Roll” Morton born Ferdinand Lamothe. Accessed July 18, 2018. http://www.redhotjazz.com/jellyroll.html.

[3] History. n.d. Jazz great Jelly Roll Morton dies. Accessed July 18, 2018. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jazz-great-jelly-roll-morton-dies.

[4] n.d. Jelly Roll Morton. Accessed July 18, 2018. http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/music/musichistory/musicgreats/jellyroll.html.

[5] 2014. Jelly Roll Morton Biography. April 2. Accessed July 18, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/jelly-roll-morton-9415945.

[6] Spitzer, Nick. 2000. King Porter Stomp. October 16. Accessed July 18, 2018. https://www.npr.org/2000/10/16/1112571/npr-100-i-king-porter-stomp-i.

 

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