African American Music

1. WATCH JAZZ: A FILM BY KEN BURNS, EPISODE 2: THE GIFT
https://video-alexanderstreet-com.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/watch/the-gift
2. WATCH WATCH JAZZ: A FILM BY KEN BURNS, EPISODE 2: SWING, THE VELOCITY OF CELEBRATION
https://video-alexanderstreet-com.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/watch/swing-the-velocity-of-celebration?source=autosuggest
3. Answer the following discussion questions…

a.This episode is about what two African American musicians?

b. Where did Louis Armstrong get his start playing a trumpet? What other incidents in his early life gave him the opportunity to learn to play the coronet?

c. How did he get to Chicago? Who was he playing with??

d. Where did “Duke” Ellington grow up? What was different about his young years from Armstrong’s??

e. What was Duke Ellington’s medium for music? How did he get started?

f. As adults and professionals, where did Armstrong and Ellington play??

How did their music develop from there?

g. What was the gift that Armstrong and Ellington displayed? How are their “gifts” different from each other?

LOUIS ARMSTRONG PLAYLIST

DUKE ELLINGTON PLAYLIST

BEBOP AND BEBOP LISTENING PLAYLIST

1. WATCH: Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns. Episode 7 Dedicated to Chaos before completing this assignment. Here’s the link…
https://video-alexanderstreet-com.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/watch/dedicated-to-chaos
2. LISTEN: To the Afromusicology Bebop Playlist on YouTube. Here is the link…

3. READ: Dizzy Atmosphere: The Challenge of Bebop by Eric Porter. You’ll find this article under Resources on Sakai. Then answer the discussion questions below.

1. How does the author describe the musical characteristics of the style of jazz known as Bebop?

2. Who were some of the early inventors/players of Bebop?

3. What was the name of the club that hosted the jam sessions where Bebop was “born”?

4. How did the young bebop musicians feel about the older swing and traditional jazz musicians? How did the older musicians feel about the younger musicians?

5. What does the author mean by the term “critical ecumenicalism”?

6. What were some of the social issues plaguing African Americans around the same time as Bebop’s conception?

7. It is often argued that Bebop was a music born out of either revolution or evolution. Give an example of an author and his/her views quoted by Porter in the article who believed Bebop was revolutionary. Give an example of an author and their views quoted by Porter in the article who believed Bebop was merely evolutionary.

8. How did the musicians themselves feel about Bebop and why they played it? Cite specific musicians and their quotes.

9. According to Porter, what were some of the factors that led to the demise of Bebop?

1. WATCH: The Sounds of Soul https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ5hvsaJ4sk

And answer the following questions.

1. ________ Stax Records

2. ________ Motown Records

3. ________ Atlantic Records

4. ________ TSOP

A. Philadelphia B. Detroit C. Memphis D. New York

5. He was the handsome and soulful balladeer known for his association with the gospel group, The Soul Stirrers as lead singer

_____________________

6. The Queen of Soul who meshed her background in gospel with R&B to create powerful songs like “Natural Woman” and “Respect” _____________________

7. Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett exemplified the soulful sound of what music label?

___________________

8. He was the founder of Motown Records ________________________

(List the City in which the following popular theatres for black performers was/is located)

9. ________________ Regal Theatre

10. ________________ Uptown Theatre

11. ________________ Apollo Theatre

12. ________________ Howard Theatre

13. The Godfather of Soul known for his funky hard hitting rhythms and innovative dance moves

____________________

14. He was the lead singer for the Miracles and songwriter/collaborator for Motown Records

_______________________

Name Four (4) Groups and or Solo Acts that recorded on the Motown Records label

15.

16.

17.

18.

19. Give one nickname or slogan for Motown Records

___________________________________

20. Give the nickname or slogan for Stax Records _______________________

2. WATCH: EWF The History of Funk. https://youtu.be/-ehzl16dqzg

Answer the following questions. If the link doesn’t work just search YouTube for it

1. This bandleaders message in the song along music his hippie band played was about bringing people together
2. What beat number was stressed in funk music?
3. George Clinton from PFunk mixed Acid rock with a huge dose of funk and called it what?
4. Larry Graham invented this percussive style of bass playing that would characterize funk music

5. Fill in the blanks to complete these PFunk song titles mentioned in the documentary
One ……..Under a …..
Flash….
We……..the……
6. List three Earth Wind and Fire songs mentioned in the documentary
7. This style of music eclipsed funk with its four in the floor beat pattern …and heavy dance element.
8. This Minnesota multi instrumentalist influenced by James Brown, George Clinton, Sly and the Family Stone which a royal title.
9. The two most sampled funk artists in HipHop were…
10 The name of this James Brown song brought him outta Soul and into Funk