Al Jarreau Love Song

Troubled and alone the man described attempts to escape his past. He plays with a slow methodical rhythm. The rhythm is not happy, but more relative to the man’s experiences. Although not specified, we can infer his past was not favorable. Langston writes, “I’s gwine to quit ma frownin’ And put ma troubles on the shelf (Hughes).” The anguish of his past is overbearing and without an outlet he would likely be dead. The melancholy attitude carries through to his life and without his Blues music his overbearing emotions shine. “He slept like a rock or a man that’s dead. (Hughes).” What was optimistic lines prior turns dark in despair as he sleeps. One can infer the cycle continues day in and day out. He finds hope in the music, just like Sonny; however, once the curtains close the true emotions emerge. His expression is almost that of desperation as opposed to inspiration. His plays his past and current emotions in his music, which gives its richer and deeper vide. Instead of putting up a masquerade he plays it how it

Count Basie, was born August 21, 1904 in Red Bank, New Jersey. He was a gifted pianist, bandleader, and composer. His mother was a pianist and his father was a mellophonist. His mother, not realizing that he would become an amazing pianist and bandleader, started off his journey by giving him his first piano lessons. Later on, William and his family moved to New York, where he was further influenced by James P. Johnson and Fats Waller. In New York, Waller taught Basie organ playing techniques. Further on in his life Count Basie had many top chart hits such as “One O’Clock Jump” and “Blue Skies” In the 1858 Grammy’s became the first African-American male represent of a Grammy Award. Throughout his career, he won many more. Not only was he a great composer and musician, but he was a good person who influenced many people's lives. This essay will outline the life of Count Basie and all of his

“Love on the B-Line” by Adam Kraar gives us an understanding of how to write a play. He gives us great examples of structure, character development, and dialogue that can help young or novice writers understand the basics of making a play.

The blues have deep roots embedded within American history—particularly that of African American history. The history of the blues originated on Southern plantations in the 19th century and was created by slaves, ex-slaves, and descendants of slaves. They were created by individuals who endured great hardship while performing endless hours of arduous labor and blues served as a form of escapism. To these individuals, songs provided them with the strength to persevere through their struggles. Blues songs depicted individuals who persevered in the face of adversity. They were symbols of hope to those squandering in the depths of oppression. In relations to the blues, every song has a story behind it and within every story, there is something to be said. Blues artists, through their struggles, detail how they overcame hardship and laughed at the face of oppression. They defied the rules and in doing so, showed African Americans that they too are beacons of hope for the hopeless. The best blues is instinctive, cathartic, and intensely emotional. From irrepressible bliss to deep sadness, no form of music communicates more genuine emotion than that of the blues. Like many bluesmen of his day, Robert Johnson applied his craft as a lonely traveling musician on street corners and in juke joints. He was a lonely man whose songs romanticized that existence. With Johnson’s unique vocal style, haunting lyrics, and creative guitar techniques, Johnson’s innovation embodied the essence of

The roots of modern american rock and roll music, are firmly planted in Africa. As the native Africans were torn apart from their family’s and brought to the new world their lives were immediately and drastically changed forever. Finding themselves immersed in a completely new environment with a foreign culture, they thankfully persevered and carried on with their own traditions and most importantly to this paper, musical ones. Most American slaves originated from Western and Central Africa. The West Africans carried a musical tradition rich with long melody lines, complicated rhythms (poly rhythmics) and stringed instruments CITATION. The West Africans music was also strongly integrated into their everyday lives. Songs were preformed for religious ceremonies and dances and music was often a

From 1919 to 1965, a man lived and forever changed the music industry to become what it has become today with his amazing piano playing and smooth voice. The man’s name was Nathaniel Cole, but he is better known as Nat “King” Cole. From Cole’s early jazz music in his early life and his singing in the rest of his life advanced music in jazz and pop. With his great influence and legacy in music, many people would use the name of one of Cole’s most popular songs, “Unforgettable”, to describe the man himself.

Robert Leroy Johnson was a great blues singer-songwriter and musician. His hit recordings in 1936 and ‘37, singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generations of musicians. After the re-issue of his recordings in ‘61, on the “LP King of the Delta Blues Singers,” he was recognized as a master

The history of American popular music encompasses diverse traditions and extraordinary musical inventions. It comprises a diverse array of styles that reflect the country's multi-ethic population. Distinctive styles of American popular music emerged early in the 19th century, and it cannot be denied that it has had a profound effect on music across the world. Louis Thomas Jordan was a pioneering American musician, songwriter and bandleader who was popular from the late 1930s and 1950s. Knowns as "The King of the Jukebox", he was highly popular with both black and white audiences in the later years of the swing era. His contribution to America's music is phenomenal.

Many people admire Sammy Davis Jr for his ability to sing, dance, and act. For example, Sammy Davis Jr miraculously “began the 1960’s as a certified superstar of stage and screen”(“Davis, Sammy Jr 1925-1990”).

In the midst of a time where black Americans were facing extreme ridicule and fighting for their rights, Sam Cooke arose from the Gospel music style and merged into the music known as Soul, a genre that spoke to the socially crumbling nation about peace and civil rights changes. Through his smooth style, velvety voice, handsome appearance, and appeal to black and white audiences alike, Sam Cooke made a difference in the lives of Americans in the 1960s by singing with pure emotion and soul, like in "A Change is Gonna Come." Through this genre’s sincere singing with lyrics full of emotion, a sense of understanding was brought to the people of America about the

Ray Charles was a revolutionary pianist and a soul singer who helped shape the sound of rhythm and blues. He brought a soulful sound to everything from country music to pop standards to "God Bless America." His birth name was Ray Charles Robinson, but he shortened it when he entered show business to avoid confusion with the famous boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. I chose Ray Charles as the topic for my paper after seeing the movie Ray. After viewing this film I realized that there was a lot of interesting information about Ray Charles that I had never heard about. Therefore, the focus of my paper is to learn who Ray Charles really was and to discuss his life and achievements.

The songs presented his struggles (Scentless Apprentice) or chaotic marriage (All apologies and Heart Shaped Box for example).

Born in New Orleans, in 1911, Mahalia Jackson, Gospel’s leading ambassador and advocate, grew up in a conservatively religious family, with church music playing a prominent role in her early years. At age sixteen, Jackson met the Gospel composer and arranger, Thomas A. Dorsey, who co-wrote her first hit, “Move up on a Little Higher”, sold over eighteen million copies. Heavily involved in the civil rights movement in the 1950s and ‘60s, Jackson was renowned for her energetic passionate vocal ability and style, singing with deep conviction. Close friend and passionate civil-rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King, described Jackson’s contra-alto sound as, “A voice like this one comes not once in a century, but once in a millennium” (New Encyclopaedia, 2017). One of her famous adaptations, was the originally Negro spiritual, “How I Got Over”, which was sung before Martin Luther King’s famous Washington Speech, “I Had A Dream”, displaying the close connection in which Gospel music and the supporters

He uses his past life and relationships to create such an amazing debuting album. Artist are only given one shot to impress the audience with their lyrical ability. He did that and more with this album. Songs like “Getting Old” and Worst Luck” bring out his emotional side while “Never Knew” and “PRBLMS” share his past life. There is a balance of all aspects of one’s life. One song that captures the many sides of his great capability is “Luving U”. It puts the listener into the center of a slowly crumbling relationship. I toughly enjoy good R&B songs that feel human, as well as songs that tell you about the place between blissful love and aching heartbreak. ” Luving U” sits in that middle ground and captures the very slow journey to the end of a once happy relationship.

When reading the title, we often associate a love song as something jaunty,pleasureable, and celebrating, or its other extreme, regretting, nostalgic, and full of pity for the singer’s troubles in love. With Williams the singer, the main idea revolves around the concept of an incomplete union in first person point of view, which makes the reading more personal as the reader is using “I” instead you or he. From this concept stem the ideas that this poem is about hopelessness or happiness, communal sex or masturbation. Delving into history, literary techniques, association with the author, and own opinion of it, there is easily more to it than meets the eye.