Ask Your Mama Analysis

Langston Hughes was one of the great writers of his time. He was named the “most renowned African American poet of the 20th century” (McLaren). Through his writing he made many contributions to following generations by writing about African American issues in creative ways including the use of blues and jazz. Langston Hughes captured the scene of Harlem life in the early 20th century significantly influencing American Literature. He once explained that his writing was an attempt to “explain and illuminate the Negro condition in America” (Daniel 760). To fulfill this task, he wrote 15 volumes of poetry, six novels, three books, 11 plays, and a variety of non-fiction work (Daniel 760). He also edited over 50 books in his time (McKay).

Langston Hughes was one of the first black men to express the spirit of blues and jazz

“Langston Hughes: Beyond The Music and The Rhythm of An Extraordinary Black Artist.” JazzMuzic 23 (2001): 35-39.

The Harlem Renaissance was a time of revival and awakening in which the African American community produced a new form of cultural identity. After years of oppression and slavery, African Americans struggled to discover their own distinctive culture. It was through the literature and artistry of the Harlem Renaissance that the African American community began to express the suffering and resentment they truly experienced. In addition, the movement allowed them to find a way to escape their hardships. James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” and Langston Hughes’ “The Weary Blues” address the addiction, poverty, and violence that surrounded African Americans and the triumph of life that was captured in their attempt to escape the suffering.

During the late twentieth century, the AIDS epidemic became one of the biggest issues to plague the gay community and is often referred to as an event that helped the community come together as a whole, but in Ceremonies Essex Hemphill writes about the community as fractured and divided. Discussions of race, as well as sexuality, are common topics he discusses in the essays and poetry that make up the book. In one of the essays in the book, “Does your Mama Know?”, Hemphill writes about the gay black man’s role, or lack of a subjective role, in the gay community and discusses the idea of what “home” is for someone that doesn’t quite seem to have a place in any community. It is a topic that

The audience was wrapped in the complexity and intensity that radiated in this piece. This was due to the disjunct melody, as the piece sounded generally uneven, with recurring wide leaps as the piece had a wide range. It was mesmerizing, watching the technique and fast pace hand movements. Furthermore, the song had a general homophonic texture as there was a clear dominant melody being played, with a few different chords supporting the melody. Despite there being a few tempo changes as the song alternated in pace, the piece sustained a duple meter, emphasizing on the jazz rhythm. The uniqueness of the piece was especially brought out through the frequent dissonance harmony, which made the piece more interesting to listen to. The piece had an overall free rhythmic feel, allowing the combination of distinctive rhythms and dynamics into a unique melody. The timbre of the piano matched the style of music as it was successful in giving the jazzy tone to the piece. Nevertheless, I think that the use of a full orchestra is more successful in delivering the full jazz melody as each instruments timbre provides an interesting influence on the

Langston Hughes is an extremely successful and well known black writer who emerged from the Harlem Renaissance (“Langston Hughes” 792). He is recognized for his poetry and like many other writers from the Harlem Renaissance, lived most of his life outside of Harlem (“Langston Hughes” 792). His personal experiences and opinions inspire his writing intricately. Unlike other writers of his time, Hughes expresses his discontent with black oppression and focuses on the hardships of his people. Hughes’ heartfelt concern for his people’s struggle evokes the reader’s emotion. His appreciation for black music and culture is evident in his work as well. Langston Hughes is a complex poet whose profound works provide insight into all aspects of black

In the opening scene with the jets, the orchestral background music painted the picture of the jets being spontaneous and unpredictable. The music especially designed their personalities well with the random loud burst of accented notes from the brass. The mood definitely changes

“The 1960’s saw Hughes as productive as ever. “In 1962 Langston’s ambitious book- length poem “Ask Mama” dense with allusions

“The Harlem Renaissance was a time where the Afro-American came of age; he became self-assertive and racially conscious… he proclaimed himself to be a man and deserving respect. Those Afro-Americans who were part of that time period saw themselves as principals in that moment of transformation from old to new” (Huggins 3). African Americans migrated to the North in great numbers to seek better lives than in the South as the northern economy was booming and industrial jobs were numerous. This movement brought new ideas and talents that shifted the culture forever. Black writers, such as Langston Hughes, used their work to claim a place for themselves and to demand self-respect in society. Poems that Langston Hughes wrote captured the essence of the complexity of a life that mixes joy and frustration of black American life through the incorporation of jazz and blues in order to examine the paradox of being black in mostly white America, the land of the not quite free.

The next song on the playlist was called “Everything Happens To Me”. The texture to this was very soft as well. The instruments were playing off each other but it was still a freestyle type of song. I think jazz is generally played like freestyle. There was no melody to this song. The rhythm was not existent as well. It was more of a free flowing song. This song had a very quiet dynamic. It sounded very romantic like something out of a movie. The tempo of the song was very slow and mild but the trumpet was going very fast. The cello and the drums had a portion of the song where they fed off each other’s energy and the trumpet was doing its own thing.

The fifth song was hand drummer used sand rattler instead of hand drum. The drum solo in this song was very powerful and brought the exhilaration of this concert to the climax. The change of unpredictable rhythm and tempo made audience excited. Many audiences were clapping with rhythm.

The 36th Annual Jazz Showcase, on Thursday, March 9, 2017 incorporated many styles of jazz and modern compositions. This concert can best be described as fusion in both jazz and how the songs varied from Fiddler in the Roof to James Bond. The concert was mainly characterized by the songs played in a big band style. It consisted of many musicians and many instruments including, alto, tenor and bari sax, trumpet, trombone, French horn, tuba, keyboard (piano), guitar (acoustic, electric), percussion (mallets, drums), bass (acoustic, electric), vocals.

The night of February 18, 2016 I attended “The MTSU Faculty Jazztet” concert in Wright Music Hall. This jazz band consists of David Willford, Don Aliquo, Micheal Parkinson, Jamey Simmions, Joe Davidian, Patrick Arwater, and Derrek Phillps performed eight jazz selections. The crowd that night was about 70-80 people, and part were older and the other half was students. When I think about a jazz performance a drum and piano player did not come to mind. I expected for the show to be like all the stuff you see on TV about jazz bands with one person singing and the instruments in the background playing. All the band members were all dressed up in either suits or dress shirt and tie they all were instrument players.

The great philosopher Plato once orated: “Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. PBS defines the the Harlem Renaissance a “Cultural, social, and artistic explosion that took place in Harlem between the end of World War I and the middle of the 1930s. During this period Harlem was a cultural center, drawing black writers, artists, musicians, photographers, poets, and scholars.” Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet.”Authors such as Langston Hughes, Lucille Clifton, and Colleen McElroy explore their cultural heritage through hard-hitting poetry.