Blues notes

Catharsis

Release of emotions.

Zumba's Lament

First known complete musical composition about grief, loss, memory, and regret.

Mirologi

Songs sung to the dead at funerals.

Sekilios Epitaph

First miroglogia written in ancient Greece from husband to dead wife.

Ksenitia

Loss of home.

Alexis Zoubus and Blind Johnson

Music reflecting loss, weeping, and a sense of displacement (Ksenitia).

Syncretism

Different elements come together to create something new, basis for both genres.

The Great/Big/Megali Idea

19th- and early 20th-century Greek political concept aimed at uniting ethnic Greek populations.

Smyrna Catastrophe

Destruction of Smyrna and mass killing of Greek and Armenian residents by Turkish forces in 1922.

The Asia Minor Catastrophe

1922 collapse of the Greek military campaign in Anatolia, marking the violent end of a Greek presence in Asia Minor.

End of Megali Idea and displacement of Greeks

Formation of Rebetiko and catharsis similar to Blues.

Historial Processes

Focus as a historian on overarching themes rather than key dates.

Nation

Syncretic concept where different cultures come together.

Teleology

Thinking that knowing the outcome can bias how you perceive history.

Fredrick Douglas

Famous scholar known for speaking about Black Americans' inability to celebrate independence.

Slavery

Core of the blues, built a community in response.

Reconstruction

1865-1877 plan for transition after slavery, seen as a failure now.

Sharecropping

New form of slavery; hard to escape and economically constraining.

Censorship

Censorship under Greek fascist leader Mextast against Rebetiko music.

Greek Jews

Tensions surrounding WWII led to migration to America.

Xenia

Feeling like an alien and outsider, experienced by many Greek immigrants.

Blues Emotion is not Blues Music

Framing blues as simply sad limits the genre's scope.

The Work Song

Songs sung by slaves to cope with work rhythm and communicate.

Spirituales

African American religious songs rooted in culture and family.

Minstrel Shows

White performers in blackface, mocking Black culture.

Delta Blues

Cradle of the blues style.

W.C Handy

Father of blues; documented blues history and wrote 'Memphis Blues'.

Mamie Smith

First Black Blues singer recorded, known for 'Crazy Blues'.

Race Market

Initial marketing approach for the Blues.

Classic Blues era

1920s, New Orleans; first style to be recorded.

Country Blues

Rougher, spontaneous, acoustic blues, first star: Blind Lemon Jefferson.

Slider/ Bottle Neck Sound

Sound resembling talking, originating from Memphis.

Depression Blues

1930s period with street performances and Robert Johnson's influence.

Urban Blues

Expanding blues into cities like St. Louis, Chicago, Memphis, Atlanta, and New York.

Bluebird Beat

Chicago blues style with more electronic elements.

Impact of WWII on Blues

Fewer recording resources, rise of DJs and radios expanding the audience.

Optimism after War

Post-war confidence leading to better job opportunities and more sophisticated music.

1940s Blues

Technological improvements in music with amps and microphones.

T-Bone Walker

Known for electric sound and stage presence, influenced BB King.

West Coast Blues

1940-1945 migration wave to California with LA as the center.

Louis Jordan

Final coexistence of blues and jazz with Jump Blues, part of West Coast Blues.