American Popular Music: Swing, Mambo, R&B, Country and Rock (1936–1956)

What is the genre of 'Great Speckled Bird'?

Folk song

Who wrote the lyrics for 'Great Speckled Bird'?

Rev. Guy Smith

What instrument technique is used in 'Great Speckled Bird'?

Guitar slide technique

What year was 'Great Speckled Bird' recorded?

1936

What type of audiences was 'Great Speckled Bird' marketed towards?

Southern white audiences

What is 'Cross Road Blues' known for?

Rural southern music

What is 'Hillbilly music'?

Early country music marketed to rural white communities in the 1920s

What was a significant factor in the popularity of early country music?

The rise of radio in the 1930s

What was the 'Radio Barn Dance' format?

Variety shows featuring hillbilly musicians, comedy, and advertisements

Who was Roy Acuff?

One of country music's major stars, known for merging different styles

What is the significance of 'Take a Chance on Love'?

A popular song performed by Benny Goodman Orchestra in 1940

What technological advancement influenced singing styles in the 1930s?

Electric microphones

What is 'crooning'?

Singing in a soft, low, and emotional voice

What characterized the Swing Era in music?

Jazz played by big bands with a fast 4/4 beat

What was the 'founding moment' of the Swing Era?

Benny Goodman band's performance at LA's Palomar Ballroom in 1935

What is the role of a composer in music collaboration?

To conceive the music and sometimes write it down in notation

Who was Vernon Duke?

A Russian-born TPA and Broadway songwriter

What year was 'Mambo No. 5' recorded?

1949

What cultural influences shaped American Popular Music?

Immigration, tourism, and geographical proximity to Latin America

What is the significance of Afro-Cuban culture in American music?

It heavily influenced American Popular Music

Who arranged 'Take a Chance on Love' for Benny Goodman?

Fletcher Henderson

What is the role of a bandleader?

To lead a group of performers working together

What are Afro-Cubans?

Cubans with some African ancestry.

What was the earliest Latin dance/music fad to sweep the US?

The tango in the 1910s.

What is the origin of the tango?

A style of dance/music from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

What musical elements characterize the tango?

Minor harmonies and distant rhythm.

Which famous piece imitates the tango in its middle section?

The middle section of 'St. Louis Blues.'

During which era did Latin dance bands become popular in the US?

The big-band era (1930s-40s).

Who was Xavier Cugat?

The 'rhumba' king and long-time band leader at Waldorf-Astoria in NY.

What is the Mambo?

An Afro-Cuban dance style played by big bands.

When did the Mambo craze occur in the US?

From 1949 to 1955.

Where did the Mambo originate?

In Cuba in the 1930s.

What was the Palladium Ballroom known for?

It became a hub for Mambo music in NYC.

Who was Perez Prado?

A Cuban pianist-bandleader based in Mexico City known for Mambo No. 5.

What instruments are prominent in Mambo music?

Percussion for rhythm, saxophones for repeated figures, and trumpets for melodies.

What trend followed the Mambo in the 1940s-50s?

The popularity of ethnocentric novelty songs.

What is 'Hound Dog' known for?

A blues song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, recorded by Big Mama Thornton in 1953.

What was significant about the song 'Hound Dog'?

It was one of the good quality recorded songs of the time and featured an intense raspy voice.

What characterized the Big Band Era?

Big bands reigned supreme with styles like swing and mambo from 1935 to 1949.

What happened to regional music after WWII?

Rebranded music from the south overtook swing as the dominant form of popular music.

What were 'race records' rebranded to in 1949?

Rhythm and blues.

What did 'Hillbilly records' become known as?

Country and western.

What was the Great Migration?

The movement of Black populations from the South to other parts of the US from ca. 1910-1970.

What does Rhythm and Blues include?

More than one style of music.

What is an example of a style within Rhythm and Blues?

Jump blues.

What is a cover version in music?

A new recording of a previously recorded song by a different artist.

What changes are often made in mainstream covers of Rhythm and Blues songs?

They sometimes change the dirty lyrics which were a feature of some R&B and earlier blues records.

Who recorded 'Hound Dog' in 1956?

Elvis Presley.

Who wrote and recorded 'I'm So Lonely I Could Cry'?

Hank Williams in 1949.

What genre does 'I'm So Lonely I Could Cry' belong to?

Regional southern music.

What was the surge in popularity of Country and Western music attributed to?

The post-World War II era.

Where was a major recording center for Country and Western music in the 1940s and 50s?

Nashville, Tennessee.

What is a characteristic of Country Crooners?

Vocalists with a smoother vocal style, closer to mainstream pop music.

Which song by Patti Page sold over 6 million copies in 1950?

'Tennessee Waltz'.

What defines Strong Band Music, also known as Bluegrass?

Heavy use of string instruments like fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and acoustic guitar.

Who is considered the most popular and influential Country and Western singer of the late 1940s-50s?

Hank Williams.

What elements characterize old-fashioned country music?

Fiddle solos, strophic form, southern vocal accents, imagery of trains and nature, and a prominent bass line.

What newer elements are found in modern country music?

Electric guitar solos and darker, pessimistic lyrics.

Who wrote and recorded 'Maybellene'?

Chuck Berry in 1955.

What musical style does 'Maybellene' represent?

Rock.

What was a significant change in music marketing after the 1950s?

It shifted from ethnic or regional identity to general identity.

What genre is Rock n Roll derived from?

It includes elements of Rhythm and Blues and Country and Western music.

What was the first major Rock n Roll hit?

'Rock Around the Clock' by Bill Haley and His Comets in 1955.

What is a defining feature of Chuck Berry's music?

He was the first Black musician to merge R&B and C&W into a music catering to a wider audience.

What are the characteristics of 'Don't Be Cruel' by Elvis Presley?

Strong baseline, use of slapback echo, distinctive vocals, and elements of R&B and C&W.

Who wrote 'Don't Be Cruel'?

Otis Blackwell.

What was significant about Elvis Presley's recording career?

He became the best-selling solo artist of all time and created a polished version of the Sun Records sound.

What studio effect was pioneered at Sun Records?

Slapback echo.