1940s R & B Analysis

David Davis

MHIS-332

Prof. Vera Flaig

09/29/17

Listening Journal No. 1: 1940s R&B

The trajectory of black music in the 1940s is an interesting and loaded one. Initially sparked by the gradual migration of many African Americans to the north, and followed by the incorporation of new, jazz-influenced elements into traditional African American music, as well as the shrinking of big jazz bands eventually led to the creation of new genre called “rhythm and blues.” Represented by musicians, such as Louis Jordan and Nat “King” Cole, the genre proved to be just as much of a commercial hit as classic blues, a female-dominated sub-genre of the blues that was able to appeal to white audiences, due to more universal lyrical content. In the late 1940s,

Jordan was known for “his emphasis on pleasing audiences and his unabashed embrace of commercialism.” (Brackett; 52). This was achieved through songs like Caldonia, Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens, and Choo Choo Ch’Boogie, which all feature an uptempo rhythm and an extensive use of jazz elements, such as a walking bass line and his use of trumpets and saxophones. Caldonia, specifically highlights Louis Jordan’s penchant for showmanship, as he calls out the name of his beloved in a high-pitch tone that would likely give listeners a jolt of excitement every time he sang it. Another thing about the song I found interesting was the inclusion of a speaking section towards the end, which reminded me of the “sermons” found in soul music, which came later in American music

The song’s lackadaisical rhythm, along with the seemingly improvised, and almost vocal style of his electric guitar playing reminded me more of the relaxed, humidity-induced blues music I heard walking through the streets of New Orleans this summer, rather than the upbeat, performance focused R&B of Dinah Washington and Louis Jordan. In this song—Stormy Monday—the rhythm section’s sole purpose seems to be denoting a clear passage of time through the performance. At no point did I get the impression T-Bone Walker was using it as anything more than a tool to keep his tempo in