She believed that her truth needed to be told, so she told it. Includes 1 print + interactive copy with lifetime access in our free apps. When it thunders and lightnin' and the wind begins to blow. I think in the best identity poems that the self represents something much larger than the self. I see myself as an activist Chinese American poet, and I want to show the multiple sides of my literary inheritance. Bessie Smith - Back-Water Blues Lyrics | Genius Lyrics Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like backwater blues, libretto, step interval and more. Backwater blues done called me to pack my things and go. In this blog post I am going to be looking at and analysing a track by famous New Orleans jazz musician, Louis Armstrong. How does the music reflect the lyrical content of the piece? I make it a point to learn the African American poetic tradition. LISTENING part 1 SEIGFRIED CHAP 5. richard wagner germany Learn to hear chords by ear. Borrowing from song to write about whats wrong. When it thunders and lightnin' and the wind begin to blow. Entire black neighborhoods were wiped out. Please use a recent version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, or Opera instead. The three most important chords, built off the 1st, 4th and 5th scale degrees are all major chords (E Major, A Major, and B Major). View Official Scores licensed from. Backwater Blues tells the story of how the speaker is forced out of her home due to flooding waters. Marilyn Chin reads and discusses Bessie Smith's "Backwater Blues "useRatesEcommerce": false Backwater Blues - Wikipedia Though, after repeated listening and reading of blues standards like Backwater Blues, call and response became more than an AAB tercet on page/to my ear. Over her ten year career, she created one hundred and sixty recordings. Bessie Smith's Back-Water Blues: the story behind https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261143007001158, Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. The a rhyme glues the three-line stanza together. Kevin Young was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. I mean, first, it sets up a terrible storm when it rained five days and the skies turned dark as night, when it rained five days and the skies turned dark as night. The third-sixth verses have the traditional AAB blues pattern, which helps emphasize what she is saying during each verse. However, I recommend practicing the classic form (first line repeated in the second line, third line responds to the second, entire poem at least three tercets long) to fully grasp blues aesthetics. Adds to the blues feel as the music is seen to reflect the realities of her situation. However, the blues utility in our everyday language signifies to me that the blues are ingrained into US culture. Smith, Bessie. Carl Van Vechten Estate/Library of Congress, Washington D.C., photograph by Carl Van Vechten, 1936, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bessie-Smith. Major keys, along with minor keys, are a common choice for popular songs. The call and response between vocals and piano does what? There's thousands of people ain't got no place to go. Another way of reading classic blues lyric structure is as weighted-sonic couplets. Though theres no singular definition of the blues that fully encompasses the history and culture of the people from whom the blues are derived, I do think there are some notes to consider. The rhythm remains constant throughout the song, allowing the melody to flow peacefully during the piece. In the Voice and in the Deep, Blues Poetry - Poetry Foundation I am majoring in biology and love helping my community! Backwater blues done called me to pack my things and go. According to the Theorytab database, it is the 5th most popular key among Major keys and the 5th most popular among all keys. The song "Backwater Blues" is a blues and jazz standard written by Bessie Smith. Try listening to Backwater Blues while reading the lyrics; hear how the piano embodies the texture of what is being sung, as if the piano witnesses and takes on the storm and flood alongside Bessie Smith. In our workshop, In the Voice and in the Deep, Blues Poetry, participants and I studied blues music, history, aesthetics, and ultimately blues poetry. Sheet music arranged for Piano/Vocal/Guitar in C Major (transposable). The flood was a devastating ordeal. Smith describes how down she is about her life and how she knows there is nothing she can do about it. Theres this rich toughness in her voice that tells us this girl and her people are going to get through this calamity. I do not believe in a fixed way to write blues poems or poetry with blues feeling. Writer (s): Smith Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com. View all Google Scholar citations [1] Its musical composition entered the public domain on January 1, 2023. for this article. Pro Credit Pack (3 Pro Credits) Included with first year, Your high-resolution PDF file will be ready to download in Backwater Blues by Bessie Smith - Digital Sheet Music, View our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions, Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out. Published online by Cambridge University Press: Become a Musicnotes Pro - Premium member today and receive 24 titles per year plus take 15% off all digital sheet music purchases and get PDFs included with every song! It is a flexible approach to pitch (pentatonic base)-BLUES NOTES, descending melodic lines, raw/ gritty timbres, call and response, swing or laid back/flexible approach to the . Dinah Washington - Back Water Blues - YouTube Following her death, Smiths legacy continued on as she inspired new artists to display who they truly were. The first line sets the scene, the second line repeats the first for emphasis. When it's . Smith did not cut any corners in her songs- she told everyone how the world really was and how she felt about it. 3.2 Online-Unterricht - Backwater Blues - YouTube Back-Water Blues 65th in 1927. Thank you. Major keys, along with minor keys, are a common choice for popular songs. Bessie Smith, "Backwater blues", 1927The song "Backwater Blues" is a blues and jazz standard. In "Backwater Blues", the writer retells the incidents surrounding the flooding of Nashville in 1927. Notice, however, that although the form remains the same throughout, pianist James P. Johnson's accompaniment style frequently changes during different verses of the song, as he interacts musically with Smith and attempts to depict the meaning of her lyrics through his playing.\r\rBessie Smith (vocal); James P. Johnson (piano)\r\rRecorded in New York, February 17, 1927 This is historically problematical because that flood began two months after Smith . Bessie Smith tabs, chords, guitar, bass, ukulele chords, power tabs and guitar pro tabs including backwater blues, careless love, nobody knows you when youre down and out, taint nobodys business . It was covered by Brother John Sellers, Toni Lynn Washington, Meschiya Lake and The Little Big Horns, The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band and other artists. homophonic texture. Most of us dont remember the great Mississippi River Flood of 1927, but when I read this poem a few years ago during a gathering on the behalf of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, the same issues resoundedneighborhoods destroyed, slow government response, the African American neighborhoods were hit the hardest. Through an examination of Smith's touring itinerary, the testimony of fellow entertainers who toured with her, newspaper reports, and other documents, it can be shown that the song was composed about a flood of the Cumberland River that struck Nashville, Tennessee, on Christmas morning, 1926. Following her death, Smith received numerous awards and honors for her achievements, including: Bessie Smith- American Singer. Encyclopedia Britannica, written by The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Feb 2019, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bessie-Smith. The rhythm and beat remain constant throughout the song. Bessie actually wrote Backwater Blues for the Cumberland River flood that hit Nashville on Christmas morning 1926. Down Hearted Blues, her first recording, sold nearly 800,000 copies, firmly establishing her as a new singer in the blues genre. When it rained five days and the sky turned dark as night, Zur deutschen bersetzung von Backwater Blues, Die 10 schnsten Songs fr ein gemtliches Picknick, Die 10 beliebtesten ESC-Songs aller Zeiten, "Sing meinen Song" 2023: Alle Infos, Teilnehmer, Songs & Folgen, "Let's Dance 2023": Alle Tnze aus Show 9 + Songtexte, I'd Rather Be Dead and Buried in My Grave, Udo Lindenberg & Apache 207 - Komet Songtext, Ikke Hftgold, Schrze & DJ Robin - Bumsbar Songtext, Purple Disco Machine & Kungs - Substitution Songtext, Hypaton, David Guetta & La Bouche - Be My Lover (feat. Her lyrics aid the audience in understanding why she is down. Bessie actually wrote "Backwater Blues" for the Cumberland River flood that hit Nashville on Christmas morning 1926. Almost half a million homes were destroyed. My name is Lex and I am a rising senior at the University of Georgia. Total loading time: 0 What are the introductory chords that illustrate this? It was originally composed by Joe "King" Oliver and is largely performed as an instrumental, although lyrics were . Hooktheory requires WebAudio and this browser doesn't support it. She performed in various minstrel and black vaudeville shows, and as her reputation and fame grew, she performed with many of the other leading early jazz musicians of her time: Louis Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson, and James P. Johnson, just to name a few. Designed and built by Hooktheory in California. The flood was a devastating ordeal. Bessie Smith - Backwater Blues Flashcards | Quizlet Bessie Smith (1894-1937) began her professional career as a blues singer in cabarets in 1912. This is historically problematical because that flood began two months after Smith recorded her song. Back-Water Blues, composed by Bessie Smith and recorded by her on 17 February 1927, has long been associated in the popular mind and even by some writers with the great flood of the lower Mississippi River and its tributaries that occurred that year. Backwater Blues is written in the key of E Major. 15Label: Route 16Year: 1990This CD is from my own collection. Create beats, songs, and musical ideas with built-in music theory and AI from over 30k songs. Great cover of blues classic Backwater blues on The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band 2011. album How I Go There were reports that officials behaved in a discriminatory fashion. Performance: Backwater Blues by Big Bill Broonzy | SecondHandSongs 04 January 2007. El disco e. The piano's bass part keeps the rhythm of the piece steady but when doing the 'response', the right hand can complicate this and create interest. Este es un disco muy bueno; una gran voz, la Reina del Blues Dinah Washington, y unos temas espectaculares, las canciones de la gran Bessie Smith. She began recording regularly in the 1920s, distinguishing herself as the most successful African American artist of her time with her recording Down Hearted Blues in 1923. Nose To Tail - Dragon Ball Z Raging Blast 2, Mushihimesama Futari - Sea of Frozen Crystals. West End Blues - Louis Armstrong (Analysis) - bradpottermusic Content may require purchase if you do not have access. Print and download Backwater Blues sheet music by Bessie Smith. The lyrics are in the often-used AAB blues format. According to the Theorytab database, it is the 5th most popular key among Major keys and the 5th most popular among all keys. We could define and reproduce several devices of blues lyric, such as call and response, and blues turnaround, and surely, we can write sad poems. Teach music and songwriting in ways that keep students engaged, excited, and inspired. To pack my things and go. Irma Thomas released it on the album Our New Orleans 2005 - A Benefit Album in 2005. Songtext von Bessie Smith - Backwater Blues Lyrics I have her strong voice in my ear at all times. The three most important chords, built off the 1st, 4th and 5th scale degrees are all major . Yeah, when it's thunderin' and lightnin'. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bessie-Smith, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gXShOJVwaM, https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/bessie-smith, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go6TiLIeVZA, 1980: Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, 1989: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1989: Received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 1994: Face was placed upon a US Postage Stamp, 2001: Down Hearted Blues was named one of the Songs of the Century by the National Endowment for the Arts, 2002: Down Hearted Blues was listed on the National Recording Preservation Board by the Library of Congress, 2006: Down Hearted Blues listed in the Grammy Hall of Fame. The backwater blues caused me. Although Smith is very pleasing to the ears, she seems to be slightly monotone in this piece. The blues artists who wrote and sang in this era there are famous names in this era such as Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Howling Wolf, and of course, Bessie Smith, who is one of my favorites. Feature Flags: { Johnson was instrumental in the development of the piano style that emerged from Harlem in the 1920s known as \"stride.\" \r\rIn the age before sound amplification and microphones, a successful singer needed to be able to project. We were grounded by Amiri Barakas claim in Blues People, in which he conveyed that in the context of Black American culture, music explains history as history explains music. The melody is conjunct, making it easy to follow the lyrics of the song and the instrumental portions at the same time. She earned her title by displaying her powerful voice to the public for everyone to hear. Bessie Smith, "Backwater blues", 1927 - YouTube Backwater Blues - Piano - YouTube She made almost 200 recordings, including duets with Louis Armstrong and Joe Smith. For examples of innovative uses of these devices in poetry, visit Jericho Browns Duplex, Evie Shockleys Fukushima Blues, and Kevin Youngs Langston Hughes.. Listening Guide to Backwater Blues by Bessie Smith - YouTube Her powerful voice stands out so much in this song that the instrumental background may not even be needed as supplementation. Hier geht's zu meiner Musik auf Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/1EV1CjZHtzJGK5SZyEyKst?si=ya1BsYRcTpSlZeVFtMKekAMeine Musik auf Deezer:https://deezer. Leadbelly - Backwater Blues - YouTube music review for midterm Flashcards | Quizlet Please download this song, preferably the original 1927 recording by Bessie Smith, and listen to her amazing singing. The words vary from one performer to another; this opening verse is representative: When it rains five days, and the skies turn dark as night (2) Updated September 9, 2020. Smith performed for nearly a decade until Columbia Records signed her in 1923. C, F7, C, C7, F7, C. Instagram oder Facebook auf Songtexte.com geladen werden. And I can't live there no more. The song "Backwater Blues" is a blues and jazz standard written by Bessie Smith. Post 4- Blues Music: Bessie Smith | by Alexis Allen | Medium The rhythm and beat remain constant throughout the song. Bessie Smith is the best-known of the female "classic blues" (or "city blues") singers from the 1910s and 1920s (others include Ma Rainey, Ethel Waters, Clar. The third line either comments or reverses the first two lines. SKU: MN0121681 Backwater Blues by Big Bill Broonzy was written by Bessie Smith and was first recorded and released by Bessie Smith in 1927. This piece draws its material from the song "Backwater Blues" by Bessie Smith and from the historically articulated performance practice that has accrued to it. Mchtest du Inhalte von aktivieren? Baraka attributes this knowledge to his mentor Sterling A. Her ability to use \"blue notes\" and other vocal embellishments, along with a loose melodic phrasing, became hallmarks of jazz and blues inflection that other musicians (singers and instrumentalists) emulated. . The beat does . The initial first line resoundstherefore necessitates itself perhaps as a question, a declaration, or even a second guessing of this sung things existence to its audience of many or just their self. I love writing blues poems. AAB e.g. The Mississippi River flood of 1927 was horrific. After discussing blues history, we went over Bessie Smiths Backwater Blues, then Langston Hughes Too Blue, and concluded our study with Jericho Browns Duplex (specifically A poem is a gesture toward home). Hostname: page-component-75b8448494-knlg2 Third, Mamie Smith became the first Black blues singer to record a blues record in 1920. 7 available keys. The flood from The Cumberland River that struck Nashville, Tennessee on Christmas Day 1926, AAB e.g. Furthermore, Baraka notes that Africanisms (retentions of African culture throughout the African diaspora) were not limited to US Black people but that the culture of the Americas contains and is itself influenced by Africanisms. "When it rains five days, and the skies turn dark as night (x2). 'Cause my house fell down. Bob Dylan - Backwater blues Lyrics | Genius Lyrics We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. The consonant chords allow for a smooth harmony to flow continuously during the song. One more piece. Dazu brauchen wir deine Einwillung*. Harmonically, what is the piece based on? Death. *Als Songtexte.com PUR User kannst du entscheiden, welche Inhalte von externen Anbietern wie Youtube, Leadbelly - Backwater BluesTaken from: 16 Greatest Songs (As Pictured)Track no. ). Backwater blues done caused me to pack up my things and go, / Backwater blues done caused me to pack up my things and go, / 'Cause my house fell down and I can't live there no more. This is a song poem. Backwater Blues is written in the key of E Major. Perhaps the build-up of rain made her anticipate the flood; it was released just as the flood came, and as a result, it became a big hit., Charter Member Directory (Password Protected). Play the music you love without limits for just $9.99 $3.33/month. A modified 12 bar blues. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. In order to interrogate said materials, six recordings by different musicians were chosen and meticulously transcribed. In terms of chords and melody, Backwater Blues is more complex than the typical song, having above average scores in Chord Complexity, Melodic Complexity, Chord-Melody Tension and Chord Progression Novelty. Has data issue: false Lets look at this poem closely. The beat is easy to tap along to, making it easier to focus on her lyrics. Thematically, write about whatever you feel must be sung. The best song poems, I believe, can live on the pages as well as in the ear. The conjunct melody made me want to sing along with her! Backwater Blues Bessie Smith Chords and Lyrics for Guitar Back-Water Blues. Billed annually at $39.99. The piece has a homophonic texture due to the supplementation of the instruments to the vocalization of Smith. While many latter-day . What is the structure of the lyrics? I cant do justice to this poem, to Backwater Blues, by just reciting it myself. The song has long been associated with the great flood of the lower Mississippi River in 1927. Of course, I learn so much from the Bessie Smiths blues poems. Of course, we Americans have historical amnesia. As a poet who writes in English I know that every time I write a sonnet I pay homage to the high European tradition and to master poets like Shakespeare, Dunn, Keats, Petrarch. There aint no place for a poor old girl to go. The repetition of her lyrics depict just how saddening her situation is- she is in the middle of losing everything. As an attempt to escape poverty as a teenager, she joined the Moss Stokes Company with her brother and Gertrude Ma Rainey, the Mother of the Blues. Ma Rainey served as the most influential person during Smiths pre-professional career. Bessie Smith. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, courtesy of the Rock Hall Library and Archive, https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/bessie-smith. Jazz- Review Questions. Terrible images came across the television screen and recently with global warming and continuous flooding and natural disasters this poem survives the test of time and can speak to a variety of incidents and international dislocated peoples. Smith is believed to be one of the highest paid black performers of her time. Through an examination of Smith's touring itinerary, the testimony of fellow entertainers who toured . Alle Informationen dazu findest du in unseren The song is called "West End Blues" and was recorded by Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five in 1928. [2], The song has long been associated with the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. Backwater Blues Chris Fisher-Lochhead Mmm, I can't move no more. Brown, who alongside Langston Hughes was a pioneer of blues poetry in the 1920s. Backwater Blues - The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band - YouTube Nonetheless, when she recorded it in 1927 "Backwater Blues" became an anthem for the great Mississippi River Flood. I have sympathy towards Smith during her performance of this song because she conveys how lonesome she is. She is considered by many as one of the most successful African-American females of all time. Once more, listen for the turnaround (the melody at the final two bars of each 12-bar progression or last line of each stanza) and hear it transform the melody of one progression/stanza into the next. What characterizes a blues performance? I believe the blues represents a range of human experience that can speak on and to that thing that nearly ended someone but the very fact of them living to sing about it encapsulates the blues. Bessie Smith's 'Back-Water Blues': the story behind the song Not only did she sing, she was also an actress and comedian. Blues on Yellow Marilyn Chin from Rhapsody in Plain Yellow. Since tab form can't express time interval, I hope you will figure As musicologist Dr. David Evans has noted, Back-Water Blues was recorded in February 1927, before the great disaster of April.