According to the Theorytab database, it is the 5th most popular key among Major keys and the 5th most popular among all keys. Blues on Yellow Marilyn Chin from Rhapsody in Plain Yellow. Discuss Bessie Smith's performance of "Back Water Blues" as an example of both. Datenschutzbestimmungen. I have sympathy towards Smith during her performance of this song because she conveys how lonesome she is. 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. Entire black neighborhoods were wiped out. She is considered by many as one of the most successful African-American females of all time. 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, Clara Smith, and Mamie Smith). There were reports that officials behaved in a discriminatory fashion. 04 January 2007. I am majoring in biology and love helping my community! See the E Major Cheat Sheet for popular chords, chord progressions, downloadable midi files and more! Smith describes how down she is about her life and how she knows there is nothing she can do about it. The rhythm and beat remain constant throughout the song. Mmm, I can't move no more. Major keys, along with minor keys, are a common choice for popular songs. 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! The repetition of her lyrics depict just how saddening her situation is- she is in the middle of losing everything. The narrator, who presents himself as a victim describes how . This is historically problematical because that flood began two months after Smith . 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 . In the Voice and in the Deep, Blues Poetry - Poetry Foundation Irma Thomas released it on the album Our New Orleans 2005 - A Benefit Album in 2005. Backwater blues done called me to pack my things and go. Nose To Tail - Dragon Ball Z Raging Blast 2, Mushihimesama Futari - Sea of Frozen Crystals. 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. Backwater Blues by Big Bill Broonzy was written by Bessie Smith and was first recorded and released by Bessie Smith in 1927. After discussing blues history, we went over Bessie Smith's "Backwater Blues," then Langston Hughes' "Too Blue," and concluded our study with Jericho Brown's . Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings. The song has long been associated with the great flood of the lower Mississippi River in 1927. 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. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like backwater blues, libretto, step interval and more. Following her death, Smiths legacy continued on as she inspired new artists to display who they truly were. Leadbelly - Backwater Blues - YouTube I have her strong voice in my ear at all times. Smith performed for nearly a decade until Columbia Records signed her in 1923. She is the author of three collections of poems, most recently Rhapsody in Plain Yellow (2002). Brown, who alongside Langston Hughes was a pioneer of blues poetry in the 1920s. The song "Backwater Blues" is a blues and jazz standard written by Bessie Smith. Bob Dylan - Backwater blues Lyrics | Genius Lyrics The backwater blues caused me. Jazz- Review Questions. 3.2 Online-Unterricht - Backwater Blues - YouTube This suggests to me that aspects of contemporary US poetry could be in lineage of African diasporic culture. The consonant chords allow for a smooth harmony to flow continuously during the song. And the rain begin to pour. We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Dazu brauchen wir deine Einwillung*. Thematically, write about whatever you feel must be sung. Its musical composition entered the public domain on January 1, 2023. The conjunct melody made me want to sing along with her! Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out (Bessie and Me). '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. First, research supports the claim that blues music originated during the postUS Civil War era (186165) and is derived from spirituals and work and field songs of Black sharecroppers of the rural south, particularly the Mississippi Delta. Writer (s): Smith Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com. Back-Water Blues Bessie Smith (Columbia, 1927) Of course, we Americans have historical amnesia. 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. In our workshop, In the Voice and in the Deep, Blues Poetry, participants and I studied blues music, history, aesthetics, and ultimately blues poetry. Back-Water Blues. When it thunders and lightnin' and the wind begin to blow. Smith (on vocal with James P. Johnson on piano) recorded it as "Back-water Blues" on February 17, 1927, in New York City. The three most important chords, built off the 1st, 4th and 5th scale degrees are all major . Please use a recent version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, or Opera instead. Over her ten year career, she created one hundred and sixty recordings. There's thousands of people ain't got no place to go. Bessie Smith, commonly referred to as the Empress of the Blues, was born in 1894 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This incident gave birth to an important blues era, now known as the Delta Blues era. A modified 12 bar blues. Cover versions of Back Water Blues by Irma Thomas | SecondHandSongs Writer(s): Smith Although Smith is very pleasing to the ears, she seems to be slightly monotone in this piece. Alle Informationen dazu findest du in unseren . The beat is easy to tap along to, making it easier to focus on her lyrics. The lyrics of the song are interpreted with respect to the events of that flood. Learn to hear chords by ear. Considering these notes about the blues inception, the blues endured and scoredif not directly then through derived musical formsthe majority of the United States early nation-building and cultural formation. Includes 1 print + interactive copy with lifetime access in our free apps. Chris Fisher-Lochhead. Bessie Smith recorded Backwater Blues in 1927, and it became an anthem for one of the most devastating national disasters in US history. Big Bill Broonzy released it on the album Folk Blues in 1954. Listening Guide to Backwater Blues by Bessie Smith - YouTube :)---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Title: Backwater BluesLevel: BeginnerCom. 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). Backwater blues done called me to pack my things and go. In order to interrogate said materials, six recordings by different musicians were chosen and meticulously transcribed. 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. 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. Backwater Blues - The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band - YouTube Each verse in the song follows an AAB pattern from beginning to end. Backwater Blues tells the story of how the speaker is forced out of her home due to flooding waters. Photo credit: Carl Van Vechten, Celebrating Contemporary Books & Writers at the Library, From the Catbird Seat: The official Poetry and Literature podcast, Receive notifications about events, activities, and online resources, Marilyn Chin reads and discusses Bessie Smith's "Backwater Blues", Rhapsody in plain yellow, by Marilyn Chin, Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature. Bessie Smith, "Backwater blues", 1927The song "Backwater Blues" is a blues and jazz standard. 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. 15Label: Route 16Year: 1990This CD is from my own collection. The melody is conjunct, making it easy to follow the lyrics of the song and the instrumental portions at the same time. ). What are the introductory chords that illustrate this? The call and response between vocals and piano does what? While many latter-day . 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 . Song: Back-Water Blues written by Bessie Smith | SecondHandSongs LISTENING part 1 SEIGFRIED CHAP 5. richard wagner germany Smith is believed to be one of the highest paid black performers of her time. It was written by Bessie Smith, and recorded (under the title ". 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. Leadbelly - Backwater BluesTaken from: 16 Greatest Songs (As Pictured)Track no. 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. "Backwater Blues" (Song) - Song Meanings and Facts El disco e. Jazz- Review Questions Flashcards | Quizlet Hi! I cant do justice to this poem, to Backwater Blues, by just reciting it myself. Marilyn Chin (1955- ) was born in Hong Kong, grew up in Oregon, and received her MFA from the University of Iowa. Smith's voice not only had this quality, it also possessed a rich timbre and tremendous emotive power. Log dich ein um diese Funktion zu nutzen. 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. Billed annually at $39.99. The first line sets the scene, the second line repeats the first for emphasis. 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. Instagram oder Facebook auf Songtexte.com geladen werden. One subscription across all of your devices. She teaches in the MFA program at San Diego State University. I think in the best identity poems that the self represents something much larger than the self. How does the music reflect the lyrical content of the piece? "When it rains five days, and the skies turn dark as night (x2) There's trouble taking place in the lowland that night." Harmonically, what is the piece based on? My name is Lex and I am a rising senior at the University of Georgia. 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. C, F7, C, C7, F7, C. 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. Bemoaning the fate of losing a home to flood waters after five days and nights of rain, Smith laments: Thousands of people aint got no place to go. While many latter-day listeners have equated this song with the disastrous 1927 flood of the Mississippi River, Smith actually recorded this before that particular flood had occurred. Hooktheory requires WebAudio and this browser doesn't support it. What is the structure of the lyrics? Backwater Blues Bessie Smith Chords and Lyrics for Guitar (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. She lets the chords of the instruments dangle off of her words, resulting in a beautiful piece that focuses primarily on the lyrics. 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. The song has a homophonic texture due to the use of instruments and vocalization in unison. 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. When it's . Lets look at the blues poem as a form. Not only did she sing, she was also an actress and comedian. Chin is the recipient of the PEN/Josephine Miles Award, a Fullbright Fellowship, and the Paterson Prize, among numerous other honors. Thank you. homophonic texture. When it rains five days and the skies turn dark as night, when it rains five days and the skies turn dark as night, then trouble's takin' place in the lowlands at night. Published online by Cambridge University Press: Of course, I learn so much from the Bessie Smiths blues poems. The flood from The Cumberland River that struck Nashville, Tennessee on Christmas Day 1926, AAB e.g.