home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
/
Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
/
B
/
Blues
/
INFOTEXT
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1992-09-03
|
1KB
|
27 lines
African-American or black music that
originated in the rural South in the late
19th century, characterized by a 12-bar
construction and often melancholy lyrics.
Blues guitar and vocal styles have played a
vital part in the development of jazz and pop
music in general. 1920s-1930s The rural or
delta blues was usually performed solo with
guitar or harmonica, by artists such as
Robert Johnson (1911-1938) and Bukka White
(1906-1977), but the earliest recorded style,
classic blues, by musicians such as W C Handy
(1873-1958) and Bessie Smith (1894-1937), was
sung with a small band. 1940s-1950s Urban
blues, using electric amplification, emerged
in the northern cities, chiefly Chicago. As
exemplified by Howlin' Wolf (adopted name of
Chester Burnett, 1910-1976), Muddy Waters
(adopted name of McKinley Morganfield,
1915-1983), and John Lee Hooker (1917-),
urban blues became rhythm and blues. 1960s
The jazz-influenced guitar style of B B King
(1925- inspired many musicians of the British
blues boom, including Eric Clapton (1945-).
1980s The `blues noir' of Robert Cray (1953-)
found a wide audience.