A History of Jazz Podcast 1619 - 1917: A Prehistory
Feb 26, 2017
Discover the intriguing origins of the word 'jazz' and its uncertain early uses. Explore how African musical roots, especially call-and-response, shaped the genre. Delve into the role of slavery in jazz's emergence and how work songs influenced its development. Learn about the evolution from ragtime to jazz, highlighted by iconic figures like Buddy Bolden and the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. The podcast beautifully illustrates early recordings and crossroads in jazz history that paved the way for its rise in popular culture.
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Blues As The Foundation Of American Music
- Devins calls the blues the foundational African-American music that underpins American popular music.
- He notes blues arose after emancipation as people first had leisure to create it.
St. Louis Blues Demonstrates Blues Form
- Devins plays W.C. Handy's St. Louis Blues and dissects its repeated-line form.
- He uses the song to show blues structure: line, repetition, then rhyming line.
Ragtime Was America's Pop Music
- Devins shows ragtime dominated U.S. popular music circa 1890s–1910s and tied to piano manufacturing.
- He highlights player pianos and piano rolls as key distribution methods for ragtime.