The History Of New Orleans Rhythm & Blues Vol. 2 - 1947-1953
Various Artists
©Rhythm And Blues Records 2011
More than any other city in the world, New Orleans has been responsible for shaping the sound of twentieth century popular music. Sweeping statement that may be, but as the birthplace of jazz, funk and arguably rock’n’roll, it really has no other contenders. At the heart of these three widely different varieties of music lies the rhythmic complexity of second line parade drumming. Its two-beat patterns combining military band and Caribbean rhythms underpin the early recordings of Louis Armstrong as much as they do those of Little Richard and James Brown. This compilation highlights some of the distinguishing characteristics found in early New Orleans recordings, not with the intention of picking out the city’s finest jazz and blues recordings but in order to pinpoint styles that would foreshadow later developments in the rhythm and blues field.
Key Elements of New Orleans R&B
Low, greasy, horn sections of baritone and tenor saxes playing chords in unison
Percussive, staccato piano rhythms played in triplets and rolling piano arpeggios
A tendency to play in a slower tempo with a more laid-back feel
A preference for traditional eight or sixteen-bar harmonic song structure over the twelve-bar blues format
Two-bar rhythmic phrasing similar to that found in the Caribbean
A unique rhythmic tension derived from bands playing straight time and shuffle time simultaneously
Disc One Mardi Gras In New Orleans
Roy Brown - Paul Gayten - Larry Darnell - George Miller’s Mid-Driffs - Professor Longhair - Smiley Lewis
Disc Two Going To The River
Fat Man Mathews – Archibald - Sugar Boy Crawford - Fats Domino – Guitar Slim - Dave Bartholomew
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