3.06 Conclusion – Content

Overview

In addition to secular forms of African American music such as ragtime, the blues, and jazz, sacred African American music was also important during the early part of the twentieth century. Many features of African American religious music found their way into early rock. In addition, during the 1940s, African American popular secular vocal genres such as vocal harmony (doo-wop) groups and very early rhythm and blues began to gain audiences of all races. These genres of music are another crucial stepping stone on the path to the development of rock.

Objectives

Examine two critical types of African American religious music: spirituals and gospel music
Identify the various historically black colleges and universities
Identify the musical characteristics of secular popular musics that carried over into early rock and roll, such as the harmonic structure, the topics of the lyrics, the rhythmic character, and the instrumentation.
Define folk spirituals
Identify the key figures in gospel music
Identify the key figures in early rhythm and blues

Conclusion

Many types of African American music flourished in the first half of the twentieth century. Arranged spirituals were a respected form of art music, and gospel music, especially that by Thomas Dorsey, was a staple of many urban African American churches following the Great Migration. After World War II, bandleaders reduced the sizes of their ensembles to accommodate the decreased demand for swing bands, which led to the formation of the earliest style of rhythm and blues music. The intricate harmonies and variegated vocal textures of doo-wop groups captured the hearts and ears of both black and white listeners. Yet as African American music grew in diversity and popularity, many whites became nervous about the effect this music was having on "their" youth.

“You can't separate modern jazz from rock or from rhythm and blues - you can't separate it. Because that's where it all started, and that's where it all come from - that's where I learned to keep rhythm - in church.”

-Art Blakey

“I'm a big fan of gospel music, and you cannot be a fan of rock and roll, you cannot be a fan of country western music, and you can't really be a fan of jazz without listening to a lot of music that's religious.”

-Penn Jillette

During the colonial period in North America, slaves' music-centered worship and gatherings were often banned for being too "idolotrous and wild" and had to be conducted in secret.

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