Release Date: 30 November 2004
Label: Naxos - Nostalgia / Naxos Nostalgic
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 636943280126
Genres: Classical
Composer/Series: THE BIRTH OF ROCK AND ROLL
Description
The Birth of Rock'n'RollOriginal Recordings 1945-1954A popular argument among music historians ofrecent years involves identifying the firstrock'n'roll record. Although this CD doesn'tpurport to solve that question, it will serve thepurpose of giving these ongoing discussions asingle source from which to choose some of thefavoured candidates.There are several problems with thisdialogue. First is the fact that most of the recordsincluded in this collection are by black artists,and as most will agree, rock'n'roll was a meltingpot of a variety of musical styles, including R&B,jump, blues, country, boogie woogie, andgospel. However, for the sake of argument, thiscollection focuses on songs that most frequentlycome up during the aforementioned debates.The second thing that needs to be addressedis that rock'n'roll was not 'created' nor did itspontaneously appear on the music scenebecause of any one of these records.Rock'n'roll, like other musical genres, wasthe result of a process that had been bubblingand boiling for years before Elvis Presley burstonto the scene in 1954. The musical processthat led to rock'n'roll developed simultaneouslyall over the United States in the late '40s andearly '50s. There are records on this set thatwere recorded in such diverse cities as NewYork, New Orleans, Memphis, Los Angeles,Cincinnati, aCD as a pot and the songs on itingredients for a stew. Each song contributedsomething important to the development ofrock'n'roll. Without any one, the stew wouldtaste differently, but it would still be a stew andwould be perfectly edible. One song might havemade the stew spicier, but it was not the onlyingredient.Culinary metaphors aside, we have chosento include a variety of R&B and doo-wopselections in this anthology; each of which had amajor influence on the development ofrock'n'roll. Wynonie Harris (1915-1969) notonly inspired Elvis Presley's Sun version ofHarris' Good Rockin' Tonight, but also addedessential elements to rock'n'roll, including aheavy backbeat and jump vocals, which leddirectly to Joe Turner's transition from bluessinger to rock pioneer.Along with the Orioles, the Ravens wasprobably the most important of the black vocalensembles with bird names that started in thelate 1940s. Jimmy Ricks' magnificent bass leadon the remake of the Broadway standard Ol'Man River helped inspire countless vocalgroups as well as early rock vocalists and '60sgroups such as the Temptations.Louis Jordan's recordings with his TympanyFive not only exhibited exuberant singing by itsleader, but the boogie beat, jump rhythms, andhorn ensembles had a marked influence on notonly '40s R&B, but jazz and bebop as well.Jordan (1908-1975) and others who performedin this style often played in clubs that featuredbebop performers. Songs such as Jordan'sCaldonia were included in the repertoires ofprogressive bands like Woody Herman's'1st herd'. Jordan wrote the song to be incorporatedinto a musical short and magnanimouslycredited his then-wife, Fleecie M
Tracklisting
Various
Wisdom:Grenfell:Murray
Whiteman
Various Artists
Various Artists
Various Artists
Various Artists
Various Artists
Various
Various
Various
Various
Various
Various
VARIOUS
Various
